Academic integrity

What you need to know

You’ll learn about academic integrity and build your skills and academic practice throughout your studies. To support this, you can join workshops and tutorials run by the University Library and the Centre for Academic Writing (CAW). One key session is ‘Academic Integrity: A Fundamental Introduction’, book your place now.

All academic work builds on the work of other people. You must clearly show which parts are your own and which come from other sources by using proper referencing. See referencing sections below.

The University uses software to check your work for originality. You may also use these tools to check your drafts before submission. Computer software is used to systematically check students’ submissions of work for originality and authenticity. Learn how to interpret the results.

Breaches of academic integrity

A breach happens when a student tries to gain an unfair advantage in their work or helps someone else to do so. This includes plagiarism, collusion, contract cheating, and using unauthorised materials

If there’s evidence of a breach, you’ll be invited to an academic conduct meeting. You’re strongly advised to contact Your Students’ Union Advice Centre for support.

The University investigates all allegations under its Academic Conduct procedures. The most serious penalty is expulsion. Proven breaches stay on your record permanently and may affect future references or professional registration. If misconduct is discovered after graduation, your award may be withdrawn.

The list of academic integrity can be found in paragraph 1.6.1 General Regulations.

Your role

You’re expected to protect integrity of the assessment process and observe high personal standards of academic honesty and integrity in your studies. Follow academic conventions, attend training and ask for help if you’re unsure. You should report any suspected misconduct confidentially to integritythreats@coventry.ac.uk.

We give you opportunities to learn and grow in your academic practice. We provide clear guidance and support to help you follow current academic standards. By engaging with the training and advice available, you’ll deepen your understanding of your subject, improve the quality of your work, and show that you’ve achieved the learning outcomes. Following the academic process helps you produce consistent, well-structured work that reflects your progress and development.

Acknowledging sources in academic writing

Gathering information from your reading and other sources is an essential part of academic writing. You must always cite and reference these sources correctly using the required style. Building on existing research, ideas and concepts is good academic practice, but you must show which ideas are yours and which come from others. Whenever you use information from other sources you must:

1. add an in-text citation of the source in the body of your writing
2. include a full reference in your reference list at the end of your document.

Why cite and reference?

Citing and referencing shows that you’ve read widely, understood key ideas, and can build your own thinking on trusted sources. It’s a core part of academic writing and helps you:

• Show your tutors that you’ve engaged with relevant materials and have understood their impact.
• Build your ideas on respected work in your discipline.
• Make your writing scholarly and credible, illustrating your research skills and ability to follow academic standards.
• Demonstrates intellectual honesty by clearly showing which parts are your own and which are borrowed, highlighting the originality of your work.
• Help readers to find the sources you’ve used – and help revisit them later.

Get help with referencing

You can find full guidance on referencing styles is available through the Library’s online guides or in person at the University Library and from the Centre for Academic Writing (CAW).

For one-to-one support, please contact:

• Academic Liaison Librarian
• Centre for Academic Writing

You can also book to attend the following workshops:

• ‘APA Referencing’, ‘OSCOLA Referencing’, and ‘Introduction to RefWorks’ 
• ‘Using Sources Effectively: Avoiding Plagiarism in your Writing’, and ‘Academic Integrity: A Fundamental Introduction’.