The University has Regulations defining and proscribing cheating in examinations and assessed work. In these Regulations 'cheating' means:

an attempt to benefit oneself or another, by deceit or fraud. This shall include deliberately reproducing the work of another person or persons without acknowledgement. A significant amount of unacknowledged copying shall be deemed to constitute prima facie evidence of deliberation, and in such cases the burden of establishing otherwise shall rest with the candidate against whom the allegation is made.

It is certainly the case that the internet has made plagiarism easier, but be aware that it has also made it easier to detect.

You are expected to be aware of the Regulations related to cheating and abide by them: a copy is is available in the Calendar. You will see from these regulations that the penalties can be severe, for example submitting a laboratory report for assessment that is not one's own work could result in a mark of zero for the complete laboratory module. You should be aware that helping someone else to cheat (e.g. by providing the laboratory report) will also be penalised. Please follow the link to see the Department's policy on handling suspected cases of plagiarism.

In each of the last three years penalties were exacted for submitting the work of another for assessment, and for assisting by providing the work that was submitted. One area where students are often unclear about where they stand relates to the weekly problems in year one and any assessed work associated with other modules. We encourage you to work with others on solving these problems as it is a good aid to learning, however you should write out your solution yourself away from your colleagues and not simply copy someone else's solution

Plagiarism