What is academic integrity?
Academic integrity means being honest, responsible, and fair in your studies. It’s about producing your own work, giving proper credit when you use other people’s ideas, and following the rules for assessments and exams. By practising academic integrity, you show respect for your learning, your lecturers, and your fellow students.
Remember, referencing correctly, avoiding plagiarism or collusion, and using approved study methods all help protect the value of your degree and the reputation of our university.
Learn more about how to study with integrity at: my.napier.ac.uk/academic-integrity
Essay mills and content writers
Essay mills and content writers are sophisticated and manipulative in their attempts to attract students and can appear to have been endorsed by the University, which they are not. There are many cases across the sector of such services threatening to blackmail students, leading to significant academic, professional and personal consequences.
Don’t let this happen to you - if you receive an email from an unknown account offering services regarding academic dishonesty, please use the 'report message' button in your email to report as spam and then delete the email. Do not click on any links as they may be a security risk.
If you feel you are already a victim, please let us know as soon as possible via your PDT or programme leader, or through seeking support from ENSA Advice or our Keep on Track team.
Blackmail
The University is committed to ensuring that no student experiences blackmail, regardless of any involvement in cheating or engagement with content writing services. It is important to note that these content writers and essay mills frequently exploit students by demanding additional payments. This practice, known as contract cheating, involves threatening to report students to the university for utilising their services, whether they are current students or graduates.
Do not allow yourself to be blackmailed. If you find yourself in the situation of being blackmailed, or threatened with blackmail, it is important you contact Report and Support or ENSA as soon as possible. By doing so the university will be able to offer you support and guide you on next steps, which may involve contacting Police Scotland for their advice. Whilst you may still be investigated for an academic integrity breach, this will be treated as a secondary concern to safeguarding your wellbeing and coming forward proactively will be taken into consideration.
What other support is available if I’m worried about breaching academic integrity?
·The Academic Skills team offers workshops, resources and one-to-one guidance on notetaking, referencing, managing sources and avoiding common integrity pitfalls.
·The Edinburgh Napier University Students’ Association (ENSA) provides independent advice if you are facing an academic conduct or integrity concern.
·The academic integrity Moodle module can help you understand what constitutes fair academic work and how to produce it effectively.