The document discusses avoiding plagiarism and academic misconduct. It defines academic integrity and identifies different forms of academic malpractice such as copying work, collusion, and fabrication. It explains why students commit plagiarism and describes techniques for avoiding it, including developing strong research skills, citing sources properly, and using paraphrasing. The document emphasizes the importance of academic integrity and outlines the serious consequences of plagiarism.

1. Avoiding Plagiarism and
Academic Misconduct

2.  To introduce you to the concept of academic
integrity, so you can avoid accusations of
academic misconduct while pursuing studies at
university

3.  At the end of this lesson you will be able to:
 Define academic integrity
 Identify different forms of academic malpractice
 Explain why there is academic misconduct
among students
 Describe basic techniques for avoiding academic
misconduct

4.  Honesty to oneself and others;
• “Cultivating honesty or developing in each of us the
courage to make difficult choices and accept
responsibility for actions and their consequences,
even at personal cost.” (Bailey, 2003, p.7)
adherence to moral and ethical principles
 soundness of moral character
 honesty in coursework and research

5.  Copying from another student during
an exam
 Presenting a paper copied from a file
or purchase and presenting it as
original work
 Faking the results of a laboratory
experiment or work
 Asking for examination content or
answers from another student or
teacher

6.  Using material from another student’s
paper, without giving credit to the
other student
 Working in a group, when an
assignment was given as individual
work
 “Sitting for” or taking an exam for
another student
 Writing a laboratory report without
performing the lab activity/experiment

7.  Plagiarism is presenting the
ideas, work or words of other
people without proper and
clear acknowledgement.
Or
 It is passing someone else’s
work as your own
Or
 Using another’s work,
without giving credit to them.

8. Intentional plagiarism
 Example: Copying and pasting from the internet
with no citation and/or quotation marks
 Copying from another student’s work (collusion)
 Submitting work already submitted in the past
(same or another course)
Unintentional plagiarism
 Not referencing properly (due to recklessness or not
knowing academic conventions)
 Both types are subject to disciplinary action

9.  Why should we be
concerned about
plagiarism?

10.  It may lead to failing a course or expulsion from
university
 Copying will not help you understand or learn
concepts
 It is unethical, dishonest and can have serious
consequences for your future career
 You must show that you understand the rules of
academia

11.  You are taking credit for
something that is not yours
 It is stealing
 There can be huge
consequences

12.  There are many types of plagiarism, although no
degree of plagiarism is acceptable.
 Plagiarism can range from complete
plagiarism (as the most glaring act of fraud) to
accidental plagiarism.
 That is why, knowledge about plagiarism is a key
learning component at colleges and universities.

13.  Self-plagiarism: it occurs where
you submit work that you have
presented for assessment on a
previous occasion
 Complete Plagiarism: Most
severe form of plagiarism where
a researcher takes a manuscript
or study that someone else
created, and submits it under his
or her name.
 It is tantamount to intellectual
theft and stealing.

14.  Source-based Plagiarism: occurs when a
researcher references a source that is incorrect or
does not exist : it is a misleading citation.
 Data fabrication and falsification: Data
fabrication is the making up of data and research
findings, while Data falsification involves changing
or omitting data to give a false impression.

15.  Self or Auto Plagiarism:
Happens when an author
reuses significant portions of
his or her previously
published work without
attribution.
 Accidental Plagiarism:
Occurs because of neglect,
mistake, or unintentional
paraphrasing.

16.  Collusion : Any agreement to
hide someone else's individual
input to collaborative work with
the intention of securing a mark
higher than either you or
another student might deserve.
 Whether intended or
unintended, there is no excuse
for plagiarism and the
consequences are often the
same.

17.  Why do people plagiarise?
 What can we do to prevent it?

18. Poor time management skills
Pressure of workload
Ignorance or lack of knowledge about
plagiarism
Pressure to succeed
Technology
The consequences of cheating are viewed as
unimportant

19.  Developing strong time
management skills
 Don't construct a piece of
work by cutting and pasting
 Make a note of the source of
every piece of information at
the time you record it, even
if it is just one sentence.

20.  Sometimes you may need to quote
someone else's exact form of words
in order to analyze or criticize them
 In which case the quotation must be
enclosed in quotation marks to
show that it is a direct quote, and it
must have the source properly
acknowledged at that point.
 Do attribute all ideas to their original
authors.

21. How can we avoid plagiarism?

22.  Reading and note-taking (in your own words)
 Effective paraphrasing
 Noting down where exactly you read the
information you put in your own words
 Citing clearly: name of author, date & page (if
quoting)

23.  Good referencing skills can help you to avoid
accusation of plagiarism.
At the end of your report/essay you must put in
full ALL the sources/references used.
 Submitting on Turnitin to check your degree of
similarity
 Good Essay planning skills

24.  Baron, J. and Crooks, S.M. (2005). Academic
integrity in web based distance education.
TechTrends, 49(2), pp.40-45.
 Cottrell, S. (2019). The study skills handbook.
Macmillan International Higher Education.
 McGowan, S. (2016). Breaches of academic
integrity using collusion. Handbook of academic
integrity, pp.222-248.
 Thomas, J. and Scott, J. (2016). UK perspectives of
academic integrity. Handbook of academic integrity,
pp.39-53.

25. At Talent and Skills Hub, you can be
supported by our instructors, academic
skills advisors and mentors for sessions on
quality academic writing. You can book
appointment for one-to-one or group
tutoring through our appointments booking
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