Academic integrity

How to use artificial intelligence (AI), reference your sources, avoid contract cheating and plagiarism, and more.

What is academic integrity?

In practical terms, academic integrity means developing and submitting for assessment your own academic work. Breaches of academic integrity include plagiarism, collusion, and contract cheating, which all have serious consequences.

Academic integrity has been more formally defined as ‘the expectation that teachers, students, researchers and all members of the academic community act with: honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.’ 

Read each section below to be confident that you understand your responsibilities. 
Academic Integrity RMIT

Academic integrity awareness credential

This is a mandatory module for all new students. We strongly recommend all students complete it to understand what academic integrity is, how to maintain it, your responsibilities, and how to protect yourself from accidental breaches.

Already completed the credential?

To refresh your understanding of academic integrity, you can take the Acting with Academic Integrity online tutorial

RMIT UP student? You can also test your knowledge with this Academic Misconduct quiz

Study support

Our study support resources can help with academic integrity, assignment writing and lots more. They include:

RMIT Vietnam students: Go to the Library study support and Student Academic Success pages for study support and resources. 

RMIT UP students: For help improving your study skills, ask the Academic Support team via academic.support@rmit.edu.au.

TEQSA academic integrity resources

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is Australia’s independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education. TEQSA has developed the following resources for use by students, academics and teachers to promote understanding of academic integrity.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and academic integrity

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are likely to be an integral part of future life and work. RMIT is committed to preparing our students to know how to engage and work appropriately with AI. 

You may be guided by your educators to use AI tools in your learning, so that you can better understand possibilities and limitations and how they may be used ethically and appropriately in your future work.  

The use of AI tools in your studies will be guided by your program and course requirements. Inappropriate use of AI in your learning and assessment could result in a breach of academic integrity. It’s always best to check with your Program Manager or Program/Course Coordinators for more information.

RMIT may use tools to detect the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in assessments where AI tools are not permitted.

When is it okay to use AI tools in my studies?

You are permitted to use AI tools like Val (RMIT's GenAI Chatbot), ChatGPT, Midjourney and GrammarlyGO as a study aid to supplement your learning.

For example, you may ask questions of an AI tool to help clarify your reading interpretation or to help confirm your understanding of a topic, noting however that AI responses can be out of date, biased, not always correct, or not to be relied upon.

AI may or may not be permitted in coursework or assessments, depending on your course requirements.

Check the information in the course guides and assessment task instructions to understand how AI tools can be used. If you’re unsure or if it’s not specified, ask your Program or Course Coordinator.

Any ideas or outputs generated by AI must be referenced accurately in your academic work, otherwise it is considered plagiarism.

This means you must use citations crediting the tool/s where appropriate, as well as including it in your reference list – just like you would any other resource. See the Library's AI referencing guide for specific AI referencing information.

You should always think critically about any content provided to you, whether from an AI tool or other sources.

It’s important to remember that you should always verify the content provided by AI tools. You are advised to conduct further research beyond simply asking questions of an AI tool, generating computer code, or creating images and consult with your course materials, library resources, or educator if you don't understand something or require further assistance.

How not to use AI

You cannot use AI to:

  • complete or contribute to an assessment task when it has not been specifically allowed
  • produce ideas that you don't reference and try to pass off as your own.

Using AI in these ways is a breach of Academic Integrity Policy and may have serious consequences:

Keep drafts of your work

To help prove the authenticity and originality of your work, you should keep all draft versions of your work to show how your assessments were developed. These can be requested at any time during your program. 

Ask if you need help!

We want to support you to use AI tools legitimately and in a way that maintains your integrity and that of our academic community. If you have questions or if you are ever unsure, please speak with your Program or Course Coordinator. 

How to reference content generated by AI tools

RMIT Library has developed a guide to show you how to reference content generated by AI tools.

Contract cheating services

Illegal commercial (or contract) cheating services are targeting RMIT students on and around campus, and online.

These services offer to complete an assessment for you, sometimes asking for payment. Using these services is called contract cheating and is a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy. These services have also been known to blackmail Australian students.

How to identify and avoid contract cheating services

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) advises that you should always avoid any service that:

  • promises to help write or improve your essay or assignment or sit an exam on your behalf in exchange for money
  • offers unsolicited ‘study support’ via social media, email or on-campus advertising
  • asks you to upload a previous example of your work, or materials from your course, in order to receive help
  • offers to sell you study notes, exams or other assessment materials.

Top 3 tips:

  1. Block unsolicited messages received via social media or email that offer study support, essay writing or other contract cheating services. 
  2. Be aware of the information you share on social media networks and consider your privacy settings. This may help you avoid being targeted by illegal cheating service operators.
  3. If you are experiencing study difficulties you should always speak with your teacher or course coordinator. They can help you access study support and ensure you understand and maintain academic integrity.

Source: Identifying, avoiding and reporting illegal cheating services.

To report a contract cheating service, or if you have any concerns or questions about contract cheating, please email student.conduct@rmit.edu.au

Breaches of academic integrity

There may be serious consequences for breaches of academic integrity (even accidental breaches), including the cancellation of results, suspension or expulsion. 

Breaches include:

Plagiarism - presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own.

Significant failure to appropriately and accurately acknowledge the work of others, which includes the use of Artificial Intelligence algorithms.

Self-plagiarism - failure to appropriately and accurately acknowledge one’s own work where original work has been reused from previous assessment tasks (also known as self-plagiarism).

‘Washing’ - the use of software services to disguise plagiarism.

Contract cheating or ghostwriting - submitting the work of another person or from an online study platform as one’s own, or undertaking an assessment task for another person.

Collusion or unauthorised collaboration in the preparation or presentation of work.

Falsification, fabrication, manipulation or misrepresentation of data or results.

Attempting to gain unfair advantage in an invigilated assessment, breaching the rules for the conduct of invigilated assessment in a manner that defeats or compromises the purposes of the task.

Behaviour that violates assessment instructions thereby defeating or compromising the purpose of the assessment.

Unauthorised sharing of course materials and previously submitted assessment items including via online study platforms.

Misuse or unauthorised use of technology or equipment.

Real stories of plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating

These are real stories of RMIT students who were penalised for plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. Their stories are anonymous, read by former or current student volunteers. 

 Youung woman sits at desk in a formla University room, holding papers in fron of an open laptop.

Real Stories of Plagiarism

 Male student sits at a desk in a formal University room holding papers.

Real Stories of Contract Cheating

 Male student sits at a desk in a formal University room holding papers in front of an open laptop.

Real Stories of Collusion

Learn more

To find out about these (and more) breaches, complete the Academic Integrity Awareness digital credential.

A student uses Val on a laptop

Val GenAI Chatbot

Val is an RMIT supported, secure and free-to-use generative artificial intelligence tool that functions just like ChatGPT. Learn how to responsibly use Val to help with your study and learning.

RMIT Academic Integrity Policy

RMIT’s Academic Integrity Policy outlines the behaviours required in an academic community: acting with honesty, fairness, respect and responsibility. 

Related policies:

Contacts

Support services

Our support services are here to help you achieve your study and personal goals. If you're feeling stressed about study, we can help.

RMIT Student Union (RUSU)

RUSU offers free and confidential support for students who have been charged with academic misconduct.

Student conduct

If you'd like to talk to someone about academic integrity or misconduct, contact the Student Conduct Secretariat for a confidential discussion.

Email: student.conduct@rmit.edu.au

Phone: +61 3 9925 8965

If you're an RMIT Vietnam student, contact: studentconduct@rmit.edu.vn

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.