Plagiarism
Learn about plagiarism at UCL Geography: what it is, why it matters, and how to avoid it with correct referencing, TurnItIn, and good academic practices.
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work as your own, including copying text, ideas, or submitting the same work twice. Always cite sources and paraphrase correctly.
UCL Plagiarism GuidanceThe Department uses TurnItIn to scan work for plagiarism. It checks billions of sources, including past student submissions, websites, and journals. This helps you learn correct referencing.
Students are advised to consult UCL guidelines on avoiding plagiarism and using TurnItIn. These provide practical advice and examples to help you reference correctly.
Reusing your own work for multiple assessments without permission is prohibited. Always check with your tutor if unsure.
Do
Cite all sources
Make sure you reference all material you use, including websites, books, articles, and data. This ensures you give proper credit to the original authors.
See the How to Reference GuideUse quotation marks for direct quotes
If you include someone else’s words verbatim, enclose them in quotation marks and provide a reference with page numbers.
Paraphrase correctly
Rewrite information in your own words and structure, and always cite the source. Avoid keeping the original sentence structure intact.
Consult tutors when unsure
If you are uncertain about referencing, paraphrasing, or plagiarism rules, ask your personal tutor or course lecturer for guidance.
Find your TutorDon't
Submit others’ work as your own
Never copy work from classmates, previous students, or online sources without acknowledgement. This is considered plagiarism.
Use ghost-writing or unacknowledged editing services
Employing third-party services to write or heavily edit your work without attribution is strictly forbidden.
Self-plagiarise
Reusing material you submitted for another assignment without permission is not allowed. Always check with your tutor if you intend to reuse your own work.
Over-rely on just a few sources
Avoid writing assignments based primarily on a small number of texts or extensive direct quotes. Your work should show your own synthesis and evaluation.
Full Definitions
To help you understand plagiarism in detail, the following section breaks down key definitions, examples, and the penalties associated with academic misconduct. Use this guidance to ensure your work meets UCL Geography’s standards for originality and proper referencing.
- Using someone else’s thoughts, words, artefacts, or software as your own.
- All quotations must be clearly identified and referenced.
- Summaries or paraphrases also require references.
- Ghost-writing or unacknowledged editing services are forbidden.
- Self-plagiarism is prohibited.
- Submitting another person’s work
- Copying words/ideas without credit
- Failing to use quotation marks
- Giving incorrect source information
- Copying sentence structure even if words change
- Overusing someone else’s words/ideas
- Self-plagiarism
- Marks deduction or zero for the work
- Disqualification from exams or degrees
- Departmental or College investigation for serious cases
See the Student Academic Misconduct Procedure for information on Penalties
Why Do Students Plagiarise?
Students may commit plagiarism either unintentionally or intentionally. Unintentional cases often arise from misunderstandings about citation, poor note-taking, or differences in prior academic or cultural practices. Intentional plagiarism can result from leaving work to the last minute, stress, or thinking it is easier to copy than to produce original work. Regardless of intent, plagiarism is a serious offence and ignorance is never an excuse.
- Misunderstanding citations
- Poor note-taking
- Cultural or prior academic practices
- Poor English or time management
- Leaving work to the last minute
- Stress or panic
- Thinking copying is easier or unnoticed
Ignorance is never an excuse. All forms of plagiarism are serious offences.
What Can You Do?
There are several practical steps you can take to avoid plagiarism and ensure your work meets UCL Geography’s academic standards. By referencing sources accurately, paraphrasing correctly, producing your own write-ups for group projects, drawing on a wide range of materials, and seeking guidance when unsure, you can maintain academic integrity and produce high-quality work.
- Reference all ideas, quotes, and data
- Paraphrase correctly and credit the source
- Ensure write-ups from group projects are your own
- Use a wide range of sources to demonstrate synthesis and evaluation
- Ask tutors if in doubt
- Keep detailed notes with sources
- Use TurnItIn for practice
- Avoid last-minute submissions
- Ensure all tables, figures, and media are referenced
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