Will I get pulled up for plagiarism- final dissertation submission help!

royal1990

Basically, yesterday, I had a final hand in, and finally after so many weeks of hard work, stress and wanting to get it done. I did it. Admittedly not the best piece of work, and I just read through it now, after having niggles/anxieties about whether I'd plagiarised. Because I effectively rushed to get it in.

Sure enough, I noticed a passage from an NHS website I used with quote marks around it, although I completely forgot to put it in my reference list (from what I see). Stupidly enough, I have a habit of not writing the reference into my list ASAP.

So basically, I've unintentionally plagiarised my dissertation. What are the odds of my university career ending, and not getting my degree? I'm panicking, I suffer from social anxiety and depression and it is - and this submission has taken the life out of me. I would be distraught, if I got disqualified and suspended for this. I can't go back to uni since I have used all funding.

Help! :'(

Reply 1

royal1990

In my uni handbook it says whether you 'intentionally' or 'unintentionally' plagiarise- it makes no difference to the penalties the board decides.

Reply 2

EllainKahlo

As said above, they usually don't care whether you meant to do it or not. Your only saving grace is whatever software they use to check dissertations, they are all different and they work by collecting the percentage that matches other sources. As long as you're under a certain percentage, you're fine. If it's a couple of lines then it shouldn't matter. If it is paragraphs, then you might get into trouble.

Reply 3

username944192

I did this a couple of times throughout my degree but it was a sentence or two not a whole paragraph. Never got pulled up on it, didn't affect my grades. I think it will depend if your uni uses that TurnItIn software I think it's called - I don't think my uni did. We emailed essays in but I imagine someone just checked the word count. And we also handed in a hard copy for the tutor to actually mark.

Lost a few marks here and there for my referencing part but like I said nothing major.

Reply 4

driftawaay

The software only flags it up if you've plagiarized more than 10%. If you put quote marks around it, it is obvious you copied it from somewhere and just failed to reference where it is from in which case it doesnt seem like you tried to pass an idea off as your own so you should be fine.

Reply 5

driftawaay

Original post by infairverona

Every uni uses plagiarism software!

Reply 6

royal1990

I'm screwed, they use turn it in. :frown:

It was basically a short quote, surrounded by quotation marks however, upon searching my reference list, it was not there. I think I over looked it, because when I was cross checking my refs I use the find function in Word to cross check them all, and it must have escaped the find function...I had to submit a 7k document, so I guess it's a hefty document and I wasn't as thorough with it, due to rushing to meet deadline.

I dunno what I can do at this point....if I fail it, I can't afford to go back to uni, it literally is going to be a case of, they let me off....what do you think will happen?

I'm panicking like crazy....

Reply 7

shezshez

as long as youre not using swathes and swathes of blatantly copied information, you'll be fine.
If you get penalised there are procedures you can use to appeal the decision and explain.

Reply 8

royal1990

Point is, I didn't copy and paste reams of text....if I have plagiarised, it's purely unintentional and a single few words p...do you think they'd be so hasty as to fail me, or do out think they'd think twice?

They know I'm not the sort of student to do it, I've had mitigating circumstances due to anxiety/depression and this is a resist as a first sit attempt, so they know me, but will that make a jot of difference?

Reply 9

royal1990

Thing is, it's taken a lot out of me to get it in on time, my back was against the wall, and to be honest I don't feel my work was that good, certainly wasn't my best piece. I'm worried I'll fail or be pulled for it...

Reply 10

royal1990

Original post by shezshez

as long as youre not using swathes and swathes of blatantly copied information, you'll be fine.
If you get penalised there are procedures you can use to appeal the decision and explain.

Yeah I'd like to think, in an ideal world it is those that get penalised for it (those that copy and paste paras), however unfortunately, it is those whom make genuine mistakes too.

Academia is a harsh world; corporate style institutions with stiff policies (which are supposed to only catch out those who deliberately do stuff), but they instead screw us all....

Reply 11

royal1990

I can't stop worrying. Would the fact I had an 'oversight' with regards that particular ref/citation negate them not kicking me out or penalising me severely?

Basically, it was one damn quote, surrounded by quotation marks, with the (author, date), but just no entry in my reference list. Surely, anyone with half a brain would deduce this is a mistake, and at least reduce my mark as opposed to disqualify me?

I'm a third year finalist, and this is my dissertation. If they heavily penalise me my average is destroyed, and if I escape with a 2:2 that is lucky.

Tl Dr:

Is sloppy referencing, and simple oversight with referencing truly punishable? Or accepted by u is as a genuine mistake? Should it be?

I haven't deliberately committed plagiarism. I simply had a lot of stress due to anxiety and MH conditions, and little time, my back was against wall, thus it wasn't the best piece of work. But I did take time to check refs. Can't believe it though :/

Reply 12

Cate1976

The fact you've put author & date in the text means that I don't think you'll be punished for plagiarism, you might lose a couple of marks for not having the full details in your reference list. I'm wondering if it'd be worth you emailing the person marking it including the quote and giving the full details. That will mean that if turn it in flags it up, the person marking it will be able to say you've provided the details so you're not guilty of plagiarism. I don't know how strict turn it in is though, perhaps someone else knows more 7 can comment on whether my suggestion is worth trying.

Reply 13

royal1990

Original post by Cate1976

I'm not entirely sure who's marking it. However, I'll be honest, I guess it is my own fault due to my sloppy referencing, and lack of rigour in that sense, in part due to anxiety, trying to meet my final deadline with a lot of c/work to do.

I hardly copy and pasted paragraph after paragraph maliciously. Therefore intent isn't there, and I have a prior high academic attainment, with mid sixties/seventies in most written stuff.

The staff know me, and know I'm not afraid to put the work in. Thing is, it's taken a lot of energy out of me to complete it, having substantial MH difficulties, and actually this was a resit I was awarded as "a first sit", due to mitigation. I'm not sure if the penalty will be to resit at 40% or a fail completely. If I fail it I fail my degree.

Not much I can do until I hear something back- only submitted yesterday- however upon second glance I noticed the error.

Reply 14

aru12345

did you manage to pass it?

Reply 15

bvbvvbvvbvvbvbb

did you end up passing??????

did you passss????

Hello, yes I passed. They understood that I had mental health issues, and I already had an extension on my dissertation, so eventually when it came to my grade I got a 2:1.