Misconduct of Spanish university students in evaluations: An assessment of its severity and proposals for sanctions from an experts' panel

This paper focuses on fraud detection in assessment tests taken by Spanish university students and its consequent regulation in university contexts as a device to combat it. Building on an analysis of the existing literature and a consultation of a panel of experts through a questionnaire in two rounds, the main areas of fraudulent behaviour are identified. Based on the experts' opinion, the severity of each fraudulent act and the subsequent sanction to be applied are determined thereafter. The degree of congruence on the experts' response suggests that, despite significant consensus on some elements, there continue to be important divergences in some fundamental criteria when assessing and punishing the fraudulent behaviour of students in evaluations. The results offered can be useful for the development and implementation of educational policies against academic dishonesty based on regulatory devices.