How to Avoid Acts of Academic Dishonesty?
Avoiding Plagiarism
The University views plagiarism, whether committed intentionally or because of ignorance or negligence, as a serious disciplinary offence. Excuses such as “not knowing that this is required” or “not knowing how to do it” are not accepted. It is the student’s responsibility to understand what plagiarism is, and take action steps to avoid plagiarism in their academic work. The golden rule is: “if in doubt, acknowledge”.
Below are some suggestions on how you can avoid plagiarism in your own work:
1. Use sources with care and respect
- Take careful notes so that you know where you found the information.
- Keep track of all the sources you have used for each assignment.
- Cite all your sources in your finished work, distinguishing carefully between your own ideas / work and those taken from others.
- Include all your sources in your References or Bibliography section, normally included at the end of the paper.
2. Find out the expectations of your Department and your teacher
- Different disciplines or professions may have slightly different conventions for citation and referencing. Ask your Department or teacher for the specific citing and reference system or conventions used in your chosen profession / discipline.
- Ask your teacher what type of collaboration and help is permitted for the specific assignment.
3. Develop your academic skills
- Plan your academic work carefully and start early so that you have time to do your own work.
- Make a work schedule for your work and try to keep to it.
- Study resource materials and attend courses or workshops provided by the University to continually improve your skills in referencing and academic writing.
4. Be honest, and always do your own work
- Do not attempt to disguise copying from sources, for example, by translating from sources in another language or changing some words of a copied text. Proper referencing is required.
- Do not quote, summarise or paraphrase from sources that you do not fully understand. Always be able to explain what the source means and why it is relevant.
The widespread availability of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) software, such as ChatGPT, has caused heated discussions in the education sphere. While embracing the use of new technology in education, PolyU emphasizes that students should be accountable for their own work and they should properly acknowledge the use of Gen AI (if permitted) in their work.
To advise you how to use GenAI critically, ethically and wisely, a set of guidelines has been developed (click here).
Avoiding Cheating
To avoid cheating, you are required to follow the rules governing the conduct of on-campus invigilated examinations, and the relevant rules and guidelines for online assessment and take-home examinations as appropriate.
