Student Advice Centre

Plagiarism and cheating

Put simply, plagiarism is presenting someone else's work as your own. Cheating can be anything from direct copying from another student to taking unauthorised materials into the exam room.

Most students are aware of what cheating is, but it is sometimes more difficult to identify plagiarism.

The University's position is set out in Regulation 11 "Procedure to be adopted in the Event of Suspected Cheating in a University Test". Part one deals with cheating in an examination and part two with plagiarism in essays and other assessed work.

The penalties for plagiarism and cheating can be severe and, since it is not always easy to distinguish carelessness from intent, to avoid any risk of being accused of plagiarism it is vital to reference your sources fully and in the proper manner. You may not intend to pass off another's work as your own but if you omit references or do not make them clear, you may find that you are inadvertently laying yourself open to a charge of plagiarism.

You will find information on how to reference sources in your course handbook. There is also a useful website called Plato that takes you through proper referencing techniques.

If you think you have been wrongly accused of plagiarism, the Student Advice Centre can advise you about the University's procedures and may be able to represent you at a hearing.