Deception and Plagiarism

For the Faculty of Arts at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, it is of utmost importance to convey to its students from the very beginning the responsibility associated with academic work. The Regulation for Ensuring Good Academic Practice at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (“Ordnung zur Sicherung guter wissenschaftlicher Praxis an der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn”, January 12th, 2021) outlines the standards applicable to academic work at the University of Bonn.

Although the provisions of this regulation primarily pertain to advanced academic research, these guidelines are explicitly binding for students as well.

Because what applies to academics also applies equally to aspiring scholars.

Good academic practice and its techniques are integral components of the academic training of our students. Integrity in handling cited sources is the foundational principle upon which academia and research are built and is therefore expected from all students, starting from the first semester.

On this website, you will find important information on the topic of plagiarism, details on the procedure in case of suspicion, as well as additional sources and counseling services related to good academic practice and its foundation.
 

What qualifies as attempted deception and plagiarism?

As already clarified in the excerpt from the examination regulations above, an attempt at deception occurs whenever unauthorized aids are used to fulfill an exam performance, falsely presenting an independent and regular exam performance that the student has not properly completed.

You can distinguish between the following types of deception:

Scheduled Exams:

• Copying: The adoption of results from other students during an exam.

• Use of Unauthorized Aids: In exams or oral exams, e.g., books, notes, cheat sheets, electronic devices (unless otherwise specified by the examiner[1]). It is sufficient for identifying an attempt at deception if such aids are merely brought into the exam room, regardless of whether they were actually used by the student or whether they were genuinely helpful for gaining an advantage.

Term Papers and Reports:

• Data Falsification: Manipulating self- or externally collected data and research results to favor one's own research objectives.
• Ghostwriting: Submitting work created by another author on a commissioned basis under one's own name.
• Plagiarism: The wrongful adoption of texts, thoughts, insights, etc., from third parties as one's own achievement (see below).

[1] The use of permissible aids can also be considered an attempt at deception if, for example, significantly used literature is not indicated, or if text passages are taken verbatim, or if not permissible markings or additional remarks are made in allowed materials.
 

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is understood as an attempt at deception in the form of any unauthorized adoption of texts, thoughts, insights, etc., from third parties or oneself, in complete or partial form, and their representation as supposedly new, independent scientific work. In other words, any inadequately attributed adoption of someone else's thought or a previously expressed idea, whether fully or partially, is considered plagiarism. This is because it fails to convey to the reader who the actual author is or that the idea had already been developed and presented in another scholarly context. Whether plagiarism is intentional or unintentional, such as through imprecise scholarly work, it always falls under the category of deception.

Plagiarism can take various forms (the list is based on the information sheet for students on the topic of plagiarism issued by ETH Zurich in November 2008):

• Complete Plagiarism: Submitting the work of another person under one's own name.
• Self-Plagiarism: The (repeated) submission of one's own work (or excerpts thereof) for different exam purposes. If you refer to a previous exam performance in your work, it must be treated like any other source (citing is required). Additionally, obtaining written consent from examiners is mandatory for using previously submitted exam performances as part of a new one (e.g., parts of a term paper as the subject of a thesis).
• Translation Plagiarism: Submitting work in which a foreign-language text (or excerpts thereof) is translated without indicating it as a foreign text through proper citations.
• Text Plagiarism: The literal adoption of foreign texts or text passages without proper citation.
• Undisclosed Paraphrasing: The paraphrased adoption of foreign texts or text passages without proper citation.

Important: Students should be aware that institutes are equipped with plagiarism detection software, and the risk of plagiarism being discovered is very high. Every case of plagiarism is reported to the Examination Office and pursued further.
 

What happens in case of suspicion?

If an attempt at deception, as per the definitions described, has been verified by the examiners (for instance above by tracing the appropriate references or utilizing plagiarism detection software), the case is reported to the Examination Office in the form of a written statement along with the original exam (term paper, exam papers, bachelor's thesis, etc., in the corrected version along with any registration forms), the assignment, and the source references. The Examination Office thoroughly reviews the case. Subsequently, the students, upon presenting the examiners' statement and the collected evidence of plagiarism, are given the opportunity to submit their own statement within 14 days.

If after considering the student’s statement, the Examination Office concludes that an attempt at deception has been clearly proven, the grade "5.0" (not passed) is entered, and a note regarding the attempt at deception is added to the student's academic record. The relevant documents are stored in the exam file. Simultaneously, the Examination Office issues a written notice regarding the failed exam and the attempted deception ("Plagiarism Notice"). The regular remaining opportunities for repetition of the exam are preserved.

According to the regulations of the examination regulations, in particularly serious or repeated cases of deception, students may be deregistered (exmatriculation). Especially in the case of unintentional plagiarism resulting from technical errors (such as missing or incomplete citations, etc.), it is advisable to take advantage of the university's counseling services before undertaking another exam (see "How to Avoid Plagiarism?")."
 

What are the consequences of an attempted deception?

According to § 26 (1) of the BMPO 18 (or according to a similarly worded provision in other applicable examination regulations, which are always included in the following), an exam performance whose result has been 'influenced by deception or the use of unauthorized aids' is assessed as 'not sufficient' (5.0). The exam is thus considered as failed.

According to § 26 (3) of the examination regulations, in the case of “multiple or otherwise serious attempts at deception,”  after review by the examination committee, the deregistration (exmatriculation) can be ordered by the Rector.

Furthermore, § 26 (4) of the examination regulations states: “Anyone who intentionally violates a provision of these examination regulations concerning deception in exam performances acts unlawfully. The offense can be punished with a fine of up to €50,000. The competent administrative authority for the prosecution and punishment of offenses according to sentence 1 is the chancellor of the University of Bonn.”

These consequences apply to all degree programs of the Faculty of Arts, which are subject to the examination regulations for the bachelor's and consecutive master's programs of the faculty.

How can one avoid deception, plagiarism especially?

To avoid the risk of plagiarism altogether, it is crucial for students to familiarize themselves with the principles of academic work early in their studies. Learning the techniques of academic work and, in particular, citation rules is essential, as they help to clearly and securely differentiate between others' thoughts and one's own (or identify previously produced thoughts in a scholarly work).

The following offers for learning “good academic practice” are available to students of the Faculty of Arts:

Institute-specific learning opportunities

The institutes of the Faculty of Arts offer exercises, tutorials, or workshops on academic work for their students. In some institutes, these courses are mandatory, while in others, they are provided voluntary. Students should inquire about this at their respective academic advising services at the beginning of their studies.

In addition, some institutes provide guidelines for academic work. Regarding the discipline-specific citation style and other formalities, agreements with the respective examiners apply. However, these agreements should not undermine the fundamental principles of good academic work. If in doubt, please contact your program management or the Examination Office.

Additional materials and offers

Writing Lab (2014-2020)

From 2014 to 2020, the project located at the IKM department supported students with courses, workshops, and tutorials on writing. Over the course of the project, the offer expanded to include interdisciplinary (peer-to-peer) writing consultation, numerous self-learning and e-learning materials, and the "Long Night of Writing," which was launched in collaboration with the ULB. The funding of the Bonn Writing Lab through the Quality Pact for Teaching ended at the end of 2020, so the project was not continued. However, helpful materials are still available on eCampus.

Pre-course offers from the University of Bonn

Regular pre-courses on academic writing are offered by the University of Bonn. An overview of the offers can be found here (pre-courses at the University of Bonn).

Ombudsman for suspected cases of academic misconduct

The deputy ombudsman is Prof. Dr. Rainer Banse.

Further information on cplagiarism prevention will be provided here as soon as it is available. In the meantime, please use the overview of the topic on the University of Bonn's website.