Investigation into possible plagiarism

[newkid]

Did anyone come across a situation where one did provide the sources and still received the plagiarism email? Cos I fail to understand what is acceptable and what is unacceptable even after providing the sources.

I've heard of people having wrote word for word and then just give the chapter/page number for an answer - to me that would be plagiarism. One person told me that they used the copy/paste function and gave the chapter/page number as it's saved time. To me that shouldn't be allowed - and i guess how does the IFoA know if you literally copy/pasted or just wrote it out letter for letter etc.
Is it fair if you save 20 mins doing that over others?

On the other hand, if you made a statement, and said as per chapter x page y, then.... i don't think that's plagiarism, and more so the correct way to reference.

Granted it's not clear, but that's how i would interpret it - otherwise there is no real point asking questions where the answers are in the notes, as in theory everyone should get them 100% right which just pushes up the pass mark.

 

[RedCoat]

I've heard of people having wrote word for word and then just give the chapter/page number for an answer - to me that would be plagiarism. One person told me that they used the copy/paste function and gave the chapter/page number as it's saved time. To me that shouldn't be allowed - and i guess how does the IFoA know if you literally copy/pasted or just wrote it out letter for letter etc.
Is it fair if you save 20 mins doing that over others?

On the other hand, if you made a statement, and said as per chapter x page y, then.... i don't think that's plagiarism, and more so the correct way to reference.

Granted it's not clear, but that's how i would interpret it - otherwise there is no real point asking questions where the answers are in the notes, as in theory everyone should get them 100% right which just pushes up the pass mark.

I think you've reached the right conclusion in the end here! Would be better for all parties if the examiners used a little more imagination and stopped asking bookwork questions in open book exams! Surely they can still write papers that test knowledge and discriminate between candidates (so that ~40% pass, as long as the cohort was of a minimum standard, just perhaps with a lower pass mark than would be the case with 10 bookwork marks) without just blatantly asking for definitions or lists from notes.

 

[Ashwin Shrivastava]

I think you've reached the right conclusion in the end here! Would be better for all parties if the examiners used a little more imagination and stopped asking bookwork questions in open book exams! Surely they can still write papers that test knowledge and discriminate between candidates (so that ~40% pass, as long as the cohort was of a minimum standard, just perhaps with a lower pass mark than would be the case with 10 bookwork marks) without just blatantly asking for definitions or lists from notes.

I concur with what newkid and RedCoat are saying. Regarding the copying and pasting, given the fact the time constraint and English not being the first language of several candidates, the incentive is to copy and paste plus providing the references rather than leaving the question blank. It should be up to the examiner to not provide full marks to the question if it is clearly copy and paste, and they have the right to assign 0 marks as well for the question if they determine it to be 100% copy and pasted but at the same time it is NOT a plagiarism issue as references were provided. My issue is exactly that, the examiner has every right to penalize and give less than full (0 marks even) at his or her discretion but it should not be considered plagiarism as all references were provided.

Regarding what IFoA should do, in my opinion, is to provide detailed examples and guidelines on what will be considered plagiarism and what will be not. Asking bookwork questions is now pointless in an open book examination. I am sure there is no lack of creativity in generating the questions.

 

[newkid]

but at the same time it is NOT a plagiarism issue as references were provided. My issue is exactly that, the examiner has every right to penalize and give less than full (0 marks even) at his or her discretion but it should not be considered plagiarism as all references were provided.

I guess that's where we disagree, and indeed if you do a search on the internet, many articles would say that is still plagiarism, even providing the reference.
Here's an example: https://www.quora.com/Is-it-still-plagiarism-if-you-list-the-source

 

[Ashwin Shrivastava]

I guess you are right, however, if the examination was in person and I memorized word to word and wrote it in the examination, this will not be an issue. Therfore, I believe IFoA should do a better job of providing more information on the issue.

 

[Ashwin Shrivastava]

I did provide all the references and still got the mail stating that you have references drawn from the ActEd material or the examiner's report.
What do they really want?
Can someone please help and advise on what they have done to successfully refute these claims?

Honestly, I am unsure of what constitutes as plagiarism and what does not. Whatever maybe the result for my investigation, I would want IFoA to provide detailed examples of what is acceptable and what is unacceptable even after providing the sources.

 

[Actuary_07]

I guess that's where we disagree, and indeed if you do a search on the internet, many articles would say that is still plagiarism, even providing the reference.
Here's an example: https://www.quora.com/Is-it-still-plagiarism-if-you-list-the-source

This applies more for published research papers, and not examination reports - where we are supposed to write answers in a limited frame of time.
Also, I fail to understand how it makes sense if say I am quoting core reading material in some of the bullets along with my own thoughts? Why would I spend extra 5 minutes in checking everything word to word and put quotation marks?
How is it an open book exam then? or how do IFoA's published guidelines make sense - where they are stating that dont write answers without giving a reference?

 

[Ashwin Shrivastava]

This applies more for published research papers, and not examination reports - where we are supposed to write answers in a limited frame of time.
Also, I fail to understand how it makes sense if say I am quoting core reading material in some of the bullets along with my own thoughts? Why would I spend extra 5 minutes in checking everything word to word and put quotation marks?
How is it an open book exam then? or how do IFoA's published guidelines make sense - where they are stating that dont write answers without giving a reference?

I concur. This is a timed examination. I believe one should not get full marks for copying and pasting, however, it should not be a plagiarism issue. The examiner has the right to allocate even 0 marks if he or she feels the candidate does not deserve any marks for it, but it should not be a plagiarism issue especially if the sources are mentioned. As per the IFoA's own website, https://www.actuaries.org.uk/studyi...-regulations/inappropriate-conduct/plagiarism, it clearly says "without clear acknowledgement". However, in my case I made all the effort to cite the sources and followed guidance provided by the same webpage on how to cite the sources.

 

[Greentea]

Does anyone know if we still get the results as normal for other exams we sat in April 2021, that aren't under review?

 

[almost_there]

We can't see any published disciplinary determination of an actuary being disciplined by IFoA for plagiarism? It's now almost a year since the accusations were first made. Why?

 

[yuli2513]

Hi,

I have some email correspondence with IFoA team before the April exam regarding how to reference correctly. Although I asked for an example of an acceptable reference, it was never given. I am not sure if this would be of help for anybody, but here it goes (cannot add a screenshot so I am typing it out here):

"Thank you for your email. As my colleague in Education Services explained, you will need to read through the essential documentation for your exams and you need to review this information. How to reference is provided in the essential information, including:

Examination Handbook Examinations Handbook page from the IFoA website (p12 onwards on open book exams) including:

You are strictly prohibited from copying and pasting, or re-typing content, word for word, from any source or multiple sources. To do so could amount to plagiarism. Such material should be used for reference purpose only. You should not copy verbatim from any materials but should use your own words.

If you are referencing external material then you should remember this should only form a very small fraction of your overall script and it needs to be relevant to the question. Large volumes of reference material will not be seen as your own response to the questions and could also be flagged as plagiarism. Our recommendation is you answer everything with your own words."

Good luck with your investigations, very sorry that honest people are put into this position, it is very concerning and I am even considering to leave the bookwork question empty if I am confident with other questions in my next exam sitting......just to avoid ending up in a stressful situation like this.

 

[Dar_Shan0209]

Hi,

Does anyone know if we still get the results as normal for other exams we sat in April 2021, that aren't under review?

I understand from a friend that your result letter would not be released until the case is concluded. Your exam history will display (H) - i.e., on hold. Once your case is concluded, the result letter is released within 24 hours if i am not mistaken.

 

[Greentea]

Hi,



I understand from a friend that your result letter would not be released until the case is concluded. Your exam history will display (H) - i.e., on hold. Once your case is concluded, the result letter is released within 24 hours if i am not mistaken.

Thanks, I meant exams that are not being investigated. i.e. I sat two exams in April, one is being investigated, the other is not.

If anyone is wondering, you *do* still get the result for the exam(s) not being investigated, as normal. i.e. 6th or 8th July depending one exam.

 

[Actuary_07]

Can anyone please help me with what one says to their employer in such a situation?
you cant be upfront about it because of the stigma attached to it, so how do you deal with it

Would appreciate honest answers from people who have been in this situation themselves, and not generic replies. Thank you!

 

[Ashwin Shrivastava]

Thanks, I meant exams that are not being investigated. i.e. I sat two exams in April, one is being investigated, the other is not.

If anyone is wondering, you *do* still get the result for the exam(s) not being investigated, as normal. i.e. 6th or 8th July depending one exam.

I got the result for the exam which was not being investigated.

 

[mavvj]

I got the result for the exam which was not being investigated.

That's good. In some exam systems, one incident can get the lot voided.

 

[mavvj]

Can anyone please help me with what one says to their employer in such a situation?
you cant be upfront about it because of the stigma attached to it, so how do you deal with it

Would appreciate honest answers from people who have been in this situation themselves, and not generic replies. Thank you!

I'm not in the situation myself so I can't give you the response you want. The following is how I've prepared for the possibility and is only useful for future sittings.

I have tackled the possibility by being upfront about it in advance. I've made sure that my line manager has known my concerns about the plagiarism rules from the start so that I have already earned support before it is actually needed. Every time they've issued guidance or changed the rules, we've talked about in one to ones and so there is a record that I have made efforts to stay in the rules but am not sure exactly what is acceptable and what isn't.

 

[Roy672]

I'm not in the situation myself so I can't give you the response you want. The following is how I've prepared for the possibility and is only useful for future sittings.

I have tackled the possibility by being upfront about it in advance. I've made sure that my line manager has known my concerns about the plagiarism rules from the start so that I have already earned support before it is actually needed. Every time they've issued guidance or changed the rules, we've talked about in one to ones and so there is a record that I have made efforts to stay in the rules but am not sure exactly what is acceptable and what isn't.

I think this is a good idea. I raised it with my employer before the exams that the rules were extremely unclear around referencing etc. In the end, I opted for making sure to just reword everything, especially the bookwork. I didn’t put one reference in the whole exam and it didn’t matter. Clearly, they’re using software to detect verbatim text and that’s all they’re really interested in. Just don’t copy and paste and make sure anything you put down isn’t too similar to the notes. I made the mistake last year of having learned the core reading so well I could type it up without even thinking about it. Now I just roughly know it to avoid accidentally “plagiarising”.

 

[Suzuki]

Hello guys,

For those of you waiting on investigations to be finalised, what does your exam history say? - mine says ‘F’ albeit without a date, though the exam results letter says ‘H’.

I know they said end of this month in email, has anyone heard any further from them? The wait is stressful!

Thanks,
Suzuki

 

[Greentea]

Hello guys,

For those of you waiting on investigations to be finalised, what does your exam history say? - mine says ‘F’ albeit without a date, though the exam results letter says ‘H’.

I know they said end of this month in email, has anyone heard any further from them? The wait is stressful!

Thanks,
Suzuki

Hi Suzuki,

Mine also says Fail, and H like yours. Don't think this means anything (yet!).

I've not heard anything further since the initial email. I don't expect to hear anything until end of July or later, but obviously the sooner the better, so fingers crossed.

 

[Suzuki]

Hi Suzuki,

Mine also says Fail, and H like yours. Don't think this means anything (yet!).

I've not heard anything further since the initial email. I don't expect to hear anything until end of July or later, but obviously the sooner the better, so fingers crossed.

Thanks for the quick response @Greentea, fingers crossed & hoping for the best for us!!