Academic Integrity at Johnston Institute
At Johnston Institute, we are committed to fostering a culture of honesty, fairness, and respect in all academic work. Academic integrity means producing your own work, acknowledging the ideas of others, and acting responsibly as a member of our learning community.
Maintaining academic integrity is essential to protecting the value of your qualification, ensuring fairness, and upholding our reputation as a higher education provider.
What is Academic Integrity?
Academic integrity is about engaging in learning and assessment in an ethical and honest way. It requires:
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Completing your own work without cheating or misrepresentation.
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Correctly acknowledging sources of information, ideas, and words.
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Using technology, including artificial intelligence, responsibly and only when permitted.
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Collaborating appropriately without collusion.
What is Academic Misconduct?
Academic misconduct occurs when students act dishonestly to gain an unfair advantage. Examples include:
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Plagiarism – using someone else’s words or ideas without proper acknowledgement.
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Cheating – breaking assessment rules, falsifying data, or using prohibited materials.
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Collusion – working with others to produce work that should be done individually.
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Contract cheating – submitting work completed by another person or service.
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Unauthorised use of AI tools – presenting AI-generated work as your own without approval or acknowledgement.
How Johnston Institute Supports Integrity
To help students understand and maintain academic integrity, we provide:
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Turnitin and AI-detection tools to check assessments.
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Workshops and resources explaining plagiarism, referencing, and proper use of sources.
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Assessment Declaration forms confirming that submitted work is your own.
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A learning environment that promotes ethical scholarship.
What Happens if Academic Misconduct is Suspected?
Allegations are handled fairly, confidentially, and in line with our Academic Integrity and Misconduct Procedure. Outcomes depend on the seriousness of the breach:
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Minor breaches (e.g., Plagiarism due to poor referencing ) may result in a warning, resubmission, or mark reduction.
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Moderate breaches (e.g., repeated plagiarism, use of AI for a large part of an assignment) – may result in failing an assessment or subject.
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Major breaches (e.g., contract cheating, deliberate large-scale plagiarism) may result in failing the unit, suspension, or termination of enrolment.
Students have the right to be heard, to bring a support person, and to appeal decisions under the Student Complaints and Appeals Policy.
Why Academic Integrity Matters
By acting with integrity, you:
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Protect the value of your qualification.
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Build trust with peers, staff, and future employers.
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Develop the skills of critical thinking, originality, and problem-solving that are essential in your career.
For full details, please refer to the Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy.