Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the foundation of all scholarly work. It means presenting your own ideas honestly, giving credit to the sources that have informed your thinking, and never submitting another person's work as your own. At Year 11, understanding academic integrity prepares you for HSC assessments and tertiary study.

Plagiarism — whether intentional or accidental — undermines the value of your work and can result in serious academic consequences. Proper referencing is not just a rule to follow; it demonstrates your ability to engage with a scholarly community and build arguments on the foundation of existing knowledge.

Plagiarism

Using someone else's words, ideas, or data without acknowledgement — including paraphrasing without citation.

Collusion

Presenting jointly developed work as if it were your individual effort, without teacher permission for collaboration.

Proper Attribution

Citing all sources clearly and consistently, using an accepted referencing system like Harvard or APA.

Harvard and APA Referencing

Two of the most common referencing systems used in Australian schools and universities are Harvard (author-date) and APA (American Psychological Association). Both use in-text citations paired with a reference list, but they differ in formatting details.

Harvard Style

In-text: (Smith 2023, p. 45)

Reference list: Smith, J 2023, The Art of Analysis, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

APA Style (7th edition)

In-text: (Smith, 2023, p. 45)

Reference list: Smith, J. (2023). The art of analysis. Oxford University Press.

Key Tip: Always check which referencing style your teacher or assessment task requires. Consistency within one style is more important than choosing the "best" style.

Evaluating Sources

Not all sources are equal. At HSC Advanced level, you must be able to critically evaluate the reliability, authority, currency, and relevance of sources before incorporating them into your work. The CRAAP test provides a useful framework for this evaluation.

Currency: When was the source published? Is the information up to date for your topic?

Relevance: Does the source directly address your research question or argument?

Authority: Who is the author? What are their credentials and institutional affiliations?

Accuracy: Is the information supported by evidence? Can it be verified by other sources?

Purpose: Why was the source created? Is it informing, persuading, selling, or entertaining?

Key Vocabulary

Plagiarism

Using another person's words, ideas, or data without proper acknowledgement, presenting them as your own original work.

In-text Citation

A brief reference within the body of your essay (usually author and year) that directs the reader to the full reference in your reference list.

Paraphrase

Restating another person's ideas in your own words. Paraphrasing still requires a citation because the idea originated elsewhere.

Peer-Reviewed Source

A publication that has been evaluated by experts in the field before publication, ensuring quality, accuracy, and scholarly rigour.

Worked Examples

Study correct referencing and source evaluation in practice.

Example 1: Direct Quotation (Harvard)

In your essay: As Grenville (2005, p. 112) argues, "the act of writing is always an act of imposing order on chaos."

In your reference list: Grenville, K 2005, The Writing Book: A Practical Guide for Fiction Writers, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.

Note: Direct quotations require a page number. The author's name can appear in the sentence or in parentheses.

Example 2: Paraphrase (APA)

In your essay: Research suggests that reading widely is the single most effective strategy for improving writing quality (Graham & Perin, 2007).

In your reference list: Graham, S., & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents. Alliance for Excellent Education.

Note: Paraphrases do not require page numbers in APA, but including them is good practice for longer sources.

Example 3: Evaluating a Source

Source: A blog post by an anonymous writer titled "Why Shakespeare Is Overrated."

Evaluation: Authority — anonymous, no credentials provided. Accuracy — claims are unsupported by evidence. Purpose — appears to be opinion/entertainment rather than scholarly analysis. Verdict: Not suitable as an academic source. You could, however, reference it as an example of popular discourse about Shakespeare if your argument requires it.

Knowledge Check

Test your understanding of research skills and referencing.

Question 1

Which of the following constitutes plagiarism?

Quoting a source with proper citation Paraphrasing an idea without citing the original author Expressing your own original opinion Including a reference list at the end of your essay

Question 2

In Harvard referencing, what information is included in an in-text citation for a direct quotation?

Full bibliographic details Title and publisher only Author, year, and page number Website URL only

Question 3

What does the "A" for "Authority" in the CRAAP test ask you to evaluate?

How recently the source was published Whether the source is relevant to your topic How long the source is Who wrote the source and what their credentials are

Question 4

What is a "peer-reviewed" source?

A publication evaluated by experts in the field before publication A source reviewed by your classmates Any source found on a university website A newspaper article about a topic

Question 5

Why is consistency in referencing style important?

It is not important — you can mix styles freely It demonstrates attention to detail, scholarly rigour, and makes sources easy for the reader to locate It only matters in university, not in Year 11 It makes the essay longer

Research Skills and Referencing

Academic Integrity

Plagiarism

Collusion

Proper Attribution

Harvard and APA Referencing

Harvard Style

APA Style (7th edition)

Evaluating Sources

Key Vocabulary

Worked Examples

Knowledge Check

Key Concepts Summary