Global Utilities

La Trobe University
Student Learning

Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism

Promoting academic honesty

Academic integrity means being honest in academic work. University work needs to meet the highest standards of integrity because university research has impact on many communities.

In taking an academic integrity approach, La Trobe University promotes academic honesty and teaches the conventions of academic acknowledgment.

La Trobe University regards academic honesty as the foundation of teaching, learning, and research and scholarship. It requires its academic staff and students to observe the highest ethical standards in all aspects of academic work. The University demonstrates its commitment to these values by awarding due credit for honestly conducted scholarly work, and by penalising academic dishonesty and all forms of cheating.

Academic Misconduct Policy (2008, p.1) (PDF 252KB).

Related topics

  • What is academic integrity?
    Read some real life examples of academic misconduct.
  • Plagiarism?
    What is plagiarism, how to avoid it, and where to get help.
  • Referencing and avoiding plagiarism
    Activities which students can use or can be adapted by lecturers for teaching.
  • Acknowledgement, referencing and plagiarism
    Explanations, links to referencing sites, and useful phrases for students who have English as a second language.
  • Library Guides and Information Literacy
    Find out how to research and reference in Library Skills Online and access subject guides with links to recommended referencing styles.
  • Student Responsibility for Academic Integrity
    By submitting any piece of work you agree that:
    1. the work is your own work or the work of the group;
    2. you have read and agreed to be bound by the Statutes, Regulations and Policies of the University relating to Academic Misconduct available on this site;
    3.  you may be subject to student discipline processes in the event of an act of academic misconduct by you including an act of plagiarism or cheating.

     Plagiarism means the reproduction of someone else's words, ideas or findings and presenting them as your own ideas without proper acknowledgement and includes:

    • direct copying or paraphrasing from someone else's published work (either electronic or hard copy) without acknowledging the source;
    • using facts, information and ideas derived from a source without acknowledgement;
    • producing assignments (required to be independent) in collaboration with and/or using the work of other people; and
    • assisting another person to commit an act of plagiarism.

    You further grant to the University or any third party authorised by the University http://www.latrobe.edu.au/text-match  the right to reproduce and/or communicate (make available online or electronically transmit) the work you have submitted for the purpose of detecting plagiarism.

  • Assignment cover sheets
    Statement of Authorship for individual and group assignments.

    • Research Ethics and Integrity Unit
    Information on the conduct of research involving humans, animals and genetically modified organisms.