Avoiding Plagiarism
in an Online Graduate Environment
Disclaimer
By
C.B. Crawford, Ph.D.
Assistant Provost for Quality Management
Fort Hays State University
600 Park Street
Hays, KS 67601
(785) 628-5950
Online Ed. Jennifer Sauer
Presented at the Association of Graduate Liberal
Studies Programs Conference,
October 2002, Chicago, IL.
Other Strategies
Nothing less than a change in the culture will
successfully deter the would-be plagiarist. As with any serious
problem, long-term solutions require complex and system-wide
changes. In some cases, even strategically planned and orchestrated
changes fall far short of the desired objective. Just when educators
think they have the problem under control, another technology
arrives to hamper their efforts. We can't change what we don't
have the foresight to anticipate. The basic caveat here is that
even strategic plans fall short.
Adherence to strong standards of educational
rigor rests with the individual educator. A strong statement
of intolerance for plagiarism means that students will consider
the consequences before they make a mistake that could cost
them an education.
The role that the faculty member plays
is not just one of warning. Perhaps the most important role
rests in
identification, detection, and confrontation of work that is
inconsistent with the student's real abilities. How to confront
a possible plagiarist is important, and extremes are to be
avoided.
Avoid both excessive aggression and, at the other extreme,
a "feel-good" approach. Most situations call for
balance:
- Remember due process
- Have an objective viewpoint, while being
willing to listen
- Balance concern for the student with concern
for the program
- Be decisive without being judgmental
- Be assertive without being aggressive
- Be sensitive to the consequences, without
being complacent or inappropriately sympathetic.
Scholars on plagiarism have created many strategies
for instructional faculty. Consider some of the following
actions:
- Set a good example in your own work of proper
citation and fair use of other's ideas and copyright protected
materials.
- Educate yourself on plagiarism, on why students
plagiarize, and know the resources that passively or actively
encourage plagiarism.
- Provide clear and precise instructions for
writing assignments.
- Require proper citation and copies of all sources.
- Discuss plagiarism with the class; don't assume
that students know what it is.
- Inform students of the penalties for submitting
plagiarized work.
- Give students specific research assignments
or allow them to develop an assignment collaboratively.
- Require specific topics to be addressed in
the paper, or require such a unique paper that finding a replica
would be nearly impossible.
- Articulate clearly the purpose of the assignment.
- Participate in the process of the paper (grade
thesis statements, bibliographic entries, and drafts).
- Require oral reports, not on the paper alone,
but on the process of conducting the research as well.
- Allow yourself time to grade (scoring and feedback)
and to perform investigative research on papers that seem suspect.
- The best prevention of plagiarism is to offer
a clear direction for doing good research and citing a variety
of documents.
Further Reading:
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/plagiarism/
Links to this Document:
Title
Page
Introduction
Defining
Academic Plagiarism
Types
of Plagiarism
Detecting
Plagiarism
Prevention
and Management of Plagiarism
References
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