About Thomas
About Dr Thomas Lancaster
I am a computer scientist, educator and academic-integrity researcher. I joined Imperial College London’s Department of Computing in 2018 and am now a Principal Teaching Fellow and Senior Tutor for postgraduate taught students.
Academic background
I completed my PhD in 2003 at London South Bank University. The thesis, Effective and Efficient Plagiarism Detection, examined technical and human-centred approaches to identifying plagiarism. Before Imperial, I held teaching and leadership roles at Birmingham City University, Coventry University and Staffordshire University.
Academic integrity
My work on academic integrity has developed from plagiarism detection to prevention, assessment design, contract cheating, policy and generative AI. With Robert Clarke, I introduced the term “contract cheating” into academic use in 2006.
Teaching and students
My current teaching includes an Imperial module in which students investigate academic integrity in an AI-driven world. I also lead computing project modules and have worked with student partners on academic-integrity research.
As Senior Tutor for postgraduate taught students and Departmental Disability Officer in Computing, I work with colleagues and specialist services to support students’ academic progress and wellbeing.
Sector contribution
I am a member of the QAA Academic Integrity Advisory Group and ICAI’s International Day of Action for Academic Integrity Committee. I coordinate the London and South East Academic Integrity Network. In 2023, I received the Tracey Bretag Memorial Award for lifetime achievement in academic integrity.
I am the author of SAGE’s Avoid Plagiarism. My public work has included contributions to The Guardian, Channel 4 programmes and the documentary The Shadow Scholars.