Rules on content similarity

This is a translation from the Slovenian language. The Slovenian version of the Rules is considered as the original.

Based on Articles 47 and 127 of the Statute of the University of Ljubljana (Uradni list RS, no. 8/05, 118/05, 72/06, 76/06 - corr., 59/07, 81/07, 82/07 - corr., 5/08, 42/08, 62/08, 3/09, 14/09, 38/09, 48/09, 55/09, 3/10, 47/10, 18/11, 26/11, 89/11, 26/12, 38/12, 56/12, 50/12, 106/12, 35/13, 83/13, 22/14, 35/14, 57/14, 16/15, 82/15, and 92/15), the Senate of the University of Ljubljana (UL), after acquiring the opinion of the Student Council of the University of Ljubljana (2nd regular session of the UL Student Council on 7 April 2015), adopted at the 23rd session on 22 December 2015 the

 

Rules on content similarity detection of the electronic form of the written final work of studies and on provisions regarding temporary inaccessibility of the content of the written final work of studies

 

Article 1

(Purpose of rules)

 

These rules regulate the manner and the principles of content similarity detection of the electronic form of the written final work of studies that is implemented with the purpose of preventing plagiarism during the preparation of the written final works of studies. The provisions for temporary inaccessibility of the content of the written final work of studies in the printed and the electronic forms are also regulated.

 

1. CONTENT SIMILARITY DETECTION OF THE ELECTRONIC FORM OF THE WRITTEN FINAL WORK OF STUDIES

 

Article 2

(Definition of plagiarism)

 

Plagiarism is defined as all manners of appropriation of any form of other person’s copyrighted work and of disregard of the author's moral rights, specifically:

  • Representing other person’s work as one's own;
  • Copying text or other types of copyrighted works, including images and music materials, audio recordings, audiovisual works, computer programmes, sketches, plans … of other person without citing the source and authorship, respectively;
  • Copying phrasing and changing the words in it without citing the source and authorship, respectively;
  • Omission of graphic forms in the text citation that undoubtedly show that this is the citation;
  • Stating erroneous or misleading data on the cited source.

 

Article 3

(Written final work of studies, prepared after the introduction

of regular content similarity detection)

 

  1. Each written final work of studies at the UL is checked before public defence regarding content similarity with other works using software for content similarity detection which is connected to the student information system of the UL Member (hereinafter: the software). The student signs the statement on delivery of the work about the identity of the printed and the electronic forms of the written final work of studies. Upon entering the electronic form of the written final work of studies into the student information system of the UL Member, the similarity detection is implemented automatically and analysis prepared that is archived in the student office of the UL Member.
  2. In ten working days, the mentor and the co-mentor(s) (if nominated) check the parts of the content of the written final work of studies that were identified by the software as the same or similar. The software’s analysis and/or the interactive display of similarity in the software as well as the written final work of studies in question are used for this purpose. In the visual and content check it is determined whether the student has appropriately marked the similar parts of text as cited and has listed the sources or it is a plagiarism.
  3. If the mentor and the co-mentor(s) (if nominated) do not check the portion of content identified as similar within ten working days, the student office of the UL Member notifies the Vice-dean for education.
  4. The mentor and the co-mentor(s) (if nominated) can approve the work if the similar content is cited correctly and the written final work of studies is the result of the student’s independent work in the required share, or they can require that the student corrects the work appropriately. In cases of conditions requiring introduction of the disciplinary procedure, the mentor and the co-mentor(s) hand over the case to the disciplinary authority and to the person in charge of the initiation of the procedure, respectively.
  5. If the mentor and the co-mentor(s) (if nominated) demand that the student corrects the written final work of studies, the student enters the corrected work again in the student information system of the UL Member. Content similarity with works in the software index is checked again with the software and analysis prepared that is archived in the student office of the UL Member.
  6. The mentor and the co-mentor(s) approve the work in the next ten working days if the similar content is cited correctly and the written final work of studies is the result of the student’s independent work in the required share, and forward the work at the third study cycle for further processing. If the final work of studies is not corrected appropriately, the mentor and the co-mentor(s) assess the written final work of studies with a no-pass grade; in the case where the final work of studies is at the third study cycle, the student office forwards the analysis together with the doctoral dissertation and the mentor’s and the co-mentor's(s’) opinion to the UL Member Senate to accept a decision on the final work of studies. In cases of conditions requiring introduction of the disciplinary procedure, the mentor and the co-mentor(s) hand over the case to the disciplinary authority and to the person in charge of the initiation of the procedure, respectively.
  7. The person authorized to use the software for content similarity detection at the UL Member deletes the file of the written final work of studies in which plagiarism was detected in the software index (if the software for content similarity detection does not delete the older versions automatically) when the corrected version of the written final work of studies, or the file of the work that was not corrected appropriately, is entered into the system. The file remains archived in the student information system of the UL Member.

 

Article 4

(Written final work of studies, for which the possibility of

content similarity was subsequently determined)

 

  1. If the procedure is introduced based on the UL Statute provisions regarding revocation of a scientific or professional title, content similarity can also be checked for the written final works after graduation, wherein the citation standards that were valid in the time of the delivery of the written final work of studies are taken into consideration during the detection procedure.
  2. If the written final work of studies is of digital origin, the text file of work is uploaded via the user name into the software which compiles the similarity analysis and enables the interactive similarity detection with the works in the software index.
  3. The commission composed of three lecturers nominated by the Senate checks the similarity of the work with other works and presents separate written reports to the Senate.

Article 5

(Handling of the written final work of studies file after the revocation of a title)

 

  1.  If a professional or scientific title was revoked due to plagiarism and the software was used for the content similarity detection of the written final work of studies, the file of this work remains in the index of the software for content similarity detection.
  2.  If a professional or scientific title was revoked due to plagiarism and the written final work of studies was deposited into the Repository of the University of Ljubljana:
  • The manager of the student information system of the UL Member marks the file accordingly in the student information system of the UL Member;
  • The manager of the UL Repository deletes the file of the work in the UL Repository;
  • The manager of the document information system of the UL marks the file of work accordingly in the document information system of the UL;
  • The manager of the UL Repository notifies the managers of the national portal openscience.si to delete metadata of the work;
  • The manager(s) notifies the (international) portals into which the national infrastructure openscience.si or the UL Repository are included about the removed work (DART-Europe, OpenAIRE, BASE…).

 

2. TEMPORARY INACCESSIBILITY OF THE CONTENT OF THE WRITTEN FINAL WORK OF STUDIES

 

Article 6

(Reasons for temporary inaccessibility of content)

 

In exceptional cases, the content of the written final work of studies can be temporarily inaccessible due to the following reasons:

  • Protection of business secrets;
  • Protection of results on account of the assertion of intellectual property rights;
  • Securing the safety of people and nature;
  • Protection of classified data.

Article 7

(Duration of temporary inaccessibility of content)

 

The content of the written final work of studies must only be inaccessible for the shortest possible time and no more than one year from the day of the completion of studies. If at the end of the stated period there are still eligible reasons for the continuation of the respectful content inaccessibility, the period of inaccessibility of the respectful content can be prolonged for an additional period, but no longer than one year and upon proposal of the mentor and the student.

 

Article 8

(Process of approval of temporary inaccessibility of content)

The mentor and the student address the request for approval of temporary inaccessibility of content of the written final work of studies to the Dean before the delivery of the printed and the electronic forms of the work. The request should be based on stated reasons for the temporary inaccessibility of content and should suggest the length of the period of temporary inaccessibility, the relevant pieces of evidence for such a request should be enclosed. The Dean may decide on the temporary inaccessibility of content of the written final work of studies, or may reject the request. The Dean’s decision is final. The decision on the temporary inaccessibility of content of the written final work of studies is delivered to the student, the mentor and the student office, and enclosed to the printed copies of the final work of studies. If the Dean rejects the request, the decision is delivered to the student, the mentor and the student office.

 

Article 9

(Securing temporary inaccessibility of printed and electronic forms)

The library of the UL Member and the National and University Library secure the temporary inaccessibility of the printed form of the written final work of studies as the recipients of the legal deposit of publications after receiving the printed copy of the written final work of studies and the decision on the temporary inaccessibility of content of the written final work of studies. The inaccessibility of the electronic form of the written final work of studies is secured by the manager of the UL Repository after the student office has entered the final date of the temporary inaccessibility of content of the written final work of studies into the student information system of the UL Member.

 

Article 10

(Public data in the period of temporary inaccessibility of content)

In the period of the inaccessibility of content of the written final work of studies in the electronic form, only bibliographic data of the work are visible to the public in the UL Repository; in the software for the content similarity detection which is connected with the student information system of the UL Member, the work is marked as “a private source”.

 

Article 11

(Breach of temporary inaccessibility of content)

If the content of the printed and/or the electronic form of the written final work of studies is available to the public during the period of the granted temporary inaccessibility of content of the written final work of studies, the Dean who issued the decision on the temporary inaccessibility of content of the written final work of studies must be informed. The Dean requests the library of the UL Member, the National and University Library and/or the manager of the UL Repository in writing to immediately secure the temporary inaccessibility according to the decision on the temporary inaccessibility of content of the written final work of studies.

 

 

3. TEMPORARY AND FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 12

(Temporary and final provisions)

These rules shall enter into force on the fifteenth day after the adoption by the UL Senate and the publication on the web pages of the UL, and shall begin to apply on 1 April 2016.

The UL Members shall conform their documents with these rules by 1 April 2016.

 

 

prof. dr. Ivan Svetlik

Chairman of the UL Senate

Rector