Academic misconduct examples

• Sharing or using past assessments without permission
  Example: Sending last year’s assignment to a friend taking the course now, or using someone else’s old assignment as a template for your own.
• Copying or helping others during a quiz or exam
  Example: Giving or receiving help during an exam, such as messaging someone during an online quiz, or copying someone else's work.
• Using unauthorised items, websites, or tools in an assessment item
  Example, using textbooks or notes in a closed-book exam, bringing in a calculator that isn't allowed, or using ChatGPT and other unauthorised third-party websites to get help during assessments or exams.
• Accessing materials early
  Example: Finding and using leaked exam questions before the exam date.
• Impersonation - pretending to be another student or staff member
  Example: Logging into another student’s account to complete their quiz, or asking someone to attend an exam for you. It can also be pretending to be a staff member to get access to restricted materials or extensions.
• Not following assessment instructions
  Example: Using sources that were specifically not allowed.

Collusion happens when students work closely together on an individual assessment, and the work they submit is so similar that it appears to be done by just one person.

Even if you’re just trying to help a friend, if your work ends up being too similar, it can be considered collusion. Sometimes, collusion isn’t done on purpose, but it can still lead to academic misconduct penalties, even if you didn’t mean to break the rules.

It's not always easy to tell the difference between collaboration and collusion. Collaboration is something we encourage - it's when you help each other understand the learning material or study together. Collusion, on the other hand, is when you submit work that's not fully your own or too closely matches someone else's, breaking the rules of Academic Integrity.

Here are ways in which you can make sure you are collaborating and doing the right thing.

• Form a study group to understand class concepts, but don't complete assessments together and share answers.
• Discuss your chosen assignment topic with a classmate, but don't choose the same topic and write the assignment together.
• Complete practice tests as a group to prepare for exams, but don't complete actual exams as a group in an exam setting.
• Divide tasks fairly for a group project as instructed in the assessment task or by your course coordinator, but don't let one person do all the work for the group.
• Recommend helpful resources you used, but don't send someone your past assignment to us.
• Proofread a friend's assignment and giving general feedback, but don't edit or rewrite their assignment for them.

If you are ever unsure, please just reach out to your Course Coordinator or a UniSQ staff member for support.

Contract cheating is when someone else does your assessment for you, and you submit it as if it were your own work. Contract cheating is serious and intentional. It means that you are missing out on learning and skill development which can impact you in your future career and also lead to serious academic penalties.

The dangers of contract cheating also include blackmail, where some service providers have threatened to report students to their university or employer unless they pay more money - sometimes long after the cheating occurred.

Contract cheating can happen with or without payment, and the person involved could be:

• a friend or family member
• another student
• a tutor or staff member
• a commercial cheating service.

Some examples of contract cheating are:

• Asking someone else to sit an exam for you.
• Getting someone to write part or all of your assignment.
• Downloading assignments from websites or file-sharing platforms and submitting them as your own.
• Uploading your own work to a site in exchange for money or access to other assessments.
• Using assignments from past students and claiming them as your own.
• Paying someone or a service to complete your work.
• Offering money, gifts, or services to a UniSQ staff member for academic advantage.

You're never alone in your studies at UniSQ - we're here to support you

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck, don’t risk it. UniSQ offers support to help you succeed honestly:

• Our range of study support services include librarians, learning advisors, workshops and more.
• Assessment extensions - we want to see you succeed, we offer three-day extensions and longer term extensions depending on your circumstances. 
• Our support services, including counselling and wellbeing services are here to support your wellbeing while you study.

Asking for help is always a smarter and safer choice than cheating.

Misrepresentation and falsification happen when you present information or data in a way that isn’t true or gives the wrong impression. This could be done on purpose or by mistake, but either way, it’s considered academic misconduct. It can lead to serious consequences and also take away from your own learning and the value of your degree.

Examples of misrepresentation and falsification at university are:

• Making up or changing data in research, experiments, or lab report.
• Faking results to match what you hoped to find.
• Inventing data instead of collecting it during class activities or labs.
• Citing sources that don’t match your topic or were never actually used.
• Using fake or incorrect references — or making up citations entirely.
• Lying in reports about what you did, what tools you used, or whether you attended.
• Saying you went to a class or lab when you didn’t.
• Signing in or marking attendance for someone else.
• Editing or faking a Turnitin report to make your work look more original.
• Using fake documents to get an extension or defer an exam.
• Lying to avoid academic penalties or to get credit for previous study.
• Making up excuses for missing deadlines.
• Claiming you submitted something when you didn’t.
• Saying you uploaded the wrong file by mistake when you didn’t.
• Taking credit for parts of a group project you didn’t do.
• Trying to trick plagiarism checkers by hiding text or changing characters.
• Tampering with grades or coursework.
• Leaving out important information when you’re supposed to share it.

Research with integrity

It might feel easier to just find articles that back up your argument and ignore the ones that don’t, but that’s not how good research works. Doing that shows weak research skills, breaks academic integrity rules, and misses the whole point of research. To avoid misrepresentation and falsification:

• Plan your assignment before you start writing.
• Use referencing tools like EndNote to track your sources.
• Check for bias in your sources.
• Make sure your data is reliable (e.g., use a big enough sample size).
• Use a variety of sources to support your ideas.
• Ask for help from your Course Coordinators or UniSQ support services.

Research is about learning, building your skills, and adding something meaningful to your field - not just proving you’re right.

If you twist or leave out information to make your argument look better, you’re not just hurting your own learning - you’re also letting down the academic community, which depends on honest and accurate work.

The UniSQ Library has a Study and Research Toolkit as well as Subject Guides to support you in your research.

Plagiarism means using someone else’s work or ideas and pretending they’re your own, without giving proper credit. It doesn’t matter if it’s done on purpose or by accident, it’s still considered academic misconduct.

Make sure you're avoiding plagiarism and using sources responsibly by using the tips below.

1. Plan your assignment prior to writing
   Do your research first, plan your structure and keep drafts of your work. The Library has helpful information on how to plan your assignment.
2. Put things in your own words - and give credit
   When you’re explaining someone else’s idea, say it your way and always mention where it came from. It shows you get it and keeps things honest.
3. Don’t just tweak a few words from a source
   Copying the structure or just changing a couple of words isn’t enough. Try to fully explain the idea in your own style.
4. Give credit for everything you use
   Whether it’s a quote, a graph, a video, or even a bit of code, if it’s not yours, say where it’s from. It’s all about respecting other people’s work.
5. Use quotation marks for exact words
   If you’re using someone’s exact words, put them in quotes and include a proper reference. That way, it’s clear what’s yours and what’s not.
6. Choose sources that actually support your point
   Don’t just throw in random references to look smart. Use sources that really help explain or back up what you’re saying.
7. Keep your referencing neat and consistent
   Different courses use different styles (like APA or MLA). To find out which style you should be using, check your StudyDesk or ask your Course Coordinator. Make sure your references are complete and accurate - if you need help, look through our UniSQ referencing guides or speak to one of our helpful Librarians for advice.
8. Blend sources with your own thinking
   Don’t just copy and paste bits from different places and stitch them together. Instead, use them to support your own ideas and show how everything connects.
9. Be upfront about using AI tools
   If you use AI to help with your work, make sure it’s allowed and say so if required. We want to see your learning, not just what an AI tool can do.

Self-plagiarism happens when you reuse your own previous work - or parts of it - in a new assignment without proper permission or referencing. Even though it’s your writing, submitting it again without acknowledgment is considered academic misconduct.

While it might seem harmless to use your own work, it stops you from broadening your understanding of a topic and limits your thinking. Even if the topic feels familiar, your skills, knowledge and perspective have evolved - and your work should reflect that.

How to avoid self-plagiarism

• Choose a fresh topic or perspective if you can
• Rewrite your work with new insights and updated research
• Talk to your Course Coordinator if you’d like to reuse any part of your previous work and make sure to reference it properly.

Using AI tools without permission or without proper referencing is considered plagiarism.

Here is when that happens:

• Using AI in ways that aren’t allowed - your Assessment Task Sheet will clearly explain what’s okay and what’s not
• Letting AI write your assignment or reflection when you’ve been asked to use your own words
• Using advanced proofreading tools that rewrite or restructure your work when you’re expected to write it yourself
• Not referencing AI tools when you’ve used them in your work

What should you do when AI is allowed:

• Always check your assessment task sheet to see what is okay
• If you use AI, acknowledge which tool you used and reference these tools and your AI use
• Use the UniSQ referencing guidelines to learn how to cite AI tools
• If you are unsure, ask your Course Coordinator.