Honest study or cheating? It’s not always obvious – do our quiz to understand the difference
While you’re at Deakin, you’ll hear a lot about academic integrity. It’s a bit of a mouthful, but you need to understand what it means – your degree could be at stake if you don’t.
Academic integrity is about:
- creating and submitting your work in an honest and fair way
- acting and communicating ethically
- showing respect for the work of others
- taking responsibility for supporting your fellow students to do the right thing.
Cheating is never the right answer
We all know that cheating is wrong, but uni life can get complicated and stressful – so we’re here to help you do the right thing and ensure that your degree isn’t compromised at any stage.
There may sometimes be circumstances where you’re tempted to cheat – perhaps you’re under a lot of pressure, you’ve left things to the last minute or you’re not sure exactly how to complete your assignment.
Or maybe you’re not completely clear about what’s cheating and what’s not. Things like referencing and working in groups can be complicated and involve grey areas that are hard to interpret. Unfortunately, students are also common targets of dodgy academic services and resources that may seem legitimate.
How confident are you that you’re studying honestly? Take our short quiz below to find out. For each scenario, ask yourself: is there a breach of academic integrity or not?
How did you go? If you didn’t get everything correct, don’t stress – there’s lots of helpful information available on our academic integrity website. Even if you scored 100 percent, we encourage you to check out this info, which covers things like:
- contract cheating
- the difference between collusion and collaboration
- referencing and plagiarism
- what happens if you breach academic integrity.
We also encourage you to become familiar with our Student Code of Conduct and Student Academic Integrity Policy.
Need some help or advice?
- We offer heaps of study support here at Deakin, so make the most of these resources. The best source of help is your Unit Chair or teaching team – they’re here to answer your questions and point you in the right direction.
- Have a question about academic integrity but are uncomfortable asking someone directly? Post an anonymous question on DUSA’s Ask an Advocate form. A response will be posted on DUSA’s own academic integrity webpage within three business days so that other students can also benefit.
- If it’s alleged that you’ve breached academic integrity, contact DUSA’s Student Advocacy and Support Service for a free confidential appointment with an advocate. They’ll assess your situation and discuss possible courses of action with you.
- If you’re a commencing student in Trimester 2, make sure you complete your compulsory Academic Integrity unit – it takes about two hours and is available in DeakinSync under Current units’.