1.

All work for classes and seminars as well as scripts (which include, for example, essays, dissertations and any other work, including computer programs) must be the student's own work. Quotations must be placed properly within quotation marks or indented and must be cited fully. All paraphrased material must be acknowledged. Infringing this requirement, whether deliberately or not, or passing off the work of others as the work of the student, whether deliberately or not, is plagiarism.

2.

The definition of a student's own work includes work produced by collaboration expressly allowed by the department or institute concerned or, at MPhil/PhD level, allowed under the Regulations for Research Degrees. If the student has not been given permission, such work will be considered to be the product of unauthorised collusion and will be considered as plagiarism under these regulations.

3.

Students should also take care in the use of their own work. A piece of work may only be submitted for assessment once. Submitting the same piece of work twice will be regarded as an offence of 'self-plagiarism' and will be considered under these regulations. However, earlier essay work may be used as an element of a dissertation, provided that the amount of earlier work used is specified by the department and the work is properly referenced.

4.

Each department and institute is responsible for instructing students on the conventions required for the citation and acknowledgement of sources in its discipline. The responsibility for learning the proper forms of citation lies with the individual student.

5.

The LSE's Statement on editorial help for students' written work sets out what the School considers is and is not permissible by way of editorial help with their written work. Contravention of the statement, whether deliberately or not, is plagiarism.

6.

Introduction
These regulations apply to allegations of plagiarism against any student. The offence of plagiarism can take place in any work, though these regulations cover only alleged plagiarism in draft MPhil/PhD work and in assessed work submitted in connection with the requirements for an LSE award. Allegations of plagiarism against a student that are outside these regulations, for example in formative work or work submitted in connection with external publications, may be considered under the Disciplinary Regulations for Students. (See http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/policies/pdfs/school/disProStu.pdf)

7.

In these regulations the following definitions apply:

7.1

script means work of any kind submitted for assessment or opinion by staff of the School, including material submitted for upgrade to PhD status;

7.2

examination board means the body of examiners that initially considers the work of the student;

7.3

award means the result decided by an examination board in any course or programme, howsoever expressed;

7.4

source means the published primary and secondary material from any source whatsoever, and includes information and opinions gained directly from other people, including students and tutors;

7.5

year means the academic session in which a proven offence was committed.

8.

If a student infringes these regulations he/she will be liable to action under these regulations or under the Disciplinary Regulations for Students.

All action under these regulations, whether by the student or by the School, should be conducted promptly.

9.

Where the allegation is of plagiarism in draft MPhil/PhD work, any member of the School may make the allegation to the Head of the department or institute concerned. The Head may depute to a senior member of the department or institute any actions and decisions within this part of the regulations

10.

The Head/deputy shall seek such evidence and advice as he/she may think necessary in order to investigate the allegation of plagiarism properly. On the basis of that evidence and advice he/she will determine whether there is sufficient cause for the student to be required to answer an allegation of plagiarism. The Head/deputy will either:

10.1

immediately dismiss the allegation, in which case no record of it shall be kept on the student's file, or

10.2

 present the whole allegation in writing to the student concerned and conduct an interview with him/her, where practicable in the presence of an officer of the Students' Union, during which the student shall have the opportunity to respond to the allegation. A formal record will be kept of the interview.

11.

 Having interviewed the student:

11.1

if the Head/deputy finds the allegation unproved, he/she shall direct that no further action be taken, and no record of the allegation or the proceedings be included on the student's record.

11.2

if the Head/deputy finds the allegation proved, he/she will have the power to impose one or more of the following penalties:

11.2.1

admonition of the student;

11.2.2

requiring the submission of a reasonable amount of further written work;

11.2.3

referring the case to the Secretary of the School for action under the Disciplinary Regulations for Students, for example if the offence relates to external publication;

11.2.4

causing a record of the case to be placed on the student's file held by the Academic Registrar.

12.

The Head/deputy will inform the student in writing of his/her decision under Regulations 10 and 11.

13.

The student will have the right to appeal against the Head/deputy's decision under 11.2.1 and 11.2.2 on the following grounds:

13.1

that the investigation and/or interview was conducted in such a way as to cast doubt on the Head/deputy's impartiality; or

13.2

that relevant fresh evidence has been received that might have caused a different decision to have been made, provided the student can show that it was neither reasonable nor practical to have presented the evidence to the Head/deputy before his/her decision.

Appeals must be received in writing by the Academic Registrar within ten working days of the date of the letter sent under Regulation 12.

14.

The Chair of the Research Degrees Sub-Committee will have the sole right of determining whether the student has presented sufficient grounds to warrant re-opening the matter. If he/she so decides, it will be open to him/her either:

14.1

to change the penalty decided by the Head/deputy in the light of fresh evidence provided under 13.2 to one which in his/her opinion is less serious; or

14.2

to direct a new interview to be conducted under Regulation 10.2 in light of an appeal under either of Regulations 13.1-13.2. In this case the Head/deputy who conducted the first interview will not be involved in the second.

15.

If the appeal is dismissed, a completion of procedures letter will be issued, at which point it will be open to the dissatisfied student to take his or her case to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.

16.

Where the allegation is of plagiarism in work submitted in connection with the requirements for an award, any member of the School may make the allegation to the Head of the department or institute concerned. Where an examiner intends to make an allegation, he/she should consult any internal co-examiner(s) of the work concerned before contacting the Head. The Head may depute to a senior member of the department or institute any actions and decisions within this part of the regulations.

17.

The Head/deputy will consult an external examiner and will also seek such evidence and advice as he/she may think necessary, which may include interviewing the student(s) concerned. Where practicable, such interviews should be conducted in the presence of an Officer of the Students' Union. A formal record will be kept of the interview.

18.

On the basis of the evidence and advice collected under Regulation 17, the Head/deputy shall determine whether there is sufficient cause for the student to be required to answer a formal allegation of plagiarism. The Head/deputy shall either:

18.1

dismiss the allegation, in which case no further reference shall be made to it and no information about it shall be added to the student's file, or

18.2

(subject to the provision set out at Regulation 25) present the allegation formally and in writing to the student, specifying the passages of any script thought to be affected and where practicable including the suspected sources.

19.

If, in the opinion of the Head/deputy, the nature of the formal allegation is such that if proved it would result in no, or a very small, amendment to the decision of the examination board and there is no other justification for further time being spent on the allegation, then he/she may invite the student to consent to a disposal under this regulation. If the student consents, a note will be placed on his/her file held by the Academic Registrar identifying that the offence was alleged and considered. The tutor or supervisor may counsel the student as to his/her future behaviour. The examination board shall be informed of the decision: if the student's final result is borderline, it shall be entitled to take any possible advantage gained from the allegation into account. If the student does not so consent, the allegation shall be heard by an Assessment Misconduct Panel set up under these regulations.

20.

It will be open to the Head/deputy to assign a zero mark for the script in which the alleged offence occurred if:

20.1

the alleged offence occurs in assessed coursework comprising 25% or less of the final course mark, and

20.2

in the view of the Head/deputy negligence is the cause of the offence, and

20.3

the student agrees in writing to this penalty.

If all these conditions are satisfied, a note shall be placed on his or her file held by the Academic Registrar identifying the allegation made and recording that the matter was resolved under this regulation.

21.

Any allegation resolved under Regulation 19 will not be subject to further action under these regulations.

22.

Except where Regulations 18-20 apply, the Head/deputy will inform the Academic Registrar who will refer the allegation to an Assessment Misconduct Panel set up under these regulations.

23.

An Assessment Misconduct Panel shall comprise four members. The Chair of the Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies, or Research Degrees Sub-Committee, as appropriate, will normally chair the Panel unless excluded from membership because of previous connection with the assessment in question or with the allegation: in which case the Vice-Chair of the relevant Sub-Committee will chair it. Two academic members of the relevant Sub-Committee and a sabbatical officer of the Students' Union will also serve on the Panel as members.

No person directly involved in the assessment in question or connected in any way with the allegation or the student will serve as a member when the Panel considers a case. The Academic Registrar will appoint a secretary to the Panel. All relevant documentation will be placed before the Panel.

24.

The role of the Panel is:

24.1

to decide whether the allegation of plagiarism has been proved to the satisfaction of a majority of Panel members, on the balance of the evidence presented to them, and

24.2

where the allegation is found proved, to apply a penalty from the list set out in Regulation 42.

25.

The Panel is quorate when three of its members are present, one of whom must be the Chair

26.

Any action under Regulations 17 and 26-46, including for the avoidance of doubt notifying the student of the allegation, will normally be delayed if the student is sitting any examinations within four weeks from when the allegation would have been put to him/her. The due date for submitting a dissertation or long essay shall be regarded as the date for sitting an examination for the purposes of this regulation. This regulation does not apply to any action taken under Regulation 18.

27.

The secretary to the Panel shall:

27.1

send the student a copy of the allegation and any relevant documents that provide evidence in support of it, a copy of these procedures and a proposed timetable for progressing the matter,

27.2

invite the student to state whether the allegation is true or false and to provide a statement and/or any evidence relevant to the case, giving a time limit of not less than five working days for him/her to respond, and

27.3

advise the student to seek advice from the Students' Union and (if an undergraduate) from the Academic Adviser or Departmental Tutor or (if a graduate student) from the Academic Adviser or Programme Director or (if a research student) from the Supervisor or Doctoral Programme Director.

28.

If the student admits the allegation, the secretary to the Panel shall ask him/her for any written observations that would help the Panel in deciding the action to be taken.

29.

If the student denies the allegation and submits a statement and/or evidence in response, the secretary to the Panel shall pass the student's submissions to the Head/deputy who has taken action under Regulations 16-18 who may provide a written response within ten working days for consideration by the Panel.

30.

All submissions received under Regulation 27.2 and/or 28, and 29, will be made available to the Panel.

31.

A meeting of the Panel will normally be called to consider the allegation. The only exception to this requirement will be by approval of the Deputy Director (Teaching and Learning), if, for example, the student has provided medical evidence indicating that participation in a formal hearing would clearly be contrary to the School's mental health policies or mental health legislation and both the department/institute concerned and the student agree to a mark of zero for the course: in which case the allegation shall be resolved at departmental or institute level.

32.

The secretary to the Panel shall:

32.1

inform the student of the date on which the hearing is to take place at least five working days beforehand (though the student is entitled to waive this period of notice), of the membership of the Panel, of any witnesses who will attend, and of his/her right to call witnesses;

32.2

provide the student with a copy of any response received under Regulation 29 and any other material that the Panel will consider;

32.3

invite the student to attend the hearing of the allegation and to make representations, present evidence and question any witnesses;

32.4

inform the student that he/she may be accompanied or represented on the conditions set out in Regulation 34; and

32.5

inform the student that he/she may submit additional written submissions and other forms of evidence to the Panel as long as these are received by the secretary at least two working days before the Panel hearing. Evidence submitted later will only be considered by agreement of the Panel Chair.

33.

The Head/deputy who has taken action under Regulations 16-18 is normally responsible for attending the hearing and presenting the case against the student. He/she will have the rights to submit documents and other forms of evidence to the Panel (subject to the timeframe and terms set out in Regulation 32.5), to see or to listen to, as appropriate, all evidence given, to question the student and other witnesses appearing before the Panel, and to challenge evidence submitted by the student.

34.

The student may be accompanied by an officer of the Students' Union or by a friend or representative. In this event, he/she shall inform the secretary to the Panel of the background and professional qualifications of the friend or representative at least five working days before the date set for the hearing.

35.

Where the student has indicated that he/she is to be represented, the Academic Registrar may recruit a representative to assist the School at the hearing. The representative may attend the hearing either to accompany the person presenting the case or to present the case on his/her behalf.

36.

The student will have the rights to submit documents and other forms of evidence to the Panel (subject to Regulation 32.5), to see or to listen to, as appropriate, all evidence given, to question the person presenting the case and other witnesses appearing before the Panel, and to challenge evidence. The student's friend or representative may attend the meeting either to accompany the student or to respond to the allegation.

37.

The Panel may adjourn the hearing to seek other evidence to help it in reaching its decision. Independent expert evidence may be obtained and introduced by either party, including on the use of IT hardware or software, as long as it is received by the secretary at least two working days before the Panel hearing. Any evidence requested by the Panel shall be disclosed to the student and the person presenting the case, who shall each be given the opportunity to comment upon it. Where a hearing has restarted, its membership shall be as originally appointed; no substitutes or replacements will be allowed except in exceptional circumstances.

38.

The student and his/her representative, any person presenting the case, any person who attended the initial hearing under Regulation 35, and witnesses are entitled to attend the return hearing. The student and the person presenting the case are also entitled to serve further evidence and/or written submissions in response to any new evidence to be considered by the Panel, as long as these are received by the secretary at least two working days before the re-start of the hearing.

39.

The validity of the proceedings of the Panel will not be affected by the unwillingness or inability of the student, or other person acting with or for him/her, to reply to questions, orally or in writing, or to appear before the Panel. Before considering an allegation in the absence of the student, the Panel must satisfy itself that the secretary to the Panel has fulfilled Regulations 27 to 32 and that the student has had a reasonable opportunity to respond. Where the Panel concludes that the student or his/her representative is unwilling to reply to a question or questions, it may draw reasonable inferences from that refusal.

40.

The Panel may meet in private, with its secretary in attendance, when it wishes, provided that in such meetings it does not hear evidence. When the hearing of the evidence has been completed the Panel will meet in private, with its secretary in attendance, to make its decision.

41.

Having conducted the hearing:

41.1

if the Panel decides that the allegation has not been proved, it shall direct that no further action be taken, and no record of the allegation or the proceedings be included on the student's record. The Academic Registrar will inform the student in writing;

41.2

if the Panel decides that an offence against these regulations has been committed by the student, it shall apply one of the penalties listed at Regulation 42, in each case with a formal admonition to the student and a note being placed on his/her record. In doing so it shall seek to reflect the seriousness of the offence, and may take into account any previous assessment offences committed by the student. In reaching its decision the Panel will be mindful of the need of the School to assure the highest standards among its students.

42.

The penalties available to the Panel are:

42.1

(all students) that, despite the allegation being upheld, no penalty be incurred and that a mark be returned for the script in question, or

42.2

(undergraduate and taught graduate students) that the student be awarded a zero mark, either for the assessed script or for the course as a whole, with the right to re-submit the script or re-sit the course in the following year subject to degree regulations, or

42.3

(undergraduate and taught graduate students) that the student be awarded a zero mark for the course as a whole and a zero mark for one or more other courses taken that year, with the right to re-sit all courses in the following year subject to degree regulations, or

42.4

(undergraduate students) that the student be awarded a zero mark for the course as a whole and be denied the right to re-sit it or an equivalent course;

42.5

(undergraduate and taught graduate students) that the student be awarded a zero mark for all courses taken that year, or for all courses taken that year and in one, two or all previous years, and also be expelled from the School, or

42.6

(PhD students) that the student be awarded an MPhil degree, and that he/she be denied the right of re-submission or right of appeal save as set out in Regulation 43 below, or

42.7

(PhD or MPhil student) that the student not be awarded any degree, and that he/she be denied the right of re-submission or right of appeal save as set out in Regulation 43 below, and that he/she also be expelled from the School.

43.

If plagiarism is discovered after graduation, the student's degree may be revoked and he/she will be subject to one of the penalties set out at Regulation 42 (following the procedure set out in the appropriate regulations arising out of the School's bye-laws).

44.

The decisions of the Panel under Regulations 41-42 shall where practicable be given to the student orally by the chair of the Panel and will be conveyed to him/her in writing by the secretary to the Panel. The secretary to the Panel will also send to the student the report of the Panel.

45.

Where a Panel has decided that an offence against these regulations has been committed by the student, he/she will have the right to appeal against that decision on the following grounds:

45.1

that the Panel was constituted in such a way that it was not impartial, and/or

45.2

that there has been a material breach of these procedures that affected the fairness of the Panel's decision, and/or

45.3

that relevant fresh evidence has been received that might have caused a different decision to have been made, provided the student can show that it was neither reasonable nor practical to have presented the evidence to the Panel before its decision.

Any such appeal must be received by the Academic Registrar within ten working days of the date of the letter sent under Regulation 44.

46.

A Pro-Director shall have the sole right of determining whether the student has presented sufficient grounds to warrant reopening the hearing. It will be open to a Pro-Director considering an appeal to consult the Panel Chair who heard the case in question, if necessary. If he/she so decides, it will be open to him/her either:

46.1

to change the penalty decided by the Panel in the light of fresh evidence provided under 45.3 to one which in his/her opinion is less serious, or

46.2

to direct a rehearing by a different Panel constituted under Regulation 23 in the light of an appeal under any of Regulation 45.1-45.3, or

46.3

to reject the appeal on the basis that the student has not presented sufficient grounds to warrant reopening the hearing.

47.

If the student does not appeal, or appeals unsuccessfully, he/she will receive final confirmation of the penalty and an explanation about its impact on his/her status with the School in a letter from the Academic Registrar. The consideration of an appeal against the decision of a Panel under these regulations will complete the procedures open to the student within the School. It will then be open to the student to take his/her case to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.