DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT
POLICY ON PLAGIARISM
The Department of Government adheres to the School’s Regulations on
Assessment Offences and Plagiarism, which follows this document as Appendix
I.
Plagiarism Definition
For Government Department students at all levels, the School’s
regulations mean that all work for classes and seminars as well as scripts
(which include, for example, examinations, essays, dissertations and any
other work, including computer programs) must be the student’s own
work. The definition of a student’s own work includes work which is
produced by collaboration where expressly permitted by the department
or institute concerned. Quotations must be placed properly within
quotation marks and must be cited fully and all paraphrased material
must be acknowledged completely. Infringing this requirement, whether
deliberately or not, or the deliberate or accidental passing-off of the work
of others as the work of the student is plagiarism.
Proper Referencing
The responsibility for learning the proper forms of citation lies with the
individual student. However the Government Department and the
School provide resources for students to do so. For further information
on referencing, students may refer to the section of their handbook
entitled ‘Advice on Writing Essays’. That section is also reproduced in
the Government Department’s public folder entitled ‘Plagiarism’. The
Department also encourages students to utilize the LSE Learning World,
which offers web resources, session slides, sessions, and one-on-one help
with areas such as ‘Writing Essays’ and ‘Preparing and Presenting Class
and Seminar Papers’—all free of cost. Students can refer to their website
to access their resources and sign up for sessions:
http://learning.lse.ac.uk/. Additional advice on writing essays is
contained in the plagiarism folder in the Government Department’s
public folders.
Enforcement
From the start of the 2005-2006 academic year, all students will be
required to sign a statement sheet acknowledging that their work is not
plagiarized, and acknowledging that their work will be submitted to
plagiarism detecting software. Students are required to submit their
assessed essays and dissertations electronically through WebCT so that
they can be submitted to plagiarism detecting software. For the 20042005 and 2005-2006 academic years, the School is using JISC software.
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Students caught plagiarizing will be dealt with under the procedures
outlined by the School’s Regulations on Assessment Offences and Plagiarism.
Students are encouraged to see their tutor if they are ever in doubt about how
to avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is regarded as a serious offence by the School
and someone found guilty of it may be failed or even disallowed from
completing their degree. Plagiarism is an assessment offense and is treated
seriously by the School.
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Appendix I
THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
REGULATIONS ON ASSESSMENT OFFENCES AND PLAGIARISM
Introduction
1
These Regulations apply to the making of allegations of assessment
misconduct against any student, to the subsequent hearing of those
allegations and the actions that may then follow. They apply to all work
submitted by a student for any kind of opinion or assessment by staff of the
School or under School regulations. Allegations of plagiarism against a
student that are outside these Regulations, for example in connection with
external publications, shall fall under the regulations governing student
discipline and may also fall under those governing academic conduct.
2
In these Regulations the following definitions apply:
script refers to work of any kind submitted for assessment or opinion by
staff of the School or under School regulations,
examination board refers to the body of examiners that initially considers
the work of the student, and
award means the result decided by an examination board in any course
or programme, howsoever expressed.
All action under these Regulations, whether by the student or by the School,
should be expeditiously conducted.
3
Assessment is the means by which the standards that students have
achieved are declared to the School and beyond, and which provides students
with detached and impartial feedback on their performance. It is also a
significant part of the process by which the School monitors its own standards
of teaching and student support. It follows that all work presented for
assessment must be that of the student and must be prepared and completed
according to regulation and to the instructions of examination boards.
4
Infringement of these Regulations shall render a student liable to action
under these Regulations and/or under the Regulations for Students.
Assessment offences and plagiarism
5
An assessment offence can take place in connection with any work
submitted for assessment in connection with the requirements of an award.
The offence of plagiarism, however, can take place in any work, whether
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submitted for assessment in connection with the requirements for an award or
for other purposes.
6
Plagiarism is defined in regulations 10 and 11. An assessment offence
under these Regulations is any of the following:
6.1 the bringing of books, notes, instruments or other materials
however they are stored or transported, which might be used to the
student’s advantage and are not expressly permitted by the examiners
under regulation 8, or the use of such articles in the examination room;
6.2 communication in any form by a student during the examination to
another individual or individuals except where expressly permitted by
the examiners;
6.3 in the examination room, copying or reading from the work of
another student or from another student’s books, notes, instruments,
computer files or other materials or aids, unless expressly permitted by
the examiners;
6.4 offering an inducement of any kind to an invigilator, examiner or
other person connected with assessment calculated to obtain an
advantage not otherwise obtainable;
6.5 the use of software or of information stored electronically in any
form that is not expressly permitted by the examiners;
6.6 failure to comply with the reasonable request of an invigilator
under these or other regulations and rules, normally made at the end of
the examination;
6.7 any conduct of which the result would be an advantage for the
student obtained by subterfuge or action contrary to regulation or
published rules;
6.8 the unauthorised removal from the examination room of stationery
or other materials supplied by the School for examination purposes.
7
An attempt to plagiarise or to commit an assessment offence is itself an
assessment offence.
8
The examination board shall specify such books, notes, instruments,
computer files or other materials or aids as are permitted to be used in
conjunction with assessment, and any such articles not expressly so specified
may not be brought into, handled or consulted during an examination. Any
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such articles in the possession of a student on entry to the examination room
must be deposited immediately with the invigilator.
9
The student must on request surrender to the invigilator any books,
notes, instruments, computer files or other materials or aids introduced into
an examination room that are reasonably believed by the invigilator not to be
permitted under regulation 8. The invigilator shall pass such articles to the
School, which may make copies of such articles and may retain the original
articles and the copies at its absolute discretion.
10 All work for classes and seminars as well as scripts (which include, for
example, examinations, essays, dissertations and any other work, including
computer programs) must be the student’s own work. The definition of a
student’s own work shall include work produced by collaboration expressly
permitted by the department or institute concerned. Quotations must be
placed properly within quotation marks and must be cited fully and all
paraphrased material must be acknowledged completely. Infringing this
requirement, whether deliberately or not, or the deliberate or accidental
passing off of the work of others as the work of the student is plagiarism.
11 Each department and institute is responsible for instructing students on
the conventions required for the citation and acknowledgement of sources in
its disciplines. The term sources includes not only published primary and
secondary material from any source whatever but also information and
opinions gained directly from other people, including students and tutors.
The responsibility for learning the proper forms of citation lies with the
individual student.
Making the allegation – preliminary and informal stages
Alleged plagiarism in work submitted for the opinion of staff of the School but not
submitted in connection with the requirements for an award, including but not
limited to draft chapters of theses
12 Where the allegation is of plagiarism in work not submitted in
connection with the requirements for an award, any member of the School
may make the allegation to the convener of the department or institute
concerned. The convener shall be empowered to depute to a senior member of
the department any actions and decisions within this part of the Regulations.
The convener/deputy shall seek such evidence and advice as he/she may
think necessary without contacting the student concerned. On the basis of that
evidence he/she shall determine whether there is sufficient material for the
student to be required to answer an allegation of plagiarism. The
convener/deputy shall either:
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12.1 immediately dismiss the allegation, in which case no record of it
shall be kept on the student’s file, or
12.2 present the whole allegation in writing to the student concerned,
and conduct an interview with the student, where practicable in the
presence of an officer of the Students’ Union, during which the student
shall have the opportunity to respond to the allegation.
13 Having interviewed the student, the convener/deputy shall then have
the power either:
13.1 to find the allegation unproved and requiring no record to be kept
on the student’s file, or
13.2 to find the allegation unproved, but that the circumstances,
including but not limited to the student’s explanation, make it
appropriate for the allegation, explanation and finding to be kept on the
student’s file held by the Academic Registrar together with a note that
reference should not be made to the record other than in the event the
student relied upon a similar explanation in the future, or
13.3 to find the allegation proved and admonish the student, or
13.4 to admonish the student and to require the submission of a
reasonable amount of further written work, or
13.5 to refer the case to the Secretary of the School for action under the
disciplinary regulations applicable to students.
14
The convener or deputy
14.1 following action under regulations 13.3 or 13.5 may at his or her
discretion cause an appropriate adjustment to be made to the marks
awarded to the student for the work in question, and
14.2 in the case of admonition under regulations 13.3 or 13.4 may cause
a record of the case to be placed on the student’s file held by the
Academic Registrar.
Alleged plagiarism in work submitted in connection with the requirements for an
award
15 Where the allegation is of plagiarism in work submitted in connection
with the requirements for an award, any member of the School may make the
allegation to the convener of the department or institute concerned. Where an
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examiner intends to make an allegation, he/she should consult any internal coexaminer(s) of the work concerned before contacting the convener.
16 The convener shall be empowered to depute to a senior member of the
department any actions and decisions within this part of the Regulations. The
convener/deputy shall consult an external examiner and shall seek such
evidence and advice as he/she may think necessary without contacting the
student concerned. On the basis of that evidence he/she shall determine
whether there is sufficient material for the student to be required to answer a
formal allegation of plagiarism. The convener/deputy shall either:
16.1 as soon as is practicable, dismiss the allegation, in which case no
further reference shall be made to the allegation and no information
about it shall be added to the student’s file, or
16.2 present the allegation formally and in writing to the student,
specifying the passages of any script thought to be affected and where
practicable including the suspected sources.
17 If, in the opinion of the convener/deputy, the nature of the formal
allegation is such that if proved it would result in no, or a very small,
amendment to the decision of the examination board and there is no other
justification for further time being spent on the allegation, then he/she may
invite the student to consent to a disposal under this paragraph. If the student
consents, a note shall be placed on his or her file held by the Academic
Registrar identifying the allegation made and that no further action was taken
under these regulations. The tutor or supervisor may counsel the student as to
his or her future behaviour. The examination board shall not be informed of
the note unless the student’s final result is borderline, in which case the
examination board shall be informed and entitled to take the allegation into
account. If the student does not so consent the allegation shall be heard by the
Assessment Misconduct Panel constituted under these Regulations.
18 Except where paragraph 17 applies, the convener/deputy shall inform
the Academic Registrar who shall refer the allegation to an Assessment
Misconduct Panel constituted under these Regulations.
An alleged assessment offence other than plagiarism
19 Only an invigilator or examiner may make an allegation of an
assessment offence, other than of plagiarism, against a student. An invigilator
should normally make an allegation in connection with his or her report on
the examination concerned. An allegation must be made confidentially in
writing to the Academic Registrar.
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20 The Academic Registrar shall consult the Dean of Undergraduate or
Graduate Studies as appropriate (“the Dean”). If, in the opinion of the
Academic Registrar and the Dean, the nature of the assessment offence is such
that if proved it would result in no, or a very small, amendment to the
decision of the examination board and there is no other justification for
further time being spent on the allegation, then the Academic Registrar shall
invite the student to consent to a disposal under this paragraph. If the student
consents, a note shall be placed on his or her file held by the Academic
Registrar identifying the assessment offence alleged made and that no further
action was taken under these regulations. The tutor or supervisor may
counsel the student as to his or her future behaviour. The examination board
shall be informed of the decision after it has assessed the student unless the
student’s final result is borderline, in which case the examination board shall
be informed and entitled to take the allegation into account. If the student
does not so consent the allegation shall be heard by the Assessment
Misconduct Panel constituted under these Regulations.
21
Unless regulation 20 applies, the Academic Registrar shall then either:
21.1 dismiss the allegation, in which case no further reference shall be
made to the allegation and no information about it shall be added to the
student’s file. The Academic Registrar shall inform the person making
the allegation of this outcome, or
21.2 present the allegation formally and in writing to the student.
22 Except where paragraph 21.1 applies, the allegation shall be heard by an
Assessment Misconduct Panel constituted under these Regulations.
The assessment misconduct panels
23 The Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Sub-Committees shall each
annually establish an Assessment Misconduct Panel comprising four persons,
normally the Chair of the Sub-Committee who shall chair the Panel unless
excluded from membership because of previous connection with the
assessment in question or with the allegation in which case the vice-chair shall
chair it, two examiners and a sabbatical officer of the Students’ Union or a
student drawn by lot from the panel of student members of Boards of
Discipline. No person directly involved in the assessment in question or
connected in any way with the allegation or the student shall serve when the
Panel considers a case. The Academic Registrar shall appoint a secretary to
the Panel and shall not personally service the Panel. All relevant
documentation shall be placed before the Panel, which shall be required
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23.1 to determine whether the allegation as to an assessment offence or
plagiarism has been proved to the satisfaction of a majority of those
present, on the balance of the evidence presented to it, and
23.2 to make a recommendation drawn from the penalties set out in
these procedures, where the allegation is found proved.
24 The Panel is quorate when there are three of its members present, one of
whom must be the Chair.
Preparation for assessment misconduct panel consideration
25 Communication with the student and any action under these
Regulations shall normally be delayed pending the sitting of any
examinations being imminently taken by the student.
26
The secretary to the Panel shall:
26.1 send to the student a copy of the allegation and any relevant
documents that provide evidence of the allegation, a copy of these
procedures and a proposed timetable for progressing the matter,
26.2 invite the student to state whether the allegation is true or false and
provide a statement and/or any evidence relevant to the case, giving a
time limit of not less than seven days for the student to respond, and
26.3 advise the student that he/she might wish to seek advice (if an
undergraduate) from the Tutor or Departmental Tutor or (if a graduate
student) from the Supervisor or Programme Director.
27 If the student admits the allegation, the secretary to the Panel shall ask
him/her for any written observations that would assist the Panel in
determining the action to be taken.
28 If the student denies the allegation and submits a statement and/or
evidence, the secretary to the Panel shall pass the student’s submissions to the
examiner(s) or invigilator(s) concerned who may provide a written response.
The secretary to the Panel should require the examiner(s) or invigilator(s) to
provide their response within a defined time that should not exceed 14 days.
29 On receipt of the student’s submissions under Regulation 26.2 and/or
27, and any responses under Regulation 28, on the expiry of the time given,
the secretary to the Panel shall consult the Chair of the Undergraduate or
Graduate Studies Sub-Committee as appropriate (“the Chair”). The Chair
shall consider the material sent to the student under regulation 26.1, the
student’s submissions under Regulation 26.2 and/or 27 and any response
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under Regulation 28 and decide whether the allegation can be dismissed
without further consideration. If it is determined that it should not proceed
the Academic Registrar shall inform the student in writing, and no record of
the allegation shall be placed on the student’s file.
30 If the Chair decides that the matter is to proceed, then a meeting of the
appropriate Panel shall be called to consider the allegation. The secretary to
the Panel shall:
30.1 inform the student of the date on which the hearing of the
allegation is to take place
30.2 provide the student with a copy of any response received under
Regulation 28 and any other material that the Panel is to be asked
consider
30.3 invite the student to attend the hearing of allegation and make
representations, present evidence and question any witnesses
30.4 inform the student that he/she may be accompanied or
represented on the conditions set out in Regulation 32
30.5 inform the student that he/she may send written submissions to
the Panel.
Hearings at the assessment misconduct panel
31 Where the allegation is of plagiarism, the convener/deputy is
responsible for presenting the case against the student. In other cases a
member of the academic or administrative staff of the School shall present the
case against the student.
32 The student shall be invited to comment on the allegation and the
evidence. He/she may elect to be accompanied by an officer of the Students’
Union or by a friend or representative, who shall have the same rights as the
student. Where the student elects to be accompanied by a friend or
representative he or she shall inform the secretary to the Panel of that
person’s background and professional qualifications at least seven days in
advance of the date set for the hearing.
33 Where the student has indicated that he/she is to be represented, the
Academic Registrar may, with the consent of a Deputy Director, recruit a
person of similar background and/or qualifications to assist the School. Such
person may attend the hearing either to accompany the person presenting the
case or to present the case.
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34
The person presenting the case shall have the rights to see or to listen to,
as appropriate, all evidence given, to question the student and other witnesses
appearing before the Panel, and to submit documents to the Panel. The
student and/or his/her friend or representative shall have the rights to see or
to listen to, as appropriate, all evidence given, to question the witnesses
appearing before the Panel and those providing written evidence, and to
submit documents to the Panel.
35 The Panel shall have regard to the provision of the European
Convention on Human Rights that requires that in general hearings are to be
held in public but may be held in private in certain circumstances. The
student shall have the right, before or at the beginning of the hearing, to
request that the proceedings be held openly, except that regulation 39 shall
always be observed.
36 The Panel may seek such other evidence, oral or written, as would assist
it in its work. Independent expert evidence may be obtained and introduced
by the student or, with the approval of a Deputy Director, by the person
presenting the allegation. The Panel reserves the right to enquire in detail into
any use of its information technology hardware or software to assist in
resolving allegations of copying or plagiarism, consistent with its published
rules and practices. Any evidence requested by the Panel shall be disclosed to
the student and the person presenting the case, who shall each be given the
opportunity to comment upon it.
37 The Panel may adjourn the hearing. Where a hearing has recommenced,
its membership shall be as originally appointed and no substitutes or
replacements shall be permitted.
38 The validity of the proceedings of the Panel shall not be affected by the
unwillingness or inability of the student, or other person acting with or for
him/her, to reply to questions, orally or in writing, or to appear before the
Panel. Before considering the allegation in the absence of the student, the
Panel must satisfy itself that Regulations 26 and 30 have been complied with
and that the student has had a reasonable opportunity to respond. Where the
Panel concludes that the student or his/her representative is unwilling to
reply to a question or questions, the Panel may make reasonable inferences
from that refusal.
39 The Panel may meet in private, with its secretary, at such times as it
wishes, provided that in such meetings it does not hear evidence. At such
time as the hearing of the evidence has been completed the Panel shall meet in
private, with its secretary, to consider its decision.
The assessment misconduct panel’s decision and subsequent action
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40 If the Panel decides that the allegation has not been proved, the
Academic Registrar shall so inform the student in writing. Where the
allegation was of plagiarism, the Panel may direct that a note of the allegation,
the student’s explanation and the Panel’s finding be kept on the student’s
record held by the Academic Registrar together with a note that reference
should not be made to the record other than in the event the student relied
upon a similar explanation in the future. In other cases, no further action shall
be taken, and no record of the allegation or the proceedings shall be included
on the student’s record.
41 If the Panel decides that an offence against these Regulations has been
committed by the student, or if an offence has been admitted with or without
written observations submitted under Regulation 26, the Panel shall notify the
examination board of its decision and shall have the power to recommend
appropriate penalties to the examination board. In doing so it shall
recommend penalties reflecting the seriousness of the offence, including the
extent of the intention to deceive the examiners. In reaching its decision the
Panel shall be mindful of the need of the School to assure the highest
standards among its students.
42 The Panel may recommend one of the following penalties. In each case
with a formal admonition to the student and a record being placed on the
student’s record held by the Academic Registrar. The word ‘component’ shall
mean a piece of coursework, an essay, a question from a paper or such other
part of the work submitted for assessment as the Panel may determine:
42.1 that the results in all papers taken in the year be cancelled and a
mark of zero returned and, subject to the approval of the Director, the
student’s right to re-register for the examinations or equivalent be
withdrawn, or
42.2 that the results in all papers taken in the year be cancelled and a
mark of zero returned, or
42.3 that the results in the component(s) or paper(s) concerned be
cancelled and a mark of zero returned where appropriate and, subject to
the approval of the Director, that the student be denied the right to reregister for the examinations or equivalent, or
42.4 that the results in the component(s) or paper(s) concerned be
cancelled and a mark of zero returned where appropriate, or
42.5 that it proceed to assess the student on the basis of such components
of his/her work as are unaffected by the offence.
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43 The decision and recommendation of the Panel under Regulations 40 to
42 may be given to the student orally by the chair of the Panel and shall be
conveyed to him/her in writing by the secretary to the Panel. The secretary to
the Panel shall send to the student the report of the Panel to the examination
board, at the same time that he/she sends it to the examination board.
44 Where a Panel has decided that an offence against these Regulations has
been committed by the student, the student shall have the right to appeal
against that decision on the following grounds:
44.1 that the Panel was constituted in such a way as to cast doubt on its
impartiality, and/or
44.2 that there has been a material breach of these procedures that
affected the fairness of the Panel’s decision, and/or
44.3 that relevant fresh evidence has been received that might have
caused a different decision to have been made provided that it can be
shown that it was neither reasonable nor practical for such evidence to
have been presented to the Panel before its decision.
Any such appeal must be received by the Academic Registrar within five
working days of the date of the letter sent under Regulation 43.
45 A Deputy Director shall have the sole right of determining whether
sufficient grounds are presented to warrant the reopening of the hearing. If he
or she so determines, he or she shall direct a rehearing by a different Panel
constituted under regulation 23.
Action by the examination board
46 The examination board may at its discretion accept or not accept any
recommendation made to it under Regulation 42. It may not call into question
any relevant facts established by the Panel or the Panel’s decision and it shall
not apply a penalty more severe than that recommended to it. The
examination board may consider any written representations from the
student, but any such representations may only address the penalty to be
applied.
47 The decision of the examination board under regulation 44 shall be
conveyed to the student in writing by the Academic Registrar.
48 Any appeal against the decision of the examination board may be made
under the Regulations for the consideration of appeals against decisions of
Boards of Examiners for taught courses.
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November 2003
rev January 2004, 5 April 2004, 2 May 2004, 19 May 2004, 24 May 2004
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