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Resources for staff

Academic Integrity

What is Academic Integrity?

Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in scholarship through respecting the work of others whilst having the freedom to build new insights, new knowledge and ideas. It is an intrinsic feature of academic life for both staff and students, and fundamental to the whole construct of academic thought and established scholarly practice.

Why is there an increased emphasis on Academic Integrity?

The role of a University in contributing to a functional and meaningful society is built upon the core value of Academic Integrity. If Academic Integrity is not upheld by all members of the University community the value of academic awards and scholarship would diminish to the point at which they held no value. Understanding and respecting the values of Academic Integrity within the learning environment of a University reinforces personal and professional integrity, with the extended benefits to the maintenance of a civil society. The wide availability of digital information sources is changing the means by which new knowledge is generated by students and staff, in such times reinforcement of the values of Academic Integrity is of elevated importance.

Supporting the values of Academic Integrity

One way to assist your students with understanding the importance of Academic Integrity as part of their chosen area of study, is provide them with communication and resources at the commencement of their University experience.

Please modify the following PowerPoint documents to meet the specific requirements of your program.

Getting Started with Turnitin

The Turnitin service is available to all RMIT staff directly from within any Blackboard course shell, merely by selecting ‘Turnitin Assignment’ under the Create Assignments tab. The upload process and student authorisation of assessment is fully electronic, as part of the RMIT e-Submission process.

If you need to use Turnitin independently of Blackboard, complete the Turnitin Application Form, in response to completion of the form you will receive a brief on using the Turnitin service from the website: www.turnitin.com

The Turnitin software compares a submitted text assignment to content from the Internet and an extensive database that includes journals, textbooks and student assignments. The output is ranked in terms of text similarity between the assignment and external sources, allowing for the rapid identification of non-original work.

As a staff member use of this service will provide:

  • A rapid means for identifying the originality of submitted assignments
  • The ability to more fully confirm the origin of content in assignments
  • A resource for educating students on the importance of honesty in scholarship

Follow the links below to commence participation in the use of Turnitin at RMIT. Advice on the use of the technology can be obtained from College Academic Development Groups.

A signed physical copy of the assessment cover sheet must be submitted before a student’s work can be uploaded into Turnitin.

Fostering Academic Integrity

Assessment

Referencing

Reducing Student Plagiarism

Academic Integrity in Research and the broader academic community

  • Research Students
    This page outlines the procedures to be followed when managing plagiarism involving research students.
  • RMIT Code of conduct
    Read the RMIT code of conduct policy and the rights and responsibilities of staff.

View the Professional Development links.