Malpractice.
A guide by the EHSU advice team

Here at Edge Hill University, each year during assessment periods, students may find themselves accused of Academic Malpractice. 

Academic Malpractice covers a  number of issues: Plagiarism, Collusion, Cheating and impersonation. The worst part is, sometimes students find themselves penalised even when they didn't mean to.

 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is like academic piracy. This is when you use someone else’s words, ideas, or work without giving proper credit. 
It's not just about copying and pasting; it can take many forms, like:

• Paraphrasing without citation.
• Submitting someone else's work as your own.
• Not referencing sources correctly. 
• Not using quotation marks on quotes. 
• Not correctly referencing in the bibliography.
• Copying so much it becomes the majority of your work.
• Changing the order of someone else’s words to disguise plagiarism.

Edge Hill take this very seriously and even students who simply forget to reference correctly can face penalties. It might seem harsh, but if you don't give credit where it's due, you're technically plagiarising.

EHU guidance states “Ignorance of the University’s procedures or guidelines on referencing is not accepted as a defence for malpractice. We do not distinguish between intentional and unintentional plagiarism”.

 

How to Prevent Plagiarism

1. Understand What Counts: Familiarise yourself with what constitutes plagiarism at Edge Hill using the SU guidance. Ignorance is not an excuse.
2. Plan Your Time: Procrastination can lead to plagiarism. Start your assignments early to avoid the temptation of rushing and copying.
3. Use Proper Citations: Whenever you use someone else's work, cite it correctly. Follow the Edge Hill referencing guide if you are unsure.
4. Take Good Notes: When researching, keep detailed notes and record your sources. This makes citing a breeze.
5. Stay Organised: Keep track of your sources, drafts, and notes. Organisation reduces the risk of accidental plagiarism.
6. Seek Help: If you're unsure about proper citation or referencing, ask your Personal Tutor (PT) or lecturers or use Edge Hill's online resources.
7. Avoid the Copy-Paste Trap: If you're copying text to use to enhance your work, make sure it's surrounded by quotation marks and correctly cited.

Citations
A citation tells your reader where your information came from, like the author's name, the work's title, where it was published, when, and the page numbers. It's not just about avoiding plagiarism; it also helps others dig deeper into your ideas and shows the effort you put into your research. Plus, it makes your work stronger! 

Citing sources doesn't make your work less original. It actually helps your unique ideas show.

When to Cite

You need to cite your work whenever you borrow/cite words or ideas, or when you directly reference someone else's work. This includes:

• Using quotes

• Paraphrasing

• Building on others' ideas

• Mentioning someone else's work 

• Mentioning someone else's work that was crucial for your ideas.

 

Common Citation Slip-Ups

Here are some citation mistakes to steer clear of:

1. Missing Citations: Forgetting to credit sources is a big no. If it's not your idea or words, give credit where it's due.

2. Incomplete Information: Inaccurate or incomplete citations can lead to confusion and malpractice. Make sure you've got the author's name, publication date, title, and page numbers if applicable.

3. Wrong Citation Style: Different faculties often prefer different citation styles (APA, MLA, Harvard, etc.). Check what's required for your assignment and stick to it.

4. Copy-Paste Mishaps: Copying text from the internet without proper citation is not okay, always cite borrowed content.

5. Paraphrasing Gone Wrong: Simply rephrasing someone else's work without citation is still plagiarism. Paraphrase with care and cite appropriately.

 

How to Get Citations Right

 

1. Know Your Style: Find out which citation style your faculty has asked for and learn it. 

2. Use Citation Tools: Citation management tools like EndNote or university guidebooks can be incredibly helpful. They can help you to organise and format citations correctly.

3. Double-Check Everything: Before submitting your work, review your citations fully. Are they complete, accurate, and in the right format?

4. Ask for Help: If you're ever in doubt about citing something, don't hesitate to ask your lecturers or PTs.

5. Practice, Practice, Practice: Like any skill, citation gets easier with practice. So, keep at it!

 

If you hand in work with no references or ones that are incredibly poor, you could face further consequences. Citations are important!

Collusion

Collusion is like academic teamwork that is not allowed. 
This can include:

• Students working together on an individual assignment without approval.
• Submitting someone else's work as your own.
• Using / copying sections of someone else’s work
• Collaborating when you shouldn't, even on Time Limited Assessments (TLAs).
• Letting someone else copy your work.
• Sending someone your work. 

Unfortunately, we often see peers who were naively helping each other on an assignment be accused of collusion. 

Even if you've done all your own work, you could still be accused of collusion if you share your work.

 
If someone else copies it, even without your knowledge or approval, you could be in trouble.

 

The Edge Hill procedures state the following;-

2.2.3 Collusion may include instances where a student:- 
i)  Knowingly submits as entirely his/her own work that was undertaken in collaboration with another person without official approval; 
ii)  Collaborates with another student in the completion of work which he/she knows is intended to be submitted as the other student’s own unaided work; 
iii) Knowingly permits another student to copy all or part of his/her own work and to submit it as that student’s own unaided work

Even though the rules say "knowingly," it's tough to convince a panel that you didn't know someone had your work when there's evidence that two pieces of work look almost identical. So, be careful when helping friends - share advice and support but never let another student (even a friend) have full access to your work and avoid sharing it digitally like on an email or memory pen.

 

Avoiding Collusion

Here's how you can steer clear of collusion:

1. Read Your Course Guidelines: Understand your course's rules about collaboration. Some assignments might encourage teamwork, while others require individual effort.
2. Don't Share Your Work: Be cautious about sharing your assignments, even to help a friend. It's best to guide them on how to complete their work rather than sharing yours. Even speaking about assignments/TLAs in course group chats has caused issues!
3. Follow the Rules: If collaboration/ group assignment is allowed, follow the guidelines provided by your lecturers or the university. 
4. Speak to Your Lecturers: If you're unsure about whether you can collaborate on a particular assignment, reach out for clarification. 

 

Cheating (in an exam)
We at EHSU do completely understand how nerve-wracking exams can be, but cheating is never worth it. 
Cheating during an exam might sound obvious to avoid, but sometimes, it happens. Invigilators keep a close eye out for it. 

Cheating includes:

• Looking at your neighbour’s paper attempting to copy.
• Sneaking in notes, even if you do not use them in the exam. 
• Taking in phones or other electronic devices like AirPods or Smart Watches, even if you don’t use them to cheat and they are turned off. 
• Trying to communicate with others.  
• Gaining access to any authorised material relating to an examination during or before the specified time

 

How to Avoid Cheating in an Exam

1. Study Smart: Plan your study schedule well in advance. Break your study material into manageable chunks, and you'll be amazed at how much you can achieve.
2. Do Not Ignore the Rules: By ignoring the ‘no unauthorised materials’ rule, students can be guilty of malpractice. Ditch your notes and phones before you enter the exam and double check your pockets.
3. Understand the Material: Don't just memorize; understand the concepts. This will not only help you in exams but also in real-life applications.
4. Practice, Practice, Practice: Take practice exams to familiarise yourself with the format and types of questions you might encounter.
5. Ask for Help: If you're struggling, reach out to your tutors, or classmates. There's no shame in seeking assistance when needed. You can also come to the SU to talk about alternatives like extensions, interrupting your studies or a Personal Circumstances applications (PCs) 
6. Stay Calm: Exam anxiety can lead to poor decisions. Take deep breaths, stay calm, and tackle the questions with confidence. 

Contract Cheating (and impersonation)

Contract cheating is when students seek external help to complete university work, like:

• Purchasing online, pre-written essays.
• Paying/asking another student to do your assignment. 
• Using essay mills.
• Having someone else take an exam on your behalf.
• Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated content like chatbots. 

Using methods like this can jeopardise your future career and studies. The university will be able to tell, and it could lead to you being removed from your course. 

 

A.I. Artificial Intelligence or Contract Cheating

 

EHU has strict guidance about the use of A.I. when produce work to be assessed.

 

Fair and Ethical Use of A.I.

• Exploring initial ideas/keywords for a topic
• Helping to gain an understating of complex ideas/concepts
• Helping to locate sources
• Drafting ideas and planning or structuring
• To generate ideas for graphics, images, and visuals.
• Gaining feedback on your work before submission (grammar checking tools, for example) to refine your style.
• As a revision aid.

 

Unfair and Unethical Use if A.I. as a tool.

• Presenting AI-generated content as your own work
• Using AI to generate your assignment or parts of it without any acknowledgement of sources or personal input.
• Using AI to deceive – making claims to knowledge and understanding that are not your own.
• Improper referencing – using AI to generate references/bibliographies when you have not engaged with them yourself.
• Asking AI to re-write your work.

How to Avoid Contract Cheating

 

1. Stay Informed: Understand what contract cheating is and the consequences it carries. Ignorance won't protect you.
2. Time Management: Plan your assignments and exams well in advance. Don't let stress push you into making rash decisions.
3. Study Groups: Collaborate with your peers for study sessions, but always do your own work. Sharing ideas is great; sharing answers is not.
4. Use University Resources: The university offers plenty of resources to help you succeed, from tutors to writing resources. Take advantage of them!
5. Stay Social Media Smart: Contract cheating companies often use social media to target students, do not fall for it!
6. Cite Sources Properly: When using external sources in your work, cite them correctly. Plagiarism is a big no.
7. Talk to Your Lecturers: If you're struggling or facing challenges, your tutors are there to help. Reach out to them for guidance.
8. Seek Support: If you're feeling overwhelmed with deadlines and considering cheating, please reach out. The EHSU can help you apply for extensions and more, cheating is never worth it!

We have produced more detailed information about the use of A.I. here.
 

Ethical Issues in Contravention of The University’s “Memorandum of Advice to Faculties And Departments’’

Ethical Approval for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Submissions may be subject to referral to a malpractice panel for issues such as:

• Evasion of ethical responsibilities.

• Failure to gain ethical approval and misconduct caused by careless and irresponsible research practice.

 

Other Forms of Dishonest Academic Practice

Other forms of dishonest academic practice not falling within the above definitions may also amount to malpractice.
The University does not hold an exhaustive list although examples include:

• Attempting to obtain special consideration by offering or receiving inducements or favours.

• Providing false information when submitting an Exceptional Mitigating Circumstances claim, Repeat Year application, Academic Appeal or any similar application for dispensation.

• Ensuring the non-availability of books or journal articles in the University Library by removing the relevant article or chapter from the material, or by deliberately mis-shelving them so that other students cannot find them.

 

Excuses That Won't Work

Academic Malpractice Panels have heard everything, and they're not easily swayed when students use defences like:

• I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to have my phone with me.

• I didn’t know my friend would copy my work.

• I was reading my notes/was on my phone before I went into the exam room and just put them in my pocket.

• I put a reference list at the conclusion of the essay so I thought this would indicate I had used quotes from other sources.

• I thought it was ok to use the whole article as my submission, as I referenced it.

• I don’t know how to reference.

• I could do this at my old university (or, my previous institution used a different referencing system)

• I was worried that I would miss graduation.

We completely understand that exams and assignments can be stressful, but resorting to cheating or malpractice is never worth it, and it could actually result in you being withdrawn.

The Consequences (“Sanctions”) 

 

The consequences for committing malpractice in any form vary. Your offence will be classified by an investigation or a panel, depending on your year and the severity of the malpractice (students in their final year and students on professional courses where honesty and integrity is seen as integral to entering the profession could be treated as a harsher offence). 
 

You might:

• Have to resubmit the full assignment.
• Have a sanction or ‘cap’ applied to your grade.
• Fail the assignment/module.
• Be referred to a panel. 
• Be removed/withdrawn from your course, or potentially profession.

 

Resources and Support

If you are struggling with an assignment and are tempted to commit malpractice, there are many ways you can reach out for help. No matter how worried you are, cheating will never be the answer. 

 

If you find yourself struggling and unable to finish assignments, there is always help available. Please consider the following options:

• Contact your Personal Tutor (PT), department, lecturer, or assessor. 
• Submit a Personal Circumstances (PC) application.
• Request an extension.
• Interrupt your studies.
• Request support from the learner support team.
• Contact the SU Advice Team for detailed advice about all of the above.

 

What to do Following Accusations of Malpractice

Following an accusation of suspected Malpractice, we strongly urge you to get in contact with our team as soon as you have been contacted by the university.
We can be contacted on suadvice@edghill.ac.uk or you can book an appointment here.
Our advisors will be able to review statements and evidence and attend meetings and hearings to support you throughout the process.
 
If you would like an advisor from our Advice Centre to accompany you to an investigation meeting or Panel hearing:
 

• The advisor will need to have seen all relevant documentation at least 5 working days prior to the hearing (this would be);
  • The invite(s) to the investigation stage and / or panel hearing.
  • Any documentation / report relating to the concerns being investigated.
  • Any evidence presented by the university.
  • Any statement and evidence you would want to be considered at the meeting / hearing.
• The advisor will also require to meet /speak with you after reviewing all of the above and prior to any meeting / hearing.

 
If you wish to explore the Malpractice procedure in more detail without our support, we would advise you to visit the University has a guide for students on Malpractice, as well as information on the related procedures.