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Note sharing
There are specific rules around sharing notes and university materials, both with classmates and third parties.
What are note sharing websites and how do they work?
There are many platforms online which facilitate note and assignment sharing. They may offer access in return for a fee, or the sharing of your own work. While these websites claim to be against plagiarism, uploading your assignments to sites like these puts you at risk because your work will be available for others to use. Knowingly enabling another student to plagiarise your work is academic misconduct.
What are the consequences of using these sites?
Sharing your own notes with other students when studying can be helpful but you still need to make sure that you maintain academic integrity. Sharing notes that you've taken in your own words can be OK, if you're sharing with a classmate and you have a mutual understanding that they will not plagiarise your work. Any materials given to you by your lecturers or tutors or that you have copied word for word (or substantially similar) can't be shared without their permission. This includes recordings of lectures or workshops, handouts given to you and presentation slides. Posting or sharing materials which have come from your professors or teachers could be an infringement of copyright, which has legal implications. Selling these materials to note sharing or ghostwriting services is also an infringement of copyright as well as RMIT’s terms and policies.
What else can I do?
Sites that accept notes and assignments from students have no quality control, so using work you find on these websites is not only unethical but also means you could be using poorly written notes or inaccurate ideas. If you're feeling stuck, reach out to your tutor or the Study Support Hub for extra support.
Resources
Activity: Knowledge check
Read the following scenarios and select the correct answer.