The University
Academic
Integrity Initiative
The University
What
is Academic Integrity?
The University of Bath is one of the UK’s
leading universities with a vibrant and
innovative academic community.
You are encouraged to work
independently and to have original ideas.
You are expected to study literature in
your field and incorporate the ideas of
other authors into your own work.
Academic integrity means being honest
about where you have sourced the
materials for your assignments, indicating
which ideas are your own and which are
from other authors.
The University
What
is Plagiarism?
Using published or unpublished
material or ideas, without
acknowledging the original source, is
known as plagiarism.
It is an academic offence which is
taken very seriously by the University
and of which all students need to have
a thorough understanding.
Plagiarism takes many forms including
reusing your own work without
acknowledgement.
The University
Raising
awareness
To raise awareness of plagiarism and the
importance of academic integrity, ALL
students must undertake training and
pass a test.
Message from the PVC (L&T),
The University
Professor
Bernie Morley
Professor Bernie Morley
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching)
Explains the importance of academic integrity
and the University’s initiative to raise awareness
of plagiarism and how to avoid it.
The University
Training
and Test
©Andrew Milligan/PA
How do you access the
The University
training
and test?
A link to the training and test can be found in Moodle, the Virtual Learning Environment.
When you log into Moodle, the Academic Integrity Initiative course for your Department will
automatically appear in ‘My courses’, in the left-hand column of the page.
What does the training
The
University
involve?
An online tutorial provides a basic
understanding of plagiarism and
how to avoid it by referencing
appropriately.
It comprises a mixture of text, video
clips and questions.
Even if you think you have a
thorough knowledge of plagiarism,
it is important to undertake the
training.
Once you have worked through the
training, and feel confident that you
have understood it, you are ready
to take the test.
The University
What
does the test involve?
The test comprises 20
multiple choice
questions.
To pass the test you
must achieve a score of
85%.
You can take the test as
many times as
necessary, until you
pass.
Theyou
University
Do
have to take the test?
ALL students registering on an award at
the University must take the test,
regardless of your level or mode of study.
If you were registered on an award for a
previous programme last year and you
successfully completed the test, you do
NOT have to take the test again, but you
may wish to review the training materials
on how to avoid plagiarism again at the
start of this academic year.
Why do you have to pass the
The
test? University
The training and test will provide you
with a basic understanding of
plagiarism and how to reference
properly. This knowledge is extremely
important for your studies.
Until you have passed the test you will
NOT be allowed to continue in your
studies past your next progression
point.
If you are one a one year Postgraduate
Taught Masters, for example, your next
progression point may be graduation.
In this case you would NOT be allowed
to graduate until you had taken and
passed the test.
Why do you have to pass the
The
test? University
Once you have passed the test it will
be assumed that you understand the
concept of plagiarism and its
consequences.
Therefore, after this point, if you are
found to have plagiarised in your work,
you will not be able to claim ignorance
of plagiarism or its consequences in
mitigation.
Do you have to retake the test
The
if youUniversity
transfer course?
Once you have passed the test you do not
have to retake it even if you register on
another programme at the University.
However, if, having passed the test, you
are found to have plagiarised in your work
you may be asked to retake the test (in
addition to other penalties).
You are encouraged to revisit the training
and other resources provided by the
University throughout your studies.
Consequences and detection
The
University
of plagiarism
©Andrew Milligan/PA
How does the University
The
University
detect
plagiarism?
Your lecturers will have a good knowledge of
the literature in your subject and will generally
know when you are using information from a
source without referencing properly. They
will also be able to tell by a change of tone
and style in your work that you are quoting
from another source.
To support the detection of plagiarism in
students’ work, the University subscribes to
Turnitin. Turnitin is used by most universities
in the UK to detect plagiarism in students’
work. The service checks electronic, textbased submissions against a large database
of material and produces a report on the
originality of each piece of work. Your work
may be submitted to Turnitin periodically by
your department.
What are the consequences
The
University
of plagiarism?
Each case of plagiarism is considered
individually and a penalty applied
according to the seriousness of the
offence.
In the most serious cases the penalties
may include being downgraded in degree
classification or being asked the leave the
University without a degree.
You will be able to find further information
regarding penalties and the processes in
place to deal with plagiarism offences, in
statement ‘QA53 Examination and
Assessment Offences’ (See University’s
Quality Assurance Code of Practice:
http://www.bath.ac.uk/quality/documents/QA53.pdf)
Further information about
The
University
plagiarism
and referencing?
Developing good writing,
research, referencing and
note-taking skills is
essential to avoiding
plagiarism in your work.
Further information on
resources and training
available to develop these
skills is available on the
Student Support and
Resources site.