Global Utilities

La Trobe University
Plagiarism

How to avoid plagiarism

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 at www.latrobe.edu.au/learning/integrity  and
  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.

 Responsibilities

According to the Academic Integrity Procedures (2010, p. 4)

Students have a responsibility to:

  • observe in all respects the ethical approaches to learning that the University and its Faculties foster;
  • declare in their work submitted for assessment, all printed, electronic, graphical, artistic work, and other kinds of sources from which they obtain material or ideas;
  • do this in ways approved by the discipline, school and faculty in which the assignment is set, for example through footnotes, endnotes, textual references or other devices;
  • write their assignments independently, except when they are asked to work on a project as a member of a group which is to submit a joint report as equal contributors;
  • when submitting work as a group, except where the final written work consists of sections for which particular individuals take sole responsibility, the group as a whole must assume responsibility for the work and the proper acknowledgment of any use made of the words or ideas of people outside the group;
  • consult and use the guides and information provided by the University to instruct them in the avoidance of plagiarism;
    take part in the sessions (whether on-line or face to face) on plagiarism avoidance and learning programs provided by the University to enhance their writing and analytical skills, which will contribute to the diminution of plagiarism in their work;
  • seek individual or group instruction from staff of Language and Academic Skills Units when they are counselled to do so;
  • submit hard copies of work for assessment with a Student Declaration;
  • read and comply with the Statement of Student Responsibility shown on the University’s LMS;
  • use text-matching software appropriately, including as a learning tool to check for potential text-matches before turning in work for assessment;
  • retain copies of all assignments they submit for assessment;
  • not submit their own academic work for assessment when it has already been submitted for assessment at another time (including at another institution), without the express permission of the academic staff member who will assess it;
  • ensure that they do not knowingly or carelessly make their work available to other students in any form; and
  • consult with staff when in doubt about any matter where plagiarism is or may be involved.