Welcome to Topic 1: Engaging with Information and Academic Research. This topic will enable you to start planning your assignments in your course. Through understanding academic integrity, referencing and research you will be better able to search for and find your sources and acknowledge them appropriately throughout the course of your studies.
In this topic, you will learn about:
- Academic Integrity
- CDU Harvard referencing of books and journals
- Searching for sources
- In-text referencing
- Reflective practice.
These relate to the Subject Learning Outcomes:
- Discuss the written, verbal, listening and non-verbal communication skills in academic, professional and intercultural settings.
- Outline the critical thinking and academic research skills required to make informed decisions.
Welcome to your pre-seminar learning tasks for this week. Please ensure you complete these prior to attending your scheduled seminar with your lecturer.
Click on each of the following headings to read more about what is required for each of your pre-seminar learning tasks
For this learning task, you will be required to post your response in the discussion forum in the thread 'Topic 1: Forum Activity 1'. You can also navigate to the forum by clicking on 'ESK100 Subject Forum' in the navigation bar for this subject.
Read p. 340 in the prescribed text, Dwyer, J 2016, Communication for business and the professions: Strategies and skills, Pearson.
Summarise this reading in three (3) to four (4) sentences in your reflective journal. Be prepared to discuss your learning during the scheduled seminar.
You can access the reflective journal by clicking on ‘Journal’ in the navigation bar for this subject.
Using the ICHM website, find and read the ICHM Academic & Research Integrity Policy. In your reflective journal, identify at least five (5) key take-outs from this policy and make a list of questions you may have. Be prepared to discuss your reflection during the scheduled seminar.
Watch this short video on ‘citing in-text and creating a reference list’. This video will help you to understand how to start a reference list and use in-text references. You will see there are many short videos on referencing, so I recommend that you bookmark this page and return to it when you have further questions about referencing.
This learning task will require you to complete your Library Information Session during orientation week. If you missed this session, you can watch the recording by clicking on My Library from the i-campus. If you missed this session, you can watch the recording and complete the forum activity 'Topic 1: Forum Activity 2'.
You will be required to post your response in the discussion forum.
Go to the Library database and use the search terms “academic integrity” AND “plagiarism” AND “paraphrasing” to find a journal article on the topic. Complete the following tasks:
- Select one (1) journal article and source your article to share in the discussion forum 'Topic 1: Forum Activity 3'
- In your post you will need to correctly cite the journal article using the CDU Harvard Referencing Guide
- Describe the key take-outs from this article, highlighting areas that you found interesting.
- After posting, read an article shared on the discussion forum and comment on at least one of your peers’ posts.
Academic Integrity
The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015 (HES Framework) defines academic integrity as ‘the moral code of academia. It involves using, generating and communicating information in an ethical, honest and responsible manner’ (Monash University 2013). Similarly, the International Centre for Academic Integrity (2014) defines academic integrity as "a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage". Through the consideration of both these definitions, academic communities translate the way in which these actions are applied which is the reason for the existence of policies relating to academic misconduct. This refers to the occurrence of a breach of academic integrity.
The most commonly found breaches during the course of study has been found to be the following (Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency [TEQSA] 2017):
- plagiarism and failures of correctly acknowledging information
- paying for another person to do an assignment also known as contract cheating
- submitting another person’s work as your own
- copying other peoples’ work is also referred to as collusion
- various forms of cheating during exams
- offering or accepting bribes
- fabrication or falsification of information.
To acknowledge the thoughts and ideas expressed by other people used within your writing, it is important that you reference them. Referencing is defined as a standardised method of acknowledging sources of information and ideas that were in your assignments (Charles Darwin University [CDU] 2019). This not only identifies the source but also allows you to meet the academic standards as required in higher education.
Why do we reference?
To make your writing more credible
Providing references that support your own opinion makes your writing more convincing. According to Neville (2007), the presentation of reliable information through facts, definitions, statistics and other data allows for the verification of the accuracy and validity of the evidence presented in your assessment. Students are encouraged to explore their own perspectives on the topic or the issue. However, the use of references is a way in which you are able to challenge existing ideas, theories and practices through the use of credible sources to build your personal web of arguments. Therefore, referencing is a way to find your own credible voice in higher education.
To avoid plagiarism
Without acknowledging when you have used the work of others suggests that the idea or words are your own. Pretending that someone else’s work is your own is called plagiarism. Merriam-Webster (2019) defines plagiarise as stealing and passing off ideas or words of another as one’s own. This means that the use of another person’s work is not acknowledged. It further indicates that literary theft has taken place with an idea or work being produced from an existing source. In Australia, it is punishable by law and is against ICHM academic guidelines!
Example
Plagiarism is considered as a serious act of academic misconduct, which includes the following:
- Word-for-word copying of sentences and whole paragraphs without indicating the origin of the information.
- Copying someone else’s answers to an assignment (whether this is only one section)
- Submitting work written by someone else
- Sharing answers or information when you have been instructed to do your own work
- Taking a ‘cheat sheet’ to an exam
- Looking at someone’s paper during an exam
- Getting the questions on an exam from students in another section of the course
- Having someone else take an exam in your place
Plagiarism violations and the corresponding levels of severity come in many forms, such as:
- If it is believed that deliberate plagiarism has occurred, a formal enquiry will be conducted. The relevant student(s) will be invited to attend a meeting or submit evidence in relation to this enquiry.
- If a student is found guilty of deliberate plagiarism, they will receive a fail grade for the work submitted. Therefore, it is the responsibility of all students to safeguard against plagiarism of their written work, assignments, electronic data and notes.
Although the nature of plagiarism may be unintentional, the resulting consequence may have enormous academic consequences. Not knowing does not justify the behaviour.
Now that you’re starting to understand plagiarism, let’s go a little deeper and look at the different types and severity of plagiarism violations. Check out this Plagiarism Severity Meter and make your way through the questions.
To develop your knowledge and ideas on the topic
For learning to take place, ideas, arguments and perspectives need to expand. This takes place as you undergo the process of researching, preparing and presenting work whether this is in class or online (in a public domain). This can be used to present what has occurred in the past, present and what it might be in the future (Neville 2007). This information can be used to develop your own opinions and to formulate your own arguments. Therefore, selecting the evidence to support your own perspective is entirely your own and can be considered as a way for you to establish credibility with the information you are presenting.
Therefore, referencing can be seen as a means of showing respect and courtesy through the acknowledgement of the work of others in your assessments. Using references allows you to show where you got your ideas from and helps other people’s research by easily finding the original sources to verify your points.
Example
The following are various types of information that need to be referenced:
- facts
- statistics
- opinions
- ideas
- graphs
- pictures
Common knowledge, however, does not need to be referenced - for example: the date of World War I.
Remember, the ICHM referencing policy states that you cannot use Lecturer PowerPoint slides as a reference. However, the references provided in the resources shared with you may be used. It is also important to remember that your assessment should contain only a maximum of 5% direct quotations and 20% paraphrasing from references.
The selection of relevant evidence is a tangible demonstration of your ability to research, your intellectual integrity and care have been taken when writing assessments (Neville 2017). Being able to accurately reference is an element considered by lecturers and can often differentiate student ability when assessments are marked. The prescribed method of referencing used by ICHM is the Harvard Author Date method (CDU), which can be accessed on the CDU website.
How do we reference?
There are two parts to referencing. The first is in the text and the second is a reference list.
In-text referencing is when you undertake referencing within the text. Minimal details are included but would usually contain the following:
- author’s surname/ name of organisation
- date
- page number (for direct quotes only)
Food costs entered the political limelight prior to the Australian 2007 federation election, with voters demanding government action to reduce prices. To honour pre-election promises, the newly elected Labour government initiated a national inquiry into grocery pricing soon after taking office (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) 2008). However, following the release of the grocery pricing inquiry and the consequent launch of the government website to monitor prices, critics considered there would be minimal, if any, impact on prices (Irvine 2008). This is partly because of international trends, with Australia not immune to global factors attributed to raising the costs of basic foods (Queensland Health 2001), and partly because the inquiry outcomes did nothing to address food costs.
Excerpt from CDU Harvard Referencing Sample Essay by CDU 2016, https://imps.cdu.edu.au/resources/ols/harvard.html
A reference list refers to a list that contains detailed information about the references you have used. It is located at the end of your work (essay or report) and is organised in alphabetical order (from A to Z). An example of a reference list is shown below.
References
Banke, R, Byzalov, D & Plehn-Dujowich, J 2014, ‘Demand uncertainty and cost behaviour’, Accounting Review, 89(3):839-855
Deegan, C 2013, Financial accounting theory, McGraw-Hill Australia.
Fletcher, R & Crawford, H 2016, International marketing: An Asia-Pacific perspective, 7th edn., Pearson Australia.
Hancock, P, Robinson, P & Bazley, ME 2014, Contemporary accounting: A strategic approach for users, 9th edn., Cengage Learning.
Linden, G & Teece, DJ 2014, ‘Managing expert talent’, in P Sparrow, H Scullion & I Tarique (eds.), Strategic talent management, Cambridge University Press, pp. 87- 116.
Nankervis, AR, Baird, M, Coffey, J & Shields, J 2013, Human resource management: Strategy and practice, 8th edn., Cengage Learning.
Excerpt from CDU Harvard Referencing Sample Essay by CDU 2016, https://imps.cdu.edu.au/resources/ols/harvard.html
It is important to take extra care with the following when creating your reference list.
- Spacing as each reference appears on a new line with double line space between each reference entry.
- Punctuation is also important. A comma is used to separate different sections.
It is important that you are able to identify the information you need to be able to reference. Each type of source may require specific information and format. For example, the author’s surname and initials, year of publication, title of the book and publisher is required when referencing a book.
You can order your reference list alphabetically with the use of a function in Microsoft word. You can do this by:
- Highlighting and selecting all your reference list entries.
- Then click on A-Z icon located in the toolbar on top of your word document.
- Recheck and make sure that there is double line space between each reference entry.
It is also important to remember that you need to remove hyperlinks from URLs by:
- Right clicking on the link
- Choose remove hyperlink from the toolbox that appears.
As you work through the topics in this subject, it will be important to refer back to the concepts discussed in this topic. Researching ideas and supporting your analysis are core skills in the higher education environment. Developing an understanding of plagiarism, contract cheating and how to reference to avoid these issues will ensure you can effectively complete your assessments as you move through your education pathway. The consequences for a breach of academic integrity are serious and can lead to a failure to pass the subject or expulsion from the course.
Knowledge check
Complete the following three (3) tasks. Click the arrows to navigate between the tasks.
Key takeouts
Congratulations, we made it to the end of the first topic! Some key takeouts from Topic 1:
- Use a range of research strategies to gain relevant sources for your assignment.
- Academic integrity is a moral code relating to the way in which information is used.
- Referencing is a standardised method of acknowledging information that allows you to show where the information came from. This is undertaken within the text and as a list at the end of your assessment.
- Using references can make your writing more credible. It allows you to validate and provide evidence to the points you are making.
- The process of researching provides you with the opportunity to develop your knowledge and ideas on the topic. It is important that notes are taken during this topic to avoid “accidental plagiarism”.
- Plagiarising occurs when information is not appropriately acknowledged which is considered a serious act of academic misconduct.
- Extra care is needed when referencing. This is essential to be able to identify and apply the appropriate format as outlined by the CDU Harvard Author Date guide.
Welcome to your seminar for this topic. Your lecturer will start a video stream during your scheduled class time, you can access your scheduled class by clicking on ‘Live Sessions’ found within your navigation bar and locating the relevant day/class or by clicking on the following link and then click 'Join' to enter the class.
Click here to access your seminar.
The learning tasks are listed below, these will be completed during the seminar with your lecturer. Should you be unable to attend, you will be able to watch the recording which can be found via the following link or by navigating to the class through ‘Live Sessions’ via your navigation bar.
Click here to access the recording. (Please note: this will be available shortly after the live session has ended.)
In-Seminar learning tasks
The in-seminar learning tasks identified below will be completed during the scheduled seminar. Your lecturer will guide you through these tasks. Click on each of the following headings to read more about the requirements for each of your in-seminar learning tasks.
- View the world map your lecturer has provided on the screen.
- Comment in the discussion thread where you are currently living or where you are from.
- Be prepared to answer some simple questions the lecturer will ask regarding your destination.
Throughout this course, you will be asked to reflect on what you have been taught, and how you have responded to it. Reflection will help you develop critical thinking skills and will be useful both in education and the world of work. Use the worksheet to understand the reflective cycle according to Gibbs (1988) so that you can post in the discussion forum more effectively.
The CDU Harvard Referencing Guide will be your most important resource for referencing throughout your studies. You will use this resource every time you write an assignment or need to reference your work so bookmark it or print out a copy.
For this learning task, read through the most current version of the CDU Harvard Referencing Guide. Complete the CDU Harvard Referencing Quiz on the website. Don’t worry if you make a mistake, you can either look back through the guide or watch some more of the short videos on their website.
For this learning task, you will be required to post your response in the discussion forum 'Topic 1: Forum Activity 4'.
Welcome to your post-seminar learning tasks for this week. Please ensure you complete these after attending your scheduled seminar with your lecturer. Your lecturer will advise you if any of these are to be completed during your consultation session. Click on each of the following headings to read more about the requirements for your post-seminar learning tasks.
Reflect on your learnings from this week and contact your lecturer if you have any questions.
How have you felt this week, in class and while doing your learning tasks? Has it been easy, challenging, inspiring, interesting? Write a short recap in your reflective journal. Share your reflection with your lecturer for further feedback.
There are two (2) parts to this learning task.
Part 1: Read the study guide and note the due dates for each assessment in your calendar.
Part 2: You will be required to post a response to the discussion in forum 'Topic 1: Forum Activity 5'.
Each week you will have a consultation session which will be facilitated by your lecturer. You can join in and work with your peers on activities relating to this subject. These session times and activities will be communicated to you by your lecturer each week. Your lecturer will start a video stream during your scheduled class time, you can access your scheduled class by clicking on ‘Live Sessions’ found within your navigation bar and locating the relevant day/class or by clicking on the following link and then click 'Join' to enter the class.
Click here to access your seminar.
Should you be unable to attend, you will be able to watch the recording which can be found via the following link or by navigating to the class through ‘Live Sessions’ via your navigation bar.
Click here to access the recording. (Please note: this will be available shortly after the live session has ended.)
- TEQSA n.d., What is academic integrity, TEQSA.
References
- Chick, N 2018, Metacognition, https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/metacognition/
- Dwyer, J 2016, Communication for business and the professions: Strategies and skills, Pearson.
- Gibbs, G 1988, Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods, Oxford Polytechnic.
- Kanar, C 2014, The confident student, 8th edn., Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
- Kruse, K 2016, The 80/20 rule and how it can change your life, https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2016/03/07/80-20-rule/#60bc7a583814
- Morgan, P 2021, The business student’s guide to study and employability, 2nd edn., SAGE Publishing.
- Open Learn 2018, What is reflective thinking?, https://www.open.edu/openlearn/ocw/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=51386§ion=2
- The University of Edinburgh 2019, Gibbs’ reflective cycle, https://www.ed.ac.uk/reflection/reflectors toolkit/reflecting-on-experience/gibbs-reflective-cycle
- University of New South Wales Sydney 2018, Listening note taking strategies, https://student.unsw.edu.au/note-taking-skills
- University of New South Wales Sydney 2015, Critical thinking, https://student.unsw.edu.au/critical-thinking
