Sultan Qaboos University
The Language Centre
Policy on Plagiarism
_____________________________________________________________________
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is an academic offence and refers to the act of copying from other
sources (published or unpublished), and/or including the work of a fellow
student or another person in an unauthorized manner. This is done to present
that work as if it were the student’s own, often to obtain an unfair advantage.
While it is acceptable to include quotations from recognized sources, appropriate
acknowledgement and references need to be provided. Collusion, whereby
another person knowingly supplies work with his/her consent, is also
considered as an act of plagiarism.
Examples of plagiarism include the following:
•
Reproducing somebody else’s work either word for word or with minor
changes (keeping the structure, much of the language and main ideas the
same). Even if the source is unpublished, it should be treated as another
person’s work.
•
Obtaining another person’s work and submitting or presenting it as if it
were one’s own. It is strictly prohibited to turn in somebody else’s paper
even if it is enclosed in quotation marks. A large part of a paper must not
consist of quotations.
•
Submitting work that has been edited, rewritten or substantially changed
by
another
person
without
acknowledging
the
other
person’s
contribution will not be allowed.
•
Quoting somebody else’s words or ideas without crediting that person.
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Procedures
Preventing Plagiarism
Students must be made aware of the policy at the outset via the University
website, students’ handbooks, and by the instructors in class.
It is the responsibility of instructors to make students aware of the dishonesty
that copying represents and to ensure that students are made aware of the policy
and are aware of the repercussions of indulging in this practice. It is also the
responsibility of instructors to teach students how to cite sources properly.
Programmes must require that students show their work at different stages of
the research and writing process so that instructors are able to redirect or
'interrupt' work that is obviously copied.
Detection and Reporting
If a student is unsure of what constitutes plagiarism, that student should discuss
it with the instructor before turning the assignment in. Once an assignment has
been submitted, instructors who suspect that the assignment (or part thereof) is
plagiarized should upload the assignment on to the LC- recommended website1
(to be made available to all teachers) to detect and confirm whether the material
has been plagiarised. It is important to note that the software-generated
originality report should exclude quotations and bibliography.
Based on the report, marks are to be deducted as follows:
•
15-24.5 % plagiarized –20% of assigned mark
•
25-34.5 % plagiarized – 35% of assigned mark
•
35-49.5 % plagiarized - 50% of assigned mark
•
More than 50% plagiarized – zero
The instructor must keep a record of the plagiarized material and any penalties
made.
1
www.turnitin.com
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Penalties
1st Offence (50% more plagiarism for the first time in the LC). In addition to no
marks being awarded for the assignment, a formal warning letter will be issued
by the Quality Assurance Committee to the student stating the consequences of
repeating the offence.
2nd Offence (50% or more plagiarism for the second time in the LC): In addition
to no marks being awarded for the assignment, the student is referred to the
Committee for Academic Offences. The committee will review the case and apply
one or more of the following penalties2:
•
An ‘F’ grade in the course/level3
•
Suspension from the University for a specified period
•
Expulsion from the University
In both cases, the offence will be recorded in the student’s academic record /
transcript.
Resolving Conflict
Any conflict (e.g. denial of offence) between the instructor and the student that
needs resolution must be reported to the Level / Programme Coordinator.
Meeting with Level / Programme Coordinator
A meeting between the student suspected of plagiarism and a committee
consisting of the Level / Programme Coordinator and the member of staff
responsible for detecting the alleged offence must be arranged within 3 working
days after the act of plagiarism was officially reported. The purpose of the
meeting is to resolve the conflict and to determine whether the work in question
has in fact been plagiarized. A formal record must be kept of the meeting,
2
3
SQU Academic Undergraduate Regulations/ Academic Misconduct/ Section C11.3
Course refers to any of the CELP courses, whereas level refers to any of the six FPEL levels
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including the decision and reasons for it. The student may bring another student
to the meeting (permission is needed if it is someone from outside the
university) and must be given a fair chance to present and defend his/her case.
If the offence is not admitted to by the student, and /or the conflict is unresolved
by the Level / Programme Coordinator, the student’s marks on work already
graded will be withheld and the case will be reported to the Committee for
Academic Offences.
The Committee for Academic Offences
The Committee will meet within 3 days after receiving notification about a case
of plagiarism which remains unresolved. The committee will comprise of the
following members:
•
Deputy Director of Assessment ( DDA) or Head, TAU
•
The Course / Programme Coordinator
•
The student accused of plagiarism
•
A student representative (unknown to the student accused of plagiarism)
chosen by the Head of the Quality Assurance Committee
•
Head/ member of the Quality Assurance Committee (to act as secretary)
All records, including the names of all concerned must be supplied to the
committee in advance by the Level or Programme Coordinator. If needed, the
student will have a chance to present his/her case in the presence of another
student (permission is needed if it is someone from outside the university). If the
student is absent, the committee will review the case and a decision will be made
based on the available evidence.
The student will be notified of the committee’s decision. Depending on the
decision, his/her work will be either assessed following the standard
procedures, or the student must be informed about the action to be taken and
the penalty that has been decided upon.
All academic offences, including cases of plagiarism, will be recorded by the
Quality Assurance Committee. The whole process will be monitored and
reviewed annually to determine the effectiveness of the procedures.
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Appeals
A student has the right to appeal against any of the above decisions in the
following situations:
•
if any extenuating circumstances which affected the student’s actions
have not been accounted for; and
•
if any additional evidence not previously available becomes available.
Written appeals must be submitted to the Quality Assurance Committee. Denial
of previously admitted and proven guilt is not considered sufficient ground for
appeal. The Head of the LC Quality Assurance Committee may, if necessary, refer
the case to the Committee for Academic Offences or to the Academic Council (in
the case of decisions made by the Committee for Academic Offences).
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