Understanding Plagiarism at BUV

Learn how to avoid academic misconduct and uphold BUV’s standards of integrity.

What Is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is defined as submitting someone else’s work — including ideas, words, or creative output — as your own to meet assessment requirements, without proper acknowledgment.

• Copying and pasting text without citation
• Paraphrasing ideas without giving credit
• Failing to cite sources of data, images, or statistics
• Submitting another person’s work as your own
• Misusing Generative AI tools — e.g., submitting AI-generated text without declaration

Types of Plagiarism

1. Direct Plagiarism

Copying someone else’s work word-for-word without quotation marks or citation. This includes text, code, diagrams, or audiovisual content.

2. Self-Plagiarism (Auto-plagiarism)

Resubmitting your own previous work for a new assignment without permission or citation. Even your own work must be acknowledged if reused.

3. Mosaic Plagiarism (Patchwriting)

Paraphrasing too closely to the original source, changing only a few words while keeping the structure and meaning intact — without proper citation.

4. Accidental Plagiarism

Occurs when poor note-taking or rushed writing leads to missing citations. Still treated seriously — always double-check your references.

5. Collusion

Working with another student on an individual assignment and submitting it as your own work. Collaboration must be authorized by the module leader.

6. Source-Based Plagiarism

Making up fake sources or citing sources you didn’t actually use (“ghost sources”).

7. Data Fabrication & Falsification

Inventing or altering research data, results, or statistics. A serious breach of academic integrity.

Consequences of Plagiarism

BUV follows Staffordshire University’s policy on academic misconduct and treats all suspected cases very seriously. Penalties can be severe and may affect your entire degree journey.

If academic misconduct is proven, possible outcomes include:

• Your assessment grade reduced to zero (with right to resubmit)
• Your module or supermodule grade reduced to zero (with right to resubmit)
• Failure of your current study level, requiring restart in the next academic year
• Failure of your award and/or termination of studies
• Restricted re-enrolment for up to two academic years

How to Avoid Plagiarism

• Cite Your Sources: Use Harvard, APA, or other required style whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize.
• Paraphrase Correctly: Rephrase ideas in your own words AND still provide a citation.
• Use Quotations: Put direct quotes in quotation marks and cite them immediately.
• Manage References: Track all sources using tools like Zotero or Mendeley.
• Understand Requirements: Clarify citation expectations with your instructor if unsure.

Generative AI & Academic Integrity

Using AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini) is allowed only at approved levels. You must:

• Declare AI use in your submission if required
• Never submit AI-generated text as your own work
• Use AI only for brainstorming, structuring, or editing — not content creation
• Follow your module leader’s guidance on permitted AI use

For details, see: BUV AI Assessment Scale

Cite Them Right Online (CTRO)

UoS provides access to Cite Them Right Online — a powerful tool to help you reference correctly in Harvard, APA, Chicago, and more.

• Create accurate citations for any source type
• Learn the basics of referencing and avoid common mistakes
• Access top 10 referencing tips and plagiarism tutorials
• Generate and export references directly into your work

Access Cite Them Right Online →

Resources for Avoiding Plagiarism

• Academic Conduct Key: Explore Academic Conduct guides
• Citation Tools: Use Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote
• Training Materials: SU & BUV Own Degree students: Review training slides on Assignment Submission training

How to Check Your Work with Turnitin

BUV uses Turnitin to screen all submissions for potential plagiarism. The software highlights matching text so you can correct issues before final submission.