The University takes pride in the development of your academic scholarship. We want you to develop key skills which include:

• Evidence of your independent thought.
• Critical thinking and the ability to compare other people's theories and evaluate evidence to reach your own conclusions.
• An ability to clearly reference other people's ideas and therefore implicitly show that everything else is your own.

These skills illustrate academic integrity and include the values of trust, respect, fairness and honesty in your work.

When these values are not displayed, poor academic integrity questions the quality and value of your degree. This erodes confidence in University of Bristol graduates and can harm the value of our degrees in the workplace and for acceptance into further study.

It is in your own interest to make sure the integrity of your degree is upheld.

Academic misconduct

Academic misconduct includes:

1. plagiarism
2. collusion
3. contract cheating, including the use of artificial intelligence such as chatbots

Penalties

We take academic integrity seriously and will take action if we detect any misconduct. You must be aware that if we catch you carrying out such an act there will be significant implications for you. It can result in you having:

• your mark reduced
• to redo the work for credit only
• failed units
• the incident included in future references damaging your employment prospects
• susceptibility to being blackmailed in the future by unscrupulous contract cheating companies
• to leave the University without your degree
• a delay to your academic progression or graduation while your case is investigated
• to enter the workplace unprepared due to missed knowledge, resulting in you being unable to thrive in your chosen career.

Report an incident of academic misconduct

We know most students work to the highest standards of academic integrity. 

If you are concerned about an incident of academic misconduct, speak with your personal tutor or a member of school staff that you trust. They will work with you, in confidence, to take the matter forward. Alternatively, if you prefer to speak with someone outside your school you can contact your Faculty Education Director or the Student Complaints Manager.