Shared my essay points with my friend

Would I get in trouble for sharing some of my points with my friend? I showed them my essay and they took one-word bullet points of some of what I said, they didn't note down any sources or anything detailed, only the name of points I explored. They also said they're gonna change it up, they just wanted to get inspiration. The essay topic is also quite niche so majority of people are bound to write about the same points but it would be detected as plagiarism.

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post

by Anonymous

Would I get in trouble for sharing some of my points with my friend? I showed them my essay and they took one-word bullet points of some of what I said, they didn't note down any sources or anything detailed, only the name of points I explored. They also said they're gonna change it up, they just wanted to get inspiration. The essay topic is also quite niche so majority of people are bound to write about the same points but it would be detected as plagiarism.

Sorry little typo I meant to ask 'would it be detected as plagiarism?'

Reply 2

University of Salford Student Rep

Official Rep

13

Original post

by Anonymous

Would I get in trouble for sharing some of my points with my friend? I showed them my essay and they took one-word bullet points of some of what I said, they didn't note down any sources or anything detailed, only the name of points I explored. They also said they're gonna change it up, they just wanted to get inspiration. The essay topic is also quite niche so majority of people are bound to write about the same points but it would be detected as plagiarism.

Hey,

Academic integrity can be a bit of a grey area when it comes to helping friends.

Generally, sharing your ideas or work with a friend can become risky, even if they only take inspiration or bullet points. Universities tend to take plagiarism and collusion seriously, and even if your friend changes the wording, Turnitin can still flag structural or conceptual similarities, especially on a niche topic where overlap is already more likely. If both essays explore the same points in a similar order, it could raise red flags, even if they didn’t copy word for word.

You’re right to be cautious. If your university uses tools like Turnitin, even a few one-word bullet points could potentially lead to similar enough content that would be flagged. In some cases, this could result in both parties being investigated for academic misconduct, which is obviously stressful and something you want to avoid.

At universities like Salford, students are encouraged to direct their peers to official study support services rather than sharing their own work. If your friend wanted help understanding the topic, it would be safer for them to use lecture slides, reading lists, or book a session with a writing or academic support team. You could also encourage them to chat through the ideas with you without giving them your written work, that way you’re supporting them without crossing any boundaries.

So, while your intentions were clearly good, it might be a good idea going forward to keep your work to yourself and help friends in a more general way. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to assessments!

Good luck 😊
Arslan – University of Salford Student Representative

Reply 3

gjd800

20

This is collusion but as to whether it'll be picked up.... who can say? Just don't do it. Learn to say 'no'.

Reply 4

LancashireRep4

Official Rep

12

Original post

by Anonymous

Would I get in trouble for sharing some of my points with my friend? I showed them my essay and they took one-word bullet points of some of what I said, they didn't note down any sources or anything detailed, only the name of points I explored. They also said they're gonna change it up, they just wanted to get inspiration. The essay topic is also quite niche so majority of people are bound to write about the same points but it would be detected as plagiarism.

Hi Anom,

It's good to be cautious when sharing work. As other commenters have stated, it's lovely to be helping a friend but plagiarism is taken very seriously. Based on what you described, I believe you should be fine as long as your friend has taken a different direction rather than directly copying your content.

As you have said it's a niche topic and everyone will be writing similar points, it's likely many essays will be similar. I wouldn't concern yourself too much right now, but refrain from sharing any further detail like sources, arguments, structure and more. These points personalise your writing, so keep this for yourself.

I hope this helps, please feel free to ask me any questions,
-Sophia (university of Central Lancashire)

Shared my essay points with my friend

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