Use of unfair means in the assessment process
Guidance on avoiding using unfair means when submitting assessed work.
Unfair means refers to cheating. It involves any attempt by a student to
- gain unfair advantage over another student in the completion of an assessment or exam, or
- assist someone else in gaining an unfair advantage
Consequences
If a student is found to be using unfair means, they will face action by their academic department or formal disciplinary action.
The Regulations relating to the Discipline of Students can be found in the University Calendar.
How we detect it
We use a range of strategies to detect unfair means, including Turnitin, which helps detect plagiarism.
Students are required to declare that all work submitted is entirely their own. Their department may require students to attach a declaration form to work that they submit.
Types of unfair means
Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when a student submits someone else's work or ideas as their own – e.g. the work of an expert, lecturer, or fellow/former student – without making it clear that it is not their own work. Plagiarism can be committed knowingly or accidentally.
Students can also self-plagiarise if they submit their own previously assessed work as part of a new assignment, without proper acknowledgement.
Essay buying
When a student buys or commissions part of, or the whole of, a piece of work from another student or an essay-writing website and submits it as their own. This is an extremely serious form of plagiarism.
Coursework sites encourage students to share course materials such as lecture notes, essays, lab reports and exam questions. The University does not support the use of these sites and may take disciplinary action in line with the Student Discipline Regulations.
Collusion
When a student works with someone else, or a group of others, on a piece of assessed work that they are supposed to be completing by themself.
Fabrication
When a student submits made-up information (such as quotes, lab results or survey findings that are untrue).
What happens when unfair means are detected
If the University suspects unfair means, they will investigate and take action where appropriate. If plagiarism is detected in a thesis following submission, the viva examination must be immediately postponed pending a disciplinary investigation by the academic department and/or Student Support Services. Departments/examiners should first seek advice before proceeding further with the examination process.
Information for staff on what to do if unfair means is detected
How can unfair means be prevented?
Referencing is a key skill that can help to prevent the use of unfair means. Whenever a student takes notes, they should note down referencing details at the same time, otherwise they may find it difficult to credit other scholars properly in assessed work later on.
Any student can book a one-to-one session with the English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC)'s Writing Advisory Service to help with their writing, including referencing skills.
The Library also offers information on plagiarism and tutorials on how to adhere to university referencing standards.
Further information and video tutorials on unfair means.