Appendix 3

FACULTY OF LIFE AND HEALTH SCIENCES


PLAGIARISM POLICY

Taught Programmes

Research Programmes

Faculty Plagiarism Procedures

Pro-forma for Plagiarism Offences


This policy is based on the University Plagiarism policy. It should be noted that these penalties for plagiarism are designed firstly to reinforce the nature and seriousness of plagiarism and secondly to facilitate students learning how to present academic work appropriately. The policy and penalties only apply to the outcomes of the assessments. There may be other sanctions, such as adverse references or a failure to recommend students to enter a professional register which may be applied in specific circumstances and in addition to these assessment penalties.

FRAMEWORK OF PENALTIES FOR PLAGIARISM OFFENCES IN TAUGHT PROGRAMMES

1ST OFFENCE

Reduction in marks based on exclusion of plagiarised work. Formative interview with module co-ordinator and/or tutor.

Where 1st offence is in Master’s Dissertation: Mark of zero. Re-submit. Interview with Head of School and/or Course Director and/or supervisor.
2ND OFFENCE Mark of zero for assignment containing plagiarism. Interview with Head of School and/or Course/Subject Director and/or tutor. Formal letter placed on student file.
3RD OFFENCE Mark of zero for assignment containing plagiarism and maximum mark of 40% (UG) or 50% (PG) for coursework element. Case referred to Dean with recommendation of reprimand and fine up to £150 (2006/07). Formal letter placed on student file.
4TH OFFENCE Mark of zero for module. Case referred to University Disciplinary Committee with recommendation of suspension (1 semester or 1 year as advised by Faculty) or discontinue studies at the University. Outcome placed on student file.
PLAGIARISM DETECTED SUBSEQUENT TO GRADUATION The award may be revoked.

NOTES:

(a) After a student has received formative advice offences are cumulative and carry over from year to year. Offences are not carried over from undergraduate study to postgraduate study.

(b) Mark of zero penalty not implemented until formative advice has been given to a student. It may therefore be appropriate, depending on the proximity of assignment deadlines, to count two or three occasions of plagiarism as one offence.

(c) A student who does not attend for interview (1st offence) will be deemed to have received formative advice for the purpose of applying penalties.

(d) When formative advice is given to a student, or an interview held, a note should be placed on the student’s file. If the student does not attend for interview, this should also be noted on the student’s file. Best practice recommends that more than one member of staff should be present when interviewing a student.

(e) A plagiarism record will be kept at Faculty level on which all offences will be recorded. This is simply to record the number of offences. It is not a penalty. The record will be used to ensure that penalties accumulate across modules.

(f) ‘Assignment containing plagiarism’ means the assignment which contains the plagiarised material, and not all the assessment for the module.

(g) When, in the academic judgement of the member of staff, the plagiarism is of a very minor nature and may be attributed to incorrect referencing techniques, it may be penalised as such rather than as plagiarism.

(h) When a student fails in assessment following the application of a penalty, the normal consequences of failure as set out in course/award regulations apply.

FRAMEWORK OF PENALTIES FOR PLAGIARISM OFFENCES IN RESEARCH PROGRAMMES
INITIAL ASSESSMENT (100 DAY VIVA) Plagiarism will be dealt with by a verbal warning to the student, delivered by the Chairman of the examining panel at the oral examination. The student will also be asked to rewrite and, in exceptional circumstances, may be removed from the programme.
CONFIRMATION ASSESSMENT The student will be required to resubmit the report for further assessment. If the resubmitted material also contains plagiarised material, this will be assessed by the examining panel and the student will be deemed not to have progressed successfully. The student will then be interviewed by the Head of the Graduate School and may be removed from the programme. A record will be placed on the student file.
INTERIM SUBMITTED WORK (e.g.. PUBLISHED PAPERS OR THESIS CHAPTERS)
The student will be interviewed by the Head of the Graduate School. Such cases may be referred to Dean with recommendation of reprimand and a fine up to £150 (2006/07). In exceptional circumstances, the student may be referred to the University Disciplinary Committee with a recommendation to discontinue studies at the University. A record will be placed on the student file.
THESIS Examiners are asked to examine the thesis and to make an academic judgement on it, taking into account the nature and extent of the plagiarism. If the thesis is deemed worthy of the degree, it must be resubmitted with all plagiarised material eliminated. Depending on the extent and nature of plagiarised material in the thesis, the student may be deemed to have failed and referred to the University Disciplinary Committee with a recommendation to discontinue studies at the University. A record will be placed on the student file.
PLAGIARISM DETECTED SUBSEQUENT TO GRADUATION The award may be revoked.

NOTES:
(a) When, in the academic judgement of the member of staff, the plagiarism is of a very minor nature and may be attributed to incorrect referencing techniques, it may be treated as such rather than as plagiarism