Academic Integrity

Understanding and acting with academic integrity is essential to your success as a student - it’s a core value and an expectation for all students.

This page will help you to understand:

What academic integrity is – and why it matters.
Most common queries related to academic integrity, including referencing, plagiarism and academic misconduct.
Key university policies you need to follow.
How artificial intelligence (AI) relates to academic integrity, and where to find out more.

Academic Integrity Celebration Month

We are celebrating Academic Integrity Month this academic year from 27 October 2025 to the end of November.

Throughout the month, you can visit our pop-up events to speak to the experts and win prizes, plus, we're hosting a creative competition where you can win up to £100 in shopping vouchers!

Get involved

What is Academic Integrity?

Academic integrity means committing to honesty in academic work, giving credit where we use others' ideas and being proud of our own achievements.

All students are expected - and required - to act with integrity in their studies by following the rules set out in the policies contained in the Academic Integrity Framework.Link opens in a new window These policies outline the rules for producing work that meets good academic standards.

They provide guidance on areas such as proofreading, the use of artificial intelligence, appropriate use of academic sources, avoiding plagiarism and conducting research responsibly.

Acting with integrity is essential to avoid academic misconduct.

All students are expected to:

Submit your own original work.
Reference all sources when using someone else’s ideas, research or evidence in your academic work.
Avoid plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct.
Use AI tools appropriately – only if permitted by your module tutor, and in line with your assessment brief guidance.
Follow your department’s guidelines.
Comply with the university-wide policies outlined in the Academic Integrity FrameworkLink opens in a new window

Why does it matter?

Following academic integrity guidelines:

Builds essential skills such as research, critical thinking and communication, which are key to academic success.
Helps you develop a confident academic voice through building your subject knowledge, ideas and perspectives.
Improves your feedback - submitting original work ensures you receive feedback that will genuinely help you.
Ensures fairness - when all students submit their own work, everyone is assessed fairly.
Protects your degree - breaches of academic integrity may be considered 'academic misconduct', which can impact your grades, results and degree outcome.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism means presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own without proper acknowledgement - and it's considered academic misconduct. To avoid plagiarism: 

Reference all sources used in your academic work to show which ideas are your own and which have come from others, such as books, journals, reports etc. 
Avoid ‘self-plagiarism’ - which involves reusing your own previous work for a different assignment (unless your assessment brief allows it)  
Read, understand and follow Regulation 11Link opens in a new window which gives the official University guidelines on avoiding plagiarism.

Complete the Avoiding PlagiarismLink opens in a new window Moodle Course to learn more.

What is referencing?

Referencing is how you give credit to the sources used in your academic work - like books, journal articles, newspapers, scientific reports, webpages and more. You should reference everything you've read and used to support your ideas in your work. Correct referencing includes key details like the author, title, and publication date of each source.  

Complete the Introduction to Referencing Link opens in a new window to learn when and how to reference and understand key terms like citation and bibliography.

Why is referencing important?

It gives credit to others for their work. (If someone used your essay or project to support their own assignment you would expect them to credit you!)
It helps your reader to find the material you’ve used. 
It supports your academic arguments with reliable evidence. 
It showcases how much research and reading you’ve completed. 
It showcases which ideas are yours and which are others' - helping you to avoid plagiarism (a form of academic misconduct).

Do all students use the same referencing style?

No - referencing styles vary depending on your department and course. Common styles included Harvard, APA, MHRA and Oscola. 

Your department will confirm which style to use. Check your course handbook or your department webpages.

Taking a joint honours degree or an external module in another department?
Make sure to follow the correct style for each assignment. Always check with each of your module tutors if you’re unsure!

I know the referencing style I need to use, how can I make sure I'm referencing correctly? 

Follow the guidance in your course handbook.
Visit the library webpageLink opens in a new window for guidance on each referencing style.
Use CiteThemRight -Link opens in a new window this database gives simple and clear guidance on creating references for different source types, including AI tools, in all different reference styles

Does my department have its own Academic Integrity Guidelines? 

Alongside university-wide policies in the Academic Integrity Framework that students need to follow - (you can find more details at the bottom of the page) - each academic department has its own policies and practices concerning academic integrity, such as artificial intelligence use. These can be found on your department's webpages and course handbooks.

To understand what applies to you, check:

Your course handbook.
Your department's webpage.
Each assessment brief.

Who can support me if I have any questions?

Your module tutor or lecturer.
Your department’s Academic Integrity Lead Link opens in a new window
Your department’s Research and Academic Support Librarians -Link opens in a new window you can contact them for a one-to-one meeting. They can provide lots of support to help you find academic resources and reference them correctly.

You’re encouraged to ask questions! It’s always better to check. Getting clarity before submitting work will help you to stay within academic integrity guidelines. 

How does Artificial Intelligence relate to Academic Integrity? 

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is becoming an increasingly important part of our lives. However, students need to understand that academic integrity and artificial intelligence use is directly linked.

To make sure that you are following academic integrity guidelines, it’s essential to understand if, when and how you are able to use AI tools for each assessment. Using AI tools in an inappropriate way can be considered as academic misconduct.

Complete the Artificial Intelligence and Academic IntegrityLink opens in a new window Moodle.
This resource explains what AI is and how it works, common uses and applications, as well as considerations around ethics and potential risks. It also provides guidance on properly citing and referencing AI tools and resources in your academic work (if permitted by your assessment brief).

Key Academic Integrity Policies and Guidelines

Academic integrity policies outline how Warwick students should produce academic work to ensure good academic practice. 

Here are the key policies and guidelines in the Academic Integrity FrameworkLink opens in a new window you need to know: (you'll need to be logged into MyWarwick to access these webpages).

Regulation 11: Academic Integrity PolicyLink opens in a new window

This policy is often referred to as “Regulation 11”.
It explains what academic misconduct is and outlines the rules for submitting original work.
This policy introduces key terms related to poor academic practice and how to avoid them.
The policy covers various types of misconduct, such as: plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating - and others.
It explains the process that follows if an academic integrity breach is suspected. 
Students can also read the Academic Misconduct Sanctions Code of PracticeLink opens in a new window to understand potential consequences.

Artificial Intelligence: Institutional ApproachLink opens in a new window

These guidelines explain Warwick’s approach to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic work. 
This document highlights the importance of using AI ethically and responsibly, in line with academic integrity guidelines. 
It makes clear that specific guidance on AI use - such as whether and how it can be used for each assessment - is decided by each of your module tutors.
AI guidelines will be outlined in your assessment briefs. 
Always ask your module tutor if you're unsure.

Proofreading PolicyLink opens in a new window

This policy explains proof reading rules by outlining what counts as acceptable practice. 
Proofreading is when your academic work is checked for spelling or grammar mistakes - either by another person or an online tool.  
If you use any kind of proof-reading support, whether a professional proof reader, fellow student or friend, or a proof-reading online tool such as Grammarly, it is important to understand what they can correct or amend in your work, and what isn't allowed.
It is essential to understand and follow this policy to avoid academic misconduct.

Warwick's Research Ethics PolicyLink opens in a new window

This policy sets out the principles and standards for good research practice across all subjects and fields of study at the university. 
The Code of Practice applies to anyone undertaking research, using Warwick’s facilities, or working on behalf of the University. 
Following this policy when conducting research is key to ensure your research is ethical, responsible and aligns with university standard

Visit the Research IntegrityLink opens in a new window page to learn more about integrity, ethical approval and research misconduct.