Definition of Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct, broadly speaking, is any action which gains, attempts to gain, or assists others in gaining or attempting to gain unfair academic advantage.  It includes plagiarism, collusion, contract cheating, and fabrication of data as well as the possession of unauthorised materials during an examination.  Every current and former student of the University is expected to understand and abide by rules of behaviour which specifically prohibit academic misconduct.  Below you can find links to further information about academic misconduct. 

All registered and formerly registered students are responsible for following the Rules of Behaviour.  Not knowing or forgetting about the rules or their consequences is not a justification for not following them. These Rules include a definition of academic misconduct here CHAPTER II - Cambridge Statutes and Ordinances, 2024 edition, page 187, and reproduced below.

‘Academic misconduct’ is gaining or attempting to gain, or helping others to gain or attempt to gain, an unfair academic advantage in formal University assessment, or any activity likely to undermine the integrity essential to scholarship and research. It includes being in possession of unauthorised materials or electronic devices during an examination, including recording or communication devices or devices that can store data, even where the Registered Student is unaware that such materials or devices are unauthorised, has no intention of using them, or is unaware that they have them in their possession. Academic misconduct also includes:

  • Plagiarism: using someone else’s ideas, words, data, or other material produced by them without acknowledgement;
  • Self-plagiarism: using the Registered Student’s own ideas, words, data or other material produced by them and submitted for formal assessment at this University or another institution, or for publication elsewhere, without acknowledgement, unless expressly permitted by the assessment;
  • Contract cheating: contracting a third party to provide work, which is then used or submitted as part of a formal assessment as though it is the Registered Student’s own work;
  • Collusion: working with others and using the ideas or words of this joint work without acknowledgment, as though it is the Registered Student’s own work, or allowing others to use the ideas or words of joint work without acknowledgment;
  • Impersonating someone or being impersonated in an examination or arranging for someone to impersonate someone else by sitting their examination;
  • Fabrication, falsification or misrepresentation of data, results or other outputs or aspects of research, including documentation and participant consent, or presenting or recording such data, etc, as if they were real; or
  • Failure to meet legal, ethical and professional obligations in carrying out research. This includes failure to follow agreed protocol if this failure results in unreasonable risk or harm to humans, other sentient beings or the environment, and facilitating of misconduct in research by collusion in, or concealment of, such actions by others. It includes any plan or conspiracy to attempt to do any of these things.

Breaches of academic misconduct will be taken forward under the Student Discipline Procedure.  Full information on the Student Discipline Procedure is available from the Office of Student Conduct, Complaints, and Appeals (OSCCA):

Discipline Regulation 7

No member of the University shall assist a candidate in any form of academic misconduct against the Rules of Behaviour for Registered Students and Formerly Registered Students.  CHAPTER II - Cambridge Statutes and Ordinances, 2024 edition