Plagiarism And AI Policy

ELIZADE UNIVERSITY POLICY ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY, PLAGIARISM PREVENTION,
AND THE ETHICAL USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

1.0 Preamble

Elizade University is committed to promoting academic excellence, originality, ethical scholarship, and intellectual integrity in all postgraduate research activities. The University requires students, supervisors, examiners, and other stakeholders to uphold the highest standards of responsible research conduct. Plagiarism, defined as presenting another person's ideas, words, data, images, or intellectual work as one's own without proper acknowledgment, is regarded as a serious academic offence.

The University also recognizes the value of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing research, writing, data analysis, and information retrieval. However, AI must be used responsibly, transparently, and ethically. It is intended only as a support tool and must not replace a student's originality, critical thinking, creativity, or intellectual contribution. Students remain fully responsible for the authenticity, accuracy, and integrity of their research outputs, regardless of any AI assistance received.

This Policy provides guidelines for preventing, detecting, and managing plagiarism, as well as regulating the ethical use of AI in postgraduate research. It aims to protect the credibility of the University's academic awards and foster a culture of responsible scholarship. Compliance with this Policy is mandatory for all postgraduate students, and violations may result in dissertation/thesis rejection, disciplinary action, or other sanctions.

2.0 The Role of Supervisors

1. Before a dissertation or thesis is submitted for examination, the supervisor must review the final manuscript and ensure it meets the minimum examination requirements.
2. A dissertation or thesis shall not be submitted for examination without the supervisor's approval, except where waived by Senate.
3. Supervisors shall assess the integrity of research by submitting the work to an approved similarity detection system (Turnitin).
4. Similarity detection is intended primarily as an educational tool. Supervisors should therefore submit research chapters to Turnitin as they are received to identify and address possible plagiarism early and guide students on necessary corrections.
5. Prior to oral examination (defense), students must submit the final dissertation or thesis to Turnitin. Cases of serious plagiarism, particularly those detected at advanced stages and warranting disciplinary action, shall be referred to the Postgraduate Student Disciplinary Committee or other designated authority.

3.0 The Role of Students

1. Students bear primary responsibility for all stages of their research from admission to graduation.
2. Students must uphold academic integrity and ethical research standards.
3. Before examination, the dissertation or thesis must be approved by the supervisor. The student remains responsible for submitting the correct version.
4. Upon completion and fulfillment of departmental requirements, the Head of Department (HoD) shall process the dissertation or thesis to the School of Postgraduate Studies (SPS).
5. Only electronic copies (MS Word and PDF) shall be submitted by the HoD to the SPS for examination.
6. The Dean, SPS, shall forward the dissertation or thesis to the University Librarian (UL).
7. Students must familiarize themselves with Turnitin.
8. The University maintains a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism, and authorized officers may use similarity detection systems to identify violations.

4.0 Post-assessment Submission of Dissertation or Thesis

1. The UL or representative shall verify the Turnitin report and issue a Certificate of Clearance or otherwise, with communication made through the SPS.
2. After corrections from the oral examination, the final electronic copy (MS Word and PDF) shall be submitted to SPS following approval from the supervisor to digitalcontents@elizadeuniversity.edu.ng; while ul@elizadeuniversity.edu.ng is duly copied, for plagiarism screening before degree conferment.
3. Students may appeal decisions relating to plagiarism assessment through the DSPS. Unresolved cases shall be referred to the UL, with reasons for the appeal clearly stated.

5.0 Turnitin and Dissertation/Thesis Assessment

Turnitin is an internet-based similarity detection software used to promote academic integrity and improve the quality of scholarly writing by identifying potential plagiarism and providing feedback on submitted work. All postgraduate students are required to submit their dissertations or theses in MS Word format (or electronically generated PDF format) for originality assessment. Elizade University Turnitin submissions are 'all-inclusive', including the title page, reference list, and appendices.

For a dissertation or thesis to qualify for examination, the similarity score from any single source must not exceed 3%, and the overall similarity index must not exceed 20%. Documents exceeding these limits must be revised and resubmitted. However, the University Librarian may approve exceptions in justified cases. Regardless of the similarity index, any evidence of blatant plagiarism is unacceptable and constitutes academic misconduct.

Although postgraduate students are required to publish research derived from their dissertations or theses, only the student and supervisor(s) may be recognized as authors. Publications involving other authors or organizations shall not be excluded from plagiarism assessment, and any resulting similarities must be revised to ensure originality and compliance with University standards.

6.0 Acceptable use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Dissertations/Theses

The use of AI in postgraduate research is permitted where it supports, but does not replace, the researcher's intellectual contribution. Acceptable uses include:

1. Using AI tools to collect, analyze, and derive insights from large datasets, provided they are not used to generate research data.
2. Employing AI to identify, extract, and summarize relevant literature, as well as to create data visualizations.
3. Applying AI algorithms to simulate scenarios and optimize experimental designs.
4. Using AI-assisted tools such as spelling and grammar checkers, and reference management software including Mendeley, EndNote, and Zotero.
5. Utilizing AI tools to locate and understand scholarly materials and support efficient drafting.
6. Using AI writing assistants to improve language, structure, style, and readability of dissertations and theses.

The acceptable level of AI-generated content in a dissertation or thesis shall not exceed 20%, and students must fully disclose how and the extent of AI usage in their work. While reviewers may exercise discretion in exceptional cases, unethical use of AI is prohibited regardless of the detected percentage and may constitute academic misconduct.

7.0 Ethical Considerations of AI Integration in Research

Postgraduate students and researchers shall:

1. Protect privacy through appropriate data anonymization and security measures.
2. Refrain from using AI to generate research data.
3. Identify and mitigate potential biases in AI-assisted research.
4. Ensure transparency and explainability in the use of AI tools and models.
5. Obtain informed consent when AI is used in research involving human participants.
6. Promote algorithmic accountability by ensuring AI-driven decisions can be understood and ethically scrutinized.

8.0 Contravention of the Policy

A student who violates copyright, plagiarises, engages in any unethical behaviour, or contravenes any provisions of this policy shall have his or her dissertation or thesis rejected from examination, and not be eligible for graduation and may be subjected to appropriate disciplinary action.