If you have been asked to provide a written response as part of the Misconduct Investigation process, and not sure where to start, you can use some of the questions below to prompt your writing.
Prompts for writing statements
Do you admit or deny the allegations?
If you admit to them then, was this something you did intentionally/or not?
If you have seen the evidence, can you understand why the concern has been raised?
Were there any circumstances that impacted the work involved, your decision-making or academic ability?
Do you have any evidence to support any issues/circumstances you encountered?
Do you have any preparatory materials and draft work that provides evidence of your thought-processes and that the work is yours (if applicable)?
Do you understand how to reference correctly?
Did you proofread your work before submission?
Tips & Considerations
It can be difficult writing a statement and you might be unsure about what information you should include. When writing a misconduct statement, we would always advise the following:
Try to keep it factual by providing a clear timeline of events, dates and sources of evidence for what you describe
Describe the context only in relation to the impact it had on you; for example, if there were extenuating circumstances, focus on the impact this had on you – physically and mentally as well as your academic performance
If you have draft or preparatory materials, refer to these to demonstrate your knowledge of the assessment
If there may have been any circumstances that impacted the work involved or may have impacted your academic ability
Try to explain why you think there has been plagiarism flagged on the submission – where this may have come from