This article is currently being updated and some advice might be out of date. Contact advice@luu.leeds.ac.uk if you have any questions.
I’ve been accused of plagiarism, fabricated/fraudulent coursework or malpractice what can I do?
You can read the full definitions of what counts as plagiarism here, fabricated/fraudulent coursework here and malpractice here.
If you have been accused of any of these you will be invited to a meeting with your School to discuss the allegation.
This meeting is your chance to discuss what these allegations are based on and put forward your version of events. You can also make it clear if there are any special circumstances that are relevant to the situation.
You can bring a Supporter with you who can be a friend, family member or colleague as long as they aren’t directly related to the case.
LUU Advice can help you prepare and take you through what to expect. Please contact us so we can help you present you case.
It is unlikely that we will able to be your Supporter, but in extreme cases we can try to provide support where no other supporter can be found and the case is complex.
Before you attend the meeting it is important to decide whether or not you accept the allegation.
- Remember: even if you did it accidentally, you should admit to it if you think you have committed an offence.
- If you have included other people's work in an assessment without referencing it adequately, or submitted fabricated results, you will need to remember how this happened and explain why you did this.
- If there were any special circumstances that may have caused you to act out of character or caused you to fail to use your normal approach to completing work it is important that you tell your department about these. If there is evidence, such as a Doctor's note, take it with you to the meeting.
You may find it helpful to write up a summary of your response to the allegation to take with you to the departmental meeting.