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This information is from the T1 & T2 2020 DUSA Advocacy Academic Integrity Awareness Campaign.
The Advocacy team understand that sometimes students may have questions regarding academic integrity that they don't feel comfortable asking anyone directly. For our T1 2020 Academic Integrity Awareness Campaign, students could anonymously ask the Advocates questions about any Academic Integrity related matters. The Advocacy team would post the questions and answers onto the DUSA website.
This Campaign is now closed and we are no longer taking questions anonymously. We have included information from some of the questions that we answered on this webpage. When answering these questions, we often highly recommend that the student contacts us for an appointment to discuss their circumstances further. If you experiencing similar circumstances to some of the students below, we recommend contacting a DUSA Advocate for support. We can support you to understand academic integrity, assist you with special consideration application/s, and support you to access available resources. When accessing the service, we will work together with you to assess your situation and discuss possible courses of action.
Answer: Unfortunately, there is no exact Turnitin percentage that Deakin provides as a measure. This is because it depends on what is highlighted by Turnitin. It can also depend on the type of assignment and whether you have been provided with a template for example. Therefore, there are a range of factors that can change the Turnitin percentage.
It is important that you read your Unit Guide and Assignment instructions to ensure you are meeting the requirements. If you are using any sources, be sure to acknowledge the work of others by including citations, paraphrasing or using direct quotes, and including a reference list at the end of your assignment. If you have any questions regarding the assignment requirements, reach out to your Unit Chair for clarification and advice. Language and Learning Advisers are also available to help you understand how to reference, paraphrase and learn how to interpret a Turnitin report. If you have not used Turnitin before, Deakin’s website explains how to use it.
If the unit chair identifies that there is plagiarism in your assignment they may refer your assignment to the Academic Integrity Committee. You may receive an allegation of plagiarism. If you do receive an allegation, please book a time to talk to one of the DUSA Advocates so we can help you understand all of your options.
Answer: Plagiarism of any source is not permitted and can lead to an allegation of a breach of academic integrity. Exclusion from the University is an outcome for some breaches of academic integrity, but most outcomes are not as severe as this. Plagiarism is the use of ‘other people’s words, ideas, designs, materials, research findings or other works without proper acknowledgement.’ If you are using any sources, be sure to acknowledge the work of others by including citations, paraphrasing or using direct quotes, and including a reference list at the end of your assignment. Language and Learning Advisers are available to help you understand how to reference and paraphrase correctly.
Plagiarism can occur deliberately, or it could be unintentional if a student does not fully understand the requirements of academic writing. Either way, plagiarism can often be detected by Turnitin. Turnitin can detect material from a wide range of sources – journal articles, text books, other students’ submitted papers and websites. If you have not used Turnitin before, the following link will take you to Deakin’s website explains how to use it. Language and Learning Advisors can also advise you on how to interpret a Turnitin report.
If the unit chair identifies that there is plagiarism in your assignment they may refer your assignment to the Academic Integrity Committee. You may receive an allegation of plagiarism. If you do receive an allegation, please book a time to talk to one of the DUSA Advocates so we can help you understand all of your options.
If an allegation of plagiarism is proven, the Committee will look at several factors when determining an outcome, including the amount of plagiarised material in the assessment, whether the student has had previous allegations, the level of the student’s experience and whether the plagiarism was deliberate or unintentional. As well as any penalties, there will be a focus on ensuring that the student develops the appropriate academic skills to avoid plagiarism in the future. Schedule A: Outcomes for student breach of academic integrity is available for students to understand the factors that are considered when determining an outcome.
Answer: If you have received an allegation, we would recommend that you contact our service to arrange an appointment with an Advocate. Without seeing the allegation evidence, we are unable to provide advice. We can support you to understand academic integrity and support you to access available resources. When accessing the service, we will work together with you to assess your situation and discuss possible courses of action.
Answer: We would recommend that you do not send your assignment to a friend, even if you have already completed the unit. Your assignment is your property; if you send your assignment to your friend, you run the risk of them copying all or parts of the assessment task and using it as their own. Turnitin or the Unit Chair can pick up on the similarity even if your friend was to change some of the wording and your Unit Chair may refer this to the Academic Integrity Committee. This will mean that you and your friend may receive an allegation of collusion. Instead of sending your assignment, we would recommend that you refer your friend to talk to their Unit Chair or contact Deakin’s Study Support. You can find further information on study support here.
Answer: It’s great to see that you have contacted DUSA Advocacy as this is certainly something we can support you with. We understand that University may feel overwhelming, especially in your first trimester, so please know that we are here to help.
If you have received an allegation of a breach of academic integrity, we would advise that you arrange an appointment with a DUSA Advocate. We can help you understand the allegation, assist you to respond, support you with the hearing process and help you understand the possible outcomes. As each student’s circumstances are unique, there can be a wide range of possible outcomes from an allegation of a breach of academic integrity. During an Advocacy appointment, a DUSA Advocate will listen to your circumstances and help you understand what the possible outcome for the allegation that you have received could be. We can also help you to access available resources and support services to assist you with your future studies.
Answer: Proofreading is one of the last things a student does before submitting their assignment. It usually involves a final check for any punctuation, spelling or grammatical errors. It is best to proofread your individual assignment yourself rather than ask someone else to proofread it for you. There are a few reasons for this.
As proofreading is part of the writing process and part of the work of completing an assignment, students are generally required to proofread their own assignments prior to submission. Part of being a student is learning how to proofread effectively and a good way to learn this is through proofreading your own work repeatedly over time. It is best to allow time to do this prior to submitting an assignment. For tips on how to do your own proofreading, see here. If you were to give your assignment to someone else to proofread, there is a risk they could do more than marking up any punctuation/spelling/grammatical errors for you to fix yourself. If they were to edit your assignment or provide you with other significant help with your assignment, this may lead to an allegation of academic integrity breach (e.g. collusion or contract cheating).
You need to ensure the security of your own work. We strongly advise you against providing anyone with your assignment work, particularly in electronic form. It is very important that you do not ask another student to read or to proofread your individual assignment. This would be a breach of Deakin’s academic integrity rules unless your unit chair has specifically given you permission to do this. Consider booking a free one-to-one appointment with a Language and Learning Advisor to learn how to proofread your assignment.
There are a couple of exceptions to the advice we’ve given above:
- If you are working on a group assignment, you could ask your group members to proofread your section of the group assignment (and vice versa).
- If you are an HDR (Higher Degree by Research) student, it may be acceptable for you to get your thesis professionally proofread prior to submission. There are certain rules to follow in terms of what is allowable and how to acknowledge this in your thesis. To find out these details, please talk to your HDR Supervisor or your School HDR Coordinator. If after reading all of this you still feel strongly that you want someone else to proofread your assignment, we encourage you to ask your unit chair whether they would allow this. You may also want to review Deakin’s academic integrity webpages.
Answer: This is a great question!
I would discourage you from using these sites, as they are unlikely to improve your grammar or proofreading skills as you may become dependent on these websites rather than learning how to improve your writing and do your own proofreading. The use of online assessment grammar tools could potentially be an academic integrity issue in some cases depending on what type of changes the tool suggests or makes. Online grammar assessment tools may be more of a problem regarding academic integrity if the website offers a log in or payment option. If the website offers advanced suggestions about word choice, vocabulary, run on sentences, tone, and more then we should suggest you do not use it.
Instead of using such sites, consider accessing Deakin supports such as: Smart thinking, this service offers real time online tutoring and provides writing feedback on assignments within 24 hours. Please note there is a limit of 8 assignment submissions to Smart thinking per trimester for each student. You can access Smart thinking here.
Answer: In this situation, we would encourage you to access support via the writing mentors or Language and Learning Advisors, as they will be able to support you with this type of task and assist you to develop your proofreading skills. When asking friends to look over your work, it is very important that your friend does not edit your work for you and we would discourage you from sending your work online. This can lead to a number of different types of Academic Integrity breaches – even by accident!
If you would like assistance with learning to proofread and edit your documents, you can access the writing mentors and Language and Learning Advisors here. There are also quite a number of helpful tips and tools here.
Answer: We highly recommend avoiding any website that asks you to upload your work, as the website may be associated with Contract Cheating. Your personal work could be accessed on the website by multiple different users over an extended period of time, sold by the website to other users, or even accessed and uploaded by other students who claim the entire document (or parts of the document) as their own work. This could all happen without your knowledge and lead to numerous breaches of academic integrity allegations such as Plagiarism, Collusion, Contract Cheating, and more.
If a breach of academic integrity is found proven, the final mark for your unit can be changed and there could be impacts on your enrolment (depending on the allegation outcome). If you have uploaded your personal work to a website such as this, we recommend contacting the website as soon as possible and requesting that they remove your work. We understand that many students face issues or difficulties during their university studies and it is okay to ask for help and advice. If you are struggling with time management, unit content, studying for exams, or your wellbeing, there are numerous resources available through Deakin that can support you.
We recommend:
- Contacting your Unit Chair for support.
- Seeing if there is a Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) class for the unit/s you are struggling with.
- Accessing Study Support.
- Consider applying for Special Consideration if you are affected by circumstances beyond your control.
- Speaking to a counsellor about your situation if issues are impacting your wellbeing. Deakin has free counselling available for students.
Answer: Websites such as this are known as contract cheating websites. Advocates would advise not to upload your assignment or pay a subscription to the site. By doing so, could result in you receiving an Academic Integrity breach from the Academic Integrity committee.
I would recommend that you contact your unit chair if you are struggling with your assignment questions.
Answer: Yes, you could receive an allegation of a breach of academic integrity. Asking someone else to complete all or part of an assignment on your behalf is contract cheating - even if you didn’t use the information you received.
These websites will often request that you upload past work, subscribe to the website or pay for answers. I would suggest you contact the website to request to have your questions taken down. If the University see that, you have posted them on this website you could receive an allegation of contract cheating.
Answer: I understand you are worried about the risk that if you pay the person now, that is unlikely to be the end of it. It may be difficult for you to move ahead with graduation and your career if you have this worry weighing upon you. I understand you are also concerned about what the implications for you could be if the university becomes aware that you submitted an assignment written by someone else.
It is highly unethical of the person to threaten you and demand money. Their behaviour could be considered to be blackmail which is illegal. I recommend you keep the messages you have received from them in case you want to present them as evidence in the future of what has occurred. You may want to consider reaching out for advice about your legal options, such as from the Deakin Student Legal Service or a Community Legal Service.
If the person reports to the university they wrote an assignment for you, it is likely your faculty will email you an allegation of an academic integrity breach (contract cheating). You would have the opportunity to respond and we could assist you with this. For advice about the range of possible outcomes in your individual case, please book an appointment with a DUSA Advocate. You have recognised you made a mistake in submitting an assignment written by someone else. It is great that you acknowledge this. We all make mistakes but how we respond when we make a mistake matters.
You may want to consider self-reporting what you did with this assignment to your faculty at Deakin. It is entirely your decision whether or not you do this. One big advantage of self-reporting is the person who is threatening to report you would lose all of the power they have over you. Another advantage is you could deal with the mistake you made in second year, maybe learn something through the process, and move forward knowing you had acted with integrity and had earned your whole degree. If you self-report, it is likely your faculty would email you an allegation of an academic integrity breach.
Answer: Uploading the university’s assignment questions to a website is not allowed. If the university see that you have posted them on this website you could receive an allegation of contract cheating, even if you didn’t use the information, as they may think you have gained an unfair advantage. I would encourage you contact the website to request to have your questions taken down and then cancel any subscription if you have one.
It is also important to be aware that the assignment questions are the university’s property and students aren’t allowed to share them on websites.
If you are struggling with an assignment we recommend you discuss it with your Unit Chair. You can also utilise some of Deakin’s Study Support Services such as Smart thinking, this service offers real time online tutoring and provides writing feedback on assignments within 24 hours. Please note there is a limit of 8 assignment submissions to Smart thinking per trimester for each student. You can access Smart thinking here.
Deakin’s Library also provides recommended websites and study resources for all courses.
If you experience any difficulty getting the website to remove the questions (and/or anything else) you uploaded to the website, please contact a DUSA Advocate for assistance with this. We offer a highly confidential and non-judgmental service to all Deakin students.
Answer: I commend you on being honest and contacting your lecturer straight away. You have also made an important step in having your account removed from the website. When researching for your assessments there can be a lot of resources and information found on the internet, it is important to recognise those sites that ‘seem dodgy’ or constitute a Contract Cheating website. These sites offer to undertake the assignments for you, provide completed assignments and notes and can promote ways of breaching the academic integrity policies of the University.
Use of Contract Cheating sites can lead to a breach of Academic Integrity. Because you have been honest about the circumstances and spoken with your lecturer this issue is unlikely to affect your study going forward. You have done the right thing in being vigilant about the websites you are using and by being honest with your lecturer. If you are having trouble with researching and or completing your assessments there are plenty of support service available through the University. These supports include;
- Contacting your Unit Chair or teaching staff. The Unit staff can provide clarity around the assessment piece and answer any concerns you may have
- Study Support including Language and Learning Advisers, Writing and Maths Mentors.
- Library Liaisons.
- If you would like any further support and information, please feel free to contact a DUSA Advocate for advice.
Answer: It is great to see that your mum wants to be so involved with your studies; however, you need to be careful about the help and support you receive from other people. I quick grammar and spelling check is fine, but if your mum was to contribute to the content of your assignment this could constitute a breach of Academic Integrity.
If you do require some help and support with your Academic Writing can I suggest you access the Study Support services offered at Deakin.
This link includes information for Language and Learning Advisers - help you to understand your assessment task and provide feedback on planning, writing and revising for assessments. They can also suggest strategies to help you further develop your writing and study skills. Writing Mentors – help with assignment writing and study strategies. The links also includes information around tutoring and referencing guides.
Answer: I am sorry to hear that you have lost your job; I can understand that would lead to a lot of stress and financial pressure. I would recommend you do not ask your friend to do the assignment for you. The University has many systems in place to ensure that students submit original work. If your friend was to complete the exam for you, you and your friend will run the risk of receiving an allegation of a breach of academic integrity. It is highly unethical for another student to complete an assessment task on behalf of another student. There is always another option!
You could look at applying for special consideration for the exam if you do not feel adequately prepared. There are also a range of supports at Deakin which can assist such as Deakin’s Study Support who can assist you with your exam preparations.
You could speak to a counsellor about your situation if issues are affecting your wellbeing. Deakin has free counselling available for students.
Answer: It is great to see that you were advised to contact SASS for assistance with this matter. We will certainly be able to help.
If you have received an allegation of a breach of academic integrity, we would advise that you arrange an appointment with a DUSA Advocate. We can help you understand the allegation, assist you to respond and support you with the hearing process. We will also be able to help you access available resources and support services.
Answer: Your circumstances sound like they are quite difficult right now. Following the release of trimester results, students may apply to the Faculty Committee for a review of their overall result for a unit, including assessment of any part of the unit. This is called a review of results. Applications for a review of results must be made within 5 working days after the release of official results (unless the student can show the Faculty Committee that exceptional circumstances beyond their control have prevented them from lodging their application in time). You can find more information regarding this process here.
Answer: I am sorry to hear that your friend has asked you to do such things, however I think it is great that you have reached out for some advice. You were correct in telling your friend that using a doctor’s certificate found online is not appropriate when applying for Special Consideration. A medical certificate submitted to the university must be completed by the student’s own doctor and needs to be specific to the student’s personal health situation. Submitting a fraudulent medical certificate may result in the student receiving an allegation letter for breaching academic integrity. I would encourage your friend to look at the information on the Special Consideration page of the Deakin website. If your friend is unwell at the time of the exam, they are able to meet with a Deakin GP at no cost if they have a BUPA card. Appointments can be made online. In regards to your friend asking you to complete her exam for her, impersonating another student is against the policy of the University and this could also lead to a breach in academic integrity, not just for your friend but also for any other student who attempted to do your friend’s exam for her.
I would suggest that if your friend is struggling in the lead up to her exam, she look at applying for Special Consideration, following the appropriate process as outlined on the Special Consideration page of the Deakin website. Your friend may be going through a difficult personal time this trimester. Please let your friend know that a DUSA Advocate can assist her to get the support she needs and help her to understand all of her options regarding her studies this trimester. It is very important for your friend to get the help and support she needs now so she doesn’t take an action she will later regret. The Student Conduct Office at Deakin can also investigate cases like this. You can report a student who is asking other students to sit their exam for them. These reports can be anonymous, and you can make a report here.
Answer: Deakin expects all students to act with integrity and in accordance with the Deakin Student Code of Conduct. If you would like to report someone who you believe has cheated or is planning to cheat, you may do so via the Student Conduct form. You can find further information and how to make a report here.
DUSA is committed to ensuring your privacy according to the National Privacy Principles. Your personal and sensitive information is collected only as is necessary for a function or activity that enables DUSA to carry out its work and deliver effective services for all Deakin University students. The DUSA Privacy Statement is located here.
DUSA's Advocacy Service provides information and advice on matters relating to the policies and procedures of the University. The advice and information provided by DUSA is general advice and is not, and should not be relied upon as, legal advice. While DUSA makes every effort to ensure that the information provided is accurate and up-to-date, DUSA expressly excludes responsibility for any errors or omissions. To the fullest extent permitted by law, DUSA disclaims all liability and responsibility for any direct or indirect loss or damage which may be suffered by you as a result of relying on anything contained in or omitted from the information or advice provided by DUSA.
