The article has been written by the RTPI Membership team
One of the hot topics everyone is talking about at the moment is the rise of AI and how it will change society and the world of work. At the RTPI we are no different. We have been working hard to ensure the integrity of the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) assessment process by using technology to detect the possible use of AI, and also plagiarism, in APC submissions.
Since 2020 the Membership Team has been using Turnitin software to detect possible cases of plagiarism in APC submissions, and from Autumn 2023, we have also been using the same software to detect for possible use of AI in preparing APC submissions.
It is important to safeguard the integrity of the APC assessment, that candidates submit work which is their own, and they have not used AI software, or plagiarised a colleague’s APC submission, to help them write their work. The RTPI Code of Conduct calls for all members to “uphold the highest standards of professional ethics and must act with honesty and integrity throughout their career.” Becoming Chartered is the hallmark of professional expertise and integrity and demonstrates high professional and ethical standards.
Head of Membership, Martine Koch
While no cases of the use of AI in writing APC submissions have been detected yet, it is not the same story with plagiarism. The Turnitin software adds new submissions which are uploaded to the repository and new submissions are checked against older ones as well as with external sources, such as websites. Some employers create a library of successful APC submissions from colleagues when they become Chartered for new candidates to look at when they are working on their submission. While this approach can be useful to allow APC candidates to see how to structure their submission, there can be a temptation to copy whole sentences and even paragraphs.
In the last few APC assessment rounds, the Membership Team has detected several cases of potential plagiarism through the Turnitin checks. These candidates had their APC results withheld and were referred to the Conduct and Discipline Panel to determine if they were in breach of the Code of Conduct. The RTPI are determined to ensure the APC process is fair for all candidates and becoming Chartered is based on merit.
Candidates who are currently preparing their APC submission are reminded to read the main guidance document and additional resources for each of the four routes to Chartered membership, to book a place on one of our free of charge APC webinars and contact the Membership Team ([email protected]) if they have any specific questions regarding what is required of them. The RTPI supports planners who wish to take the next step in their career and apply to become Chartered.
