Faculty of Social Sciences

Policy and Procedures for Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the unauthorized use of thoughts, ideas or writings of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work. It is a very serious academic offence and will always lead to sanctions.

When Plagiarism is Suspected

When an instructor or supervisor encounters a case of possible plagiarism, s/he consults the Head of Department.

The Head of Department will then review the case and evidence. The student will be informed and summoned for a hearing.

In the event the Head of Department determines that no academic offence has occurred, the case will be closed and both the student and the instructor/supervisor will be notified of the decision.

Sanctions in the Event of Plagiarism

In the event the Head of Department determines that an academic offence has occurred, the following course of action will be taken:

1. The Head of Department will decide on an appropriate course of action and sanctions. Possible sanctions include (one or more may be applied):

- The student will be a given a fail grade for his/her work (e.g. essay, seminar work or other written assignment).

- The student will have to write a new work on a new topic.

- A waiting period will be applied, during which the student will be prohibited from completing the course or study unit in question.

2. The Dean of the Faculty will always be informed and will decide upon further course of action. Depending on how serious the offence is, the Dean will summon the student for a hearing or will file him a notice in writing.

3. In the event of a very serious offence, e.g. concerning a thesis, the dean will notify the Rector of the University who will decide upon the disciplinary procedure under article 10 of the Finnish University Law and article 20 of the Finnish University Regulation. The Rector can suspend the student for a fixed period of time.

4. In case of exchange and visiting students, the home university of the student will always be informed of the offense.