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Academic Writing: An introduction: Home

Introducing the essentials of academic writing for university students.

Referencing Guidelines

PLAGIARISM

What is plagiarism?

The word “plagiarise” comes from the Latin word plagium which means “the act of kidnapping”. Kidnapping is “snatching” or “taking furtively and illicitly that which is not your own”.

Applied to intellectual property, it is the appropriation of another’s work without proper acknowledgement.

Plagiarism Definition:  is the act of taking words, ideas and thoughts of others and passing them off as your own. It is dishonest and punishable to represent as your own ideas, words and academic work that belong to another person, whether unintentionally or deliberately.

Consequences: serious academic offence that can lead to the rejection of your dissertation or research project.

 

VUT Plagiarism Policy

  • Students are reminded that they must give credit to the sources they use.  The following are regarded as plagiarism:
  • Copying words or ideas without giving credit.
  • Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks.
  • Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation.
  • Turning in someone else’s work as your own.
  • It involves stealing someone else’s work and lying about it afterwards.

 

Turnitin

  • Turnitin is an anti-plagiarism software or originality checking software that assist detect plagiarism before submitting your work. It compares your research work against over 12 billion web pages, and millions of other books, journals, newspapers, and other student papers.
  • Once your work is loaded on Turnitin, results are returned in the form of customized originality reports. Any text matches found in Turnitin database are highlighted and linked to the source. Originality reports allow the supervisor or faculty to determine of whether plagiarism has occurred or not.
  • Students are encouraged to check their work on Turnitin before submitting.
  • Should you need training on using Turnitin, kindly contact your Faculty Information Librarian.

For more information consult VUT Higher Degrees Guide

Resources for 'Academic Writing: An Introduction'

What is academic writing? 

Academic writing refers to the style of writing used in scholarly publications, research papers, academic essays, and other formal documents within the academic community.

While academic writing plays a crucial role in advancing knowledge and fostering intellectual discourse, it also presents challenges related to complexity, time constraints, publication pressures, accessibility, and potential isolation. Balancing these pros and cons is essential for academics striving to contribute meaningfully to their field while navigating the demands of scholarly communication

 

 

 

 

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Research Assistance

VUT Library research librarians (subject information specialists) have a broad range of subject expertise and a deep understanding of the Library’s’ main print, digital collections.  Like collections, they need to be mined.  Members of the university community and researchers may request an appointment with our subject information specialists who will provide advice on defining or refining your research questions, developing a research strategy and locating and using subject specific resources.

In your research for your thesis or dissertations, our subject information specialists will:

Assist with conducting searches and delivering any information that you need in your research.

Offer individual research consultations to help with in-depth information queries and use of library resources.

Help set up alerts and RSS feeds i.e. automatic updates so researchers can receive regular information about new material and publications in their subject area/topic.

They also assist in identifying related research done in South Africa and internationally.

Keeps in contact with the postgrad students and track progress with work and encourage the client to seek and use library professional’s assistance, etc.

They bring to the process specialized skills and experience that will benefit the researcher and the supervisor.

Gives advice on repositories and open access publications in your area.

Offers guidance on the dissemination of your research i.e. publication in relevant journals based on bibliographic and bibliometric studies.

The continuously engage in partnership with various support structures to serve as the bridge between the library service, the research student, and supervisor.

Contact Your Subject Information Specialist