Plagiarism:

“The appropriation or imitation of another’s ideas and manner of expressing them to be passed off as one’s own”. (The Macquarie Dictionary, 1981)

Synonyms:

piracy, copying, forgery, lifting, expropriation, appropriation.

The University of Western Australia treats plagiarism as serious misconduct. University regulations on misconduct allow severe penalties including expulsion from the University.

The University of Western Australia is founded on a culture of honesty and individual excellence based on one’s own work. The standards of the University (and hence the quality of your degree when you finish) rely on measuring fairly and accurately each student’s abilities. Without a strong and well-policed policy on plagiarism, your degree will not be regarded highly by prospective employers - you can’t copy the answers when you’re working. Copying does not help you to learn and understand. An appreciation of many concepts is attained only by applying them - you do not gain that understanding by simply copying someone else’s work. Working together, asking your colleagues, and looking for other sources of information is strongly encouraged. However, in all assignments and project work, all students are expected to write up and submit their work individually except where the unit co-ordinator requests otherwise.

The School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering has the following policy on copying:

• For each individual assignment/laboratory, students must complete and sign an Assignment Cover Sheet including the declaration that the work submitted by them is entirely there own and that suitable acknowledgement has been made for any sources of information used in preparing it.
• For each group assignment/laboratory, a declaration must be made by each student stating the percentage of the work undertaken by each member of the group, that the assignment is the group’s own work entirely, and that suitable acknowledgement has been made for any sources of information used in preparing it.
• In the case of identical assignments where collusion has occurred: The mark awarded for the assignment will be divided by the number of students who have colluded and awarded to each student. The students will be referred to the Head of School and a note kept on file.
• In the case of copying another’s assignment without consent or repeated collusion: A mark of zero will be awarded for the assignment. The student will be referred to the Sub Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics for disciplinary action under University Statute 17.