Self Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism involves resubmitting an assignment (in full or in part) that has already been submitted for assessment (and graded) in any course at any university. This includes when students are repeating subjects.

Judy is repeating a subject and has resubmitted an assignment that she has already received a grade for.

  • How can I detect self-plagiarism?

    In the past, staff have suspected self-plagiarism in submissions where students have:

    • Explored familiar ideas and / or made similar mistakes.
    • Referred to in class activities that were conducted in previous semesters.
    • Included out-of-date content and / or references (specifically websites)
    • Complained about their final grade, suggesting that previous assessor had marked the content more favourably.
    • Completed work to a standard that could not be achieved within the time-frame.

    NB: It is common for students to mistakenly believe that as the ‘creator’ of original work (essay, design, models, drawings, etc.) they can submit it for assessment multiple times. It is important that staff clearly communicate to students that this not allowed.

  • What steps should I take?
    1. If you are a Tutor, advise the Senior Tutor or Subject Coordinator of your suspicions about the authenticity of a submission.
    2. Collect evidence of the suspected misconduct, without accusing the student of engaging in misconduct. This should include:
    • A copy of the student’s submission that highlights the suspicious content, and
    • The original source* and / or
    • Notes from a meeting with the student where they were asked to explain the formation of ideas and/or conclusions.
    1. The Senior Tutor or Subject Coordinator should contact ABP Academic Support Office, with evidence, for advice on next steps. Please refer to this page for details and links.

    *Details of when / where it was previously submitted for assessment by the student.