When you submit work, it must be your own. Know how to avoid plagiarism and cheating.
"Academic integrity means acting with the values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility in learning, teaching and research." In practical terms, it means developing, and submitting for assessment, your own academic work.
The repercussions for breaking the rules – even accidentally – are serious, from failing an assessment to charges of academic misconduct and exclusion from a program.
The rules of academic integrity outline the behaviours required in an academic community: acting with honesty, fairness, respect and responsibility. They include not plagiarising, cheating, contract cheating or colluding.
The penalties for breaking the rules - even accidentally - are serious.
The quickest way to learn the rules is by completing the two online resources below.
This quick tutorial outlines the main rules about academic integrity and misconduct including plagiarism and the difference between collaboration and collusion.
Gain a badge on your transcript to show you've learned the rules of academic integrity.
If you're studying with RMIT Training, you can also test your knowledge with this Academic Misconduct quiz!
For serious breaches of academic integrity, students can be charged with academic misconduct. Possible penalties include cancellation of results and expulsion resulting in the cancellation of a student's program.
Breaches of academic integrity include:
Contract cheating is the use of outsourced material for the purpose of submission by a student for assessment. The person submitting the work is being dishonest by representing it as their own.
This differs from traditional forms of plagiarism, which more commonly involves copying of existing submitted or published work. Contract cheating can take on many forms and is not limited to the purchasing of assessment material from online sources. Students may obtain assessments from peers or ‘tutors’ and the arrangement may not involve a financial exchange.
Commercial cheating services, which are now illegal in Australia, are targeting students at RMIT. These services offer to provide answers or complete an assessment for you, sometimes asking for payment.
These services may keep a student’s personal details to harass them and ask for more money. If you use these services, it's considered contract cheating and is a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.
To find out more information you can read the TEQSA information and resources. If you have any concerns or questions about this, email student.conduct@rmit.edu.au.
A key part of academic integrity is creating original work. This means that whenever you use other people’s words, images or ideas, you must reference them correctly. If you don’t, you may be penalised for plagiarism, even if it was accidental.
Turnitin: You’ll use Turnitin when you submit your assessments. Turnitin is an online tool in Canvas that checks your assignments to ensure they're your own work, and that you've acknowledged the work and ideas from other sources. Go to the Canvas webpage to find out more.
Our study resources are offered in different ways to suit different preferences. You can talk to an academic skills expert one-on-one, complete an online tutorial at home or be mentored by a student who's been exactly where you are.
You can access these resources at any time throughout your program to revise or develop your study skills and successfully complete your assessments.
RMIT Vietnam students: Go to the Library services and Student Academic Success pages for study support and resources.
RMIT Training students: For help improving your study skills, ask the Academic Support team via academic.support@rmit.edu.au.
Be aware of people approaching you offering to help with assessments or sites asking you to upload course materials for money. We know that RMIT students are being approached online and on-campus - this includes on-campus posters. RMIT students have been blackmailed by cheating sites.
If you see any suspicious posters or stickers on campus, please remove them and report any suspicious activity to student.conduct@rmit.edu.au.
We're here to help you get it right. If you don't understand something in class or about an assessment, talk to your teacher or lecturer as soon as possible.
If you have a question about your coursework, study skills or how to find information, Ask the Library or browse all available Study support services and resources. If you're an RMIT Vietnam student, go to Library services and click on 'Ask a Librarian chat service'.
For all other help, you can contact one of our support services, RUSU or the student conduct team via the details at the bottom of the page.
The following University policies provide more information about academic integrity and misconduct, including official definitions and penalties.
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.
Our support services are here to help you achieve your study and personal goals. If you're feeling stressed about study, we can help.
RUSU offers free and confidential support for students who have been charged with academic misconduct.
If you'd like to talk to someone about a case of 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
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 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.
