Academic Integrity: Avoiding Misconduct
Introducing Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a core value of Coventry University, and underpins all that you study and produce whilst a student here.
This page provides you with information and guidance on what academic integrity is and the University regulations around it. It also has information on various types of academic misconduct that could be committed and ways to avoid them.
If you have any questions around any of the concepts discussed, contact details for the support available are provided throughout.
This short video introduces academic integrity:
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct involves trying to (unintentionally or deliberately) gain an unfair advantage in any assessed work.
This short video introduces some of the main types of misconduct.
Using the tabs on this page, you can also access more information about the types of misconduct and how they can be avoided.
Plagiarism is the act of using other people's words, images, etc. (whether published or unpublished) as if they were your own.
In our plagiarism handout, you can find about more about plagiarism and how to avoid it.
The short handout contains these sections:
- What is plagiarism?
- How can I avoid plagiarism?
- Frequently asked questions
- Checklist for avoiding plagiarism
- Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism
This document includes advice on plagiarism and how to avoid it.
If work that is meant to be submitted individually (accidentally or intentionally) ends up replicated in your work or the work of others, then this is a form of academic misconduct, known as collusion.
Our short collusion handout contains these sections:
- What is collusion?
- Collusion vs group work
- Checklist for avoiding collusion
- Collusion
This document provides advice on collusion and how to avoid it.
Contract cheating is defined as a practice where a student employs a third party to complete any assessed work and submits as if it were completed by them.
Our short contract cheating handout contains these sections:
- What is contract cheating?
- How do I know if I am being targeted for contract cheating?
- How will my tutor know if I have cheated?
- Points to consider
- Frequently asked questions
- Contract Cheating
This document provides information about contract cheating and how to avoid it.
- Student Guidance on Use of Artificial IntelligenceThis is a link to the guidance on the Student Portal on how to use and how not to use artificial intelligence in your assignments.
- How to reference A.I.A link to the A-Z Reference Examples on Libguides. Select Artificial Intelligence from the list.
Other types of academic misconduct include:
- Falsification- using false references.
- Exam cheating- using unauthorised materials, or breaking the rules when sitting an exam or test.
- Impersonation- pretending to be someone else in order to sit a test, or submit work, for them.
Regulations
When producing academic work, breaking the rules is called 'academic misconduct'. If you are suspected of doing this, you will be taken through the academic misconduct process.
If you are found to have committed academic misconduct, depending on the nature and seriousness of the misconduct, there are different outcomes.
- Academic misconduct- scale of outcomesThe scale of outcomes for academic misconduct table outlines the consequences of misconduct.
All students that are found to have committed academic misconduct will be asked to attend training that will help to prevent future offenses.
To book a support session with Academic Writing or Library staff, use the online booking page or speak to any member of Library staff. You can also find details of upcoming academic integrity workshops on the workshops page.
Avoid plagiarism and malpractice
For help with referencing you can check out our online guides and videos.
You can also attend one of our online workshops on referencing or book a 1-2-1 appointment with a member of the library team: library@cuc.coventry.ac.uk.
- APA Referencing Quick Guide
This very quick guide is intended to help you get started. For more information use the detailed guidance on LibGuides.
- Referencing detailed guidance
Our detailed referencing guides aim to help with referencing in all styles used across Coventry Univeristy, including APA, OSCOLA and The Coventry University Harvard Style.
- Paraphrasing Guide to paraphrasing from sources.
- Reporting In Text Citations Advice on how to cite sources in your writing.
Coventry Student Essentials is here for you to work through some key skills in your own time and at your own pace. Work through the resources and contact the Library or the Academic Writing team for further support.
Academic Integrity Threats
You can report concerns, such as being contacted by a service offering to complete work for you, to: integritythreats@coventry.ac.uk
Academic Integrity Myth busting
There are many misconceptions around academic integrity. Our myths handout aims to address these.
Take a look at our academic integrity myths handout to find out about:
- Turnitin scores
- Referencing
- Resubmitting work
- Misconduct regulations
- Group work
Interpreting your Turnitin similarity report.
- Turnitin- test yourself
This is a draft version of a quiz which has been designed to help interpret Turnitin - Turnitin- similarity guidance
This is a draft version of an interactive document that has been designed to help to interpret Turnitin similarity reports. - Turnitin Report GuidanceYou can use this document to help to understand how Turnitin works and how to interpret your Turnitin similarity scores.
How to Submit to Turnitin
Understanding the Turnitin Similarity Checker
Coventry Student Essentials
Coventry Student Essentials is here for you to work through some key skills in your own time and at your own pace. Work through the resources and contact the Library or the Academic Writing team for further support.