This policy sets out the HCPC’s approach to checking applications for plagiarism as part of the international registration process.
Any documents submitted as part of an international application are checked for plagiarism by the Registration Team using third party software. The purpose of this check is to ensure that the information provided by an applicant is reliable and authentic.
What we consider to be plagiarism
Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else’s work, ideas, credentials or experiences and passing them off as one’s own. This can include:
- copying by using another person’s language, work, ideas, credentials or experiences as if they were an applicant’s own; and
- collusion by collaborating with another person or organisation (for example applicant, registrant or other third-party offering application services) to produce work, ideas, credentials or experiences as part of an application and passing these off as if they were the applicant’s own.
What happens if we find plagiarism
If we detect plagiarism following a closer review and investigation, we can come to the decision to reject an application. This decision would be made on the basis that the individual is not suitable to join the Register based on issues of character linked to plagiarism found during the application process. This can also impact future applications by the individual or lead to further fitness to practise investigations if the individual is already registered in another part of the HCPC Register.
For more information, please read our full policy and guidance document