Plagiarism Portal

ONE-STOP-SHOP for information about plagiarism at UWA.

Definition of plagiarism

Plagiarism refers to inadequate or incorrect referencing. It is also referred to as academic misonduct and misuse of evidence.

"Plagiarism occurs when the author claims credit for work that is not theirs. This can happen by failing to reference sources adequately, appropriately or in-line with accepted conventions"

Plagiarism occurs when authors don't reference enough, reference in the wrong place or in the wrong way or don't reference at all!

The Study Smarter team get a LOT of questions about avoiding plagiarism which is understandable as it's a pretty complex topic. Click here to see the most FAQs and the answers we would give.

Avoiding plagiarism

Avoiding plagiarism is basically a combination of knowing what's expected and having good work practices. Some useful tips follow.

• Know VERY clearly what has to be referenced (anything that isn't your own original thought - even if it seems 'obvious information' or something that 'everyone knows').
• Make a note of the bibliographic information (author, date, titles, place of publication, publisher) of everything you read (in print and on the internet).
• Avoid copying sections of your reading into your notes. Paraphrase it (put it into your own words) BEFORE you write it down. This means that you HAVE to understand it before you write it down and that you are LESS LIKELY to use the author's material in your own work without referencing it.
• Make sure you have some thoughts of your own in your assignment. These don't have to be earth-shattering. You can simply start with your observations of what you have read.
• Use the literature as evidence to support or highlight your own 'voice'. Click here to see some examples of what NOT to do as well as examples of what to aim for.

Resources and help

STUDYSmarter Survival Guides - are available from the Resource Area or online.

Referencing guides from the Library - These simple and easy to undersand guides demonstrate how to reference a wide variety of sources using all the different conventions used at UWA.

Jump Start - The resources include top tips, useful links, podcasts and book reviews to help you stay on track with your referencing.

InfoPathways - An online WebCT unit that guides you through referencing conventions.

STUDYSmarter Appointments - We are happy to have a look at your written work and comment on your skills in referencing, using voice and incorporating evidence.

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Where to get help

STUDYSmarter team - Come to Drop-in (1-2pm, Monday-Friday during teaching weeks, Reid Library foyer), make an appointment, attend a workshop or contact us via email or phone.

Reference Librarians - can help with many aspects of referencing including answering discipline-specific questions. You can ring them during Library opening hours (details here for each subject Library) or fill in the online form and they'll get back to you. This is a great service. The Reference Librarians have a wealth of knowledge and are very friendly!

Faculty staff - every Faculty has an Academic Conduct Advisor (ACA) whose role it is to deal with issues of Academic Misconduct (see the table at the bottom of the page for your ACA)

Guild Education Officers are available to help students if you

• are having difficulties with a university policy and how it is being applied in your situation;
• are not sure if the issue you are facing is an infringement on your rights as a student at UWA;
• disgree with a decision that the university has made;
• feel you have been treated unfairly; or
• want to make a complaint about something that is happening at UWA.

Online modules at UWA

Since 2006, UWA has introduced a number of online 'tutorials' for students to help them become aware of and better understand issues of Academic Conduct, Information Literacy and Referencing. So far these modules include:

ACE - Academic Conduct Essentials is compulsory for all newly enrolled students - undergraduates and postgraduates, onshore and off shore. It will introduce you to the basics of ethical scholarship and must be completed within the first 10 weeks of enrolment. You will be automatically enrolled in the unit through your WebCT account. You can do the quiz as many times as you wish but you need to get a minimum of 80% on the final quiz. Either a pass or a fail will be recorded on your academic transcript. For more information and some FAQs check the CATL/ACE webpage

IRIS - Students in the Arts and Sciences Faculties and the Business School are required to complete the Introductory Research and Information Skills (IRIS) module. You are only required to complete the module once. The scope of IRIS is slightly broader than ACE in that it covers basic research skills including assessing source reliability, searching for information and using sources in your work. Similar to ACE, you need to get aminimum of 80% in the final quiz and will be awarded a pass or a fail on your academic transcript. If you are supposed to do IRIS you will get access to it through your WebCT account.

BRAIN - Beginning Researcher And Information Skills is only for students enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health sciences. It is also delivered in WebCT and all newly enrolled first years are enrolled in it. It is made up of 4 modules (Essay Writing, Using the Literature, Note-Taking and Exam Strategies) and includes examples, downloadable resources, audio of UWA students talking about studying and a range of activities and quizzes. Unlike ACE and IRIS it is not compulsory.

UWA Policies and Faculty Guidelines

The University publishes a series of documents including guidelines and information aimed at helping UWA students and staff navigate the issues of Academic Conduct.

Faculty Guidelines are typically available on the Faculty webpages.

Guidelines

Academic Conduct Adviser

Referencing style used

Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Associate Dean (Education)

Associate Professor Elaine Chapman

Dr Brenda Mcgivern

Senior Lecturer

Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

UWA Student Charter of Rights and Responsibilities

The preamble to the UWA 'Student charter' recognises the University's mission as:

To advance, transmit and sustain knowledge and understanding through the conduct of teaching, research and scholarship at the highest international standards, for the benefit of the international, Australian and Western Australian communities.

The Charter itself lists the rights and responsibilities of every UWA student including:

• The responsibility to to respect and uphold principles of scholarly integrity;
• The responsibility to make themselves aware of and comply with statutes, regulations, rules and policies of the University which apply to them;
• The responsibility to adhere to the principles of ethical scholarship and academic integrity during the course of their studies.

Other policies and guidelines that may be of interest to you as a student include:

A student's guide to misconduct - explains the steps taken after an allegation of misconduct has been raised

Regulations for Student Conduct and discipline - include the definitions, penalties, powers of various staff, and appeals for student conduct and discipline

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