Imitation gone wrong: originality & plagiarism

Imitation is the highest form of flattery. But not all the time. Have you ever felt annoyed when you find out someone has taken credit for your work? This could be as simple as claiming an idea you had, work instruction, or even copying your fashion style.

Failure to cite a source you used in an essay or assignment is considered plagiarism. 

Plagiarism is a form of Academic Misconduct and happens when you use another person’s work without acknowledging them appropriately.

If you use the work of another student, cut & paste words from the internet, or use any other information without acknowledging your source – whether intentionally or unintentionally – the University of New England will take it seriously.

So what can you do?

Know the rules and referencing style

It is important you become with the rules of plagiarism and how to use the referencing style required by your school. our unit coordinator will advise you what type of referencing is required for the assessment. You may use footnotes and/or endnotes, and will most likely need a list of references at the end of your work. 

Reference everything!

Keep track of your sources and where you get every piece of information from. It can help to make a habit of writing down the author, date, and page number after every piece of information you take during your research. This makes it so much easier when it comes to putting your research into the assignment and keeping track of all your sources.  

Ask for help

It’s important to have access to correct information and understand referencing early on because you will use it often! The University of New England have a lot of support available to students, sometimes it’s just knowing where to look. 

There are a few simple places to look;

• Ask the Librarian
• Look for your year advisor or mentor
• PASS@UNE Academic Assistance Program
• Contact the Academic Skills Office
• Check out the UNE Referencing Guides

What can you do if you receive a notice of academic misconduct?

If you receive a letter of academic misconduct it may be because your marker noticed plagarised work within your assessment. We have Specialist Education Advocates who have experience helping students respond to a letter of academic misconduct, some advice we have is to;

Not Panic!

We are here to help you

Contact Advocacy & Welfare as soon as you receive the letter.

You can contact us via email at Advocacy@une.edu.au or call us on (02) 6773 3116. If you’re on campus you can pop by our office 

Do not reply until you hear from us. 

Wait until you have heard from us before you reply to your letter of misconduct, we will help ensure you reply in the best way to help your case as well as provide all necessary information. Make sure that you don’t discuss the details of your case with anybody else until the matter has been addressed.

Visit us: Our office is located in the top courtyard just across from the UNE Life Student HQ main office.

Open: Monday to Friday from 9.00am – 5.00pm

Call us: 02 6773 3116