Higher EducationAcademySubject Centre
Resources on Plagiarism
Although not a new issue in Higher Education, student plagiarism is seen to be an increasing problem in Higher Education in the UK and beyond. The establishment of the JISC Plagiarism Advisory Service in 2002 signalled a need for a co-ordinated and coherent response to the problem throughout the sector. In the five years since the establishment of the service, student plagiarism has received widespread attention in both the general and educational media with at times somewhat ‘alarmist’ representations of the extent of the problem being displayed. As representatives of the community they serve, Subject Centres have engaged with the issues of student plagiarism to a greater or lesser extent, as evidenced by the resources identified in this paper.
All of the 24 Subject Centres in the Higher Education Academy Network provide information to their constituents on the topic of plagiarism, with some providing extensive resources on the topic. For the purposes of this report, with a few exceptions, all the resources identified in this paper are available directly from the Subject Centre website listed. External resources have only been included where there is felt to be merit in highlighting the resource to a wider audience. In addition, details of past events where no report of the event is available have been excluded from the paper. There is inevitably some duplication and cross-referencing of material across the Subject Centre network and where practical such resources are highlighted only under their original listing.
The scope and nature of the resources included in this paper highlight not only the complexity of the problems Higher Education providers face with regard to dealing with student plagiarism, but also, more positively, demonstrate the wealth of expertise and practice contained within the Subject Centre provision.
Dr. Fiona Duggan
Senior Advisor
AcademyJISCAcademy Integrity Service
March 2008
Art, Design and Media
Culture Machine 10 (2008): Pirate Philosophy Issue
The Pirate philosophy issue of Culture Machine will explore how the development of various forms of so-called internet piracy are affecting ideas of authorship, intellectual property, copyright law, fair use, patent, trademark, content creation and cultural production that were established pre-internet. (Call for papers closed Feb 08)
Bioscience
Guidelines on plagiarism
The appendix to the same journal issue below includes guidelines on what plagiarism is for students. Does state that plagiarism is morally wrong, which could be off-putting for students.
Plagiarism: A good practice guide (2001) Carroll, Jude & Appleton, Jon
Guide produced as part of a pilot project funded by the JISC to determine the nature of the problem in UK Higher Education and potential responses for the sector
Plagiarism discussion forum 30/04/03
Report of an event held as part of the SC’s professional development programme. Presentations and resources used on the day are available to download
Plagiarism: Do students know what it is? Dawson, Maureen M & Overfield, Joyce A. (2006)
Journal article reporting on a case study with good replicable examples of behaviour that students are asked to decide whether or not they constitute plagiarism.
Research skills training for undergraduate researchers: the pedagogical approach of the STARS project. (2003) Finn, John A. & Crook, Anne, C.
Journal article describing the rationale for, and development of, the Scientific Training by Assignment for Research Students (STARS) project, which is an internet-based resources that includes ‘short activities’ on proofreading, formatting reference lists and detecting improper use of references.
Other resources
Bioscience also has a current call for case studies on designing out plagiarism, a special interest group on the topic of plagiarism and a resource pack for new academic staff that includes information on plagiarism.
Built Environment
Copycatch Gold
Provides access to a freely available copy of the Copycatch Gold plagiarism detection software and related training materials.
Learning from practice – live projects for undergraduate students. Gunning, Joe
An example of innovative assessment designed to ‘promote student-centred learning in a way which minimises possible plagiarism’.
Plagiarism: improving student learning in the Built Environment. Russell, Terence M.
A brief history of the development of a guide for students produced at EdinburghUniversity.
Business, Management, Accountancy and Finance
How students work – an exploration of how BusinessSchool students in the IT age work together in individual assessed coursework assignments. Taylor, David
A current project that aims to investigate the relationship between how students use and share information and the potential for accusations of plagiarism or collusion to be made as a result of these practices.
Plagiarism: overcoming the cultural issues associated with plagiarism for international students. Juwah, Charles, Lal, David & Beloucif, Ahmed
Current project. An executive summary (but no report) is available for this project, which refutes the notion that international students are ‘persistent plagiarisers’ and highlights key cultural factors associated with plagiarism by international students.
Plagiarism – Whose fault is it anyway? Gracia, Louisa (2007)
This study sought to explore the influence of institutional habits on the nature, causes, extent and experiences of academic dishonesty amongst the student body within a particular institutional context. Such insight will be used subsequently to understand how, if at all, institutional and pedagogic practices and cultures contribute to the escalating incidence of plagiarism and to make recommendations on preventative approaches to plagiarism.
Economics
How to get better essays while reducing your work and plagiarism. Ryan, Cillian (2001)
Report of a case study example of redesigned assessment where students produce an essay under invigilation with a previously produced essay plan
Key Contacts presentation
Powerpoint slides from a key contacts meeting outlining the issues relating to ‘bad’ assessment practice and plagiarism and appropriate responses to the problems identified
Plagiarism: Deterrence, detection and prevention. William, Jeremy, B
A chapter in the Handbook for Economics Lecturers. Also relevant is the chapter on Alternative forms of summative and formative assessment by the same author.
Plagiarism tutorial
An online US tutorial developed by the Center for 21st Century teaching excellence for lecturers and students on understanding, avoiding and detecting plagiarism, which includes useful material on paraphrasing
Engineering
Approaches to detecting and coping with plagiarism, Roger Penlington
Powerpoint slides outlining a strategy for the deployment of Turnitin plagiarism detection software
Case studies of peer detection and designing out plagiarism. Anne Nortcliffe
Powerpoint slides with notes providing information on incorporating peer assessment to deter plagiarism
Dealing with plagiarism: processes, policies and practices explored by a working group on plagiarism. Report by Tracey Beck
A report from a University of Sussex working group outlining the rationale for the group and the activities implemented in the University as a result of the Group’s recommendations
Plagiarism for discussion in the first year tutorial session
Scenarios to discuss with students
Supporting academic integrity: Learning about plagiarism through information literacy. Debbi Boden
Powerpoint presentation outlining the development and use of OLIVIA an online virtual information assistant designed to provide students with the information handling skills needed in Higher Education
The Subject Centre also provides access to a series of Ethics case studies, some of which can be related to the wider topic of academic integrity. The case studies were developed in partnership with the IDEA and eng CETL’s.
English
Designing a plagiarism review
Set of questions similar to, but less extensive, than the JISCPAS Roadmap and based upon the Good Practice Guide written by Jude Carroll and Jon Appleton.
How do I reference an article again? Information literacy and E-learning project report
Paper outlining reasons for, and success of, a change to own-paced, web-based assignments for a compulsory writing skills module.
The Subject Centre has a dedicated section of website devoted to plagiarism resources that provides links to many external resources on the topics of electronic detection services and guides for both lecturers and students. This Subject Centre also has a number of resources relating to information literacy, such as the paper outlined above.
ESCalate – Education Subject Centre
How to identify when your students are using websites to plagiarise: the problem of ‘mouse-click’ plagiarism. Cox, Derek
A paper summarising possible reasons why students may resort to plagiarism and potential indicators of such activity in submitted work
‘The secrets of Biblioland’ Moschini, Elena
Development, use and evaluation of the pilot version of an educational interactive game designed to support students in understanding issues in relation to referencing, the construction of bibliographies and plagiarism.
Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Migration in Mexico: A problem-based learning module. Fournier, Eric J.
An example of an assignment design that reduces the opportunities for plagiarism
Students assessing student: case studies on peer assessment. Wheater, C Philip, Langan, A Mark & Dunleavy, Peter J.
Article in newsletter on practicalities of peer assessment, which is often suggested as a method for reducing plagiarism
Writing geology: Key communication competencies for geosciences. Yates, Simeon J. Williams, Noel & Dujardin, Ann-Florence
Report of a study that was undertaken to analyse the key weaknesses in geology students’ writing at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The study was not specifically concerned with plagiarism, but referencing was highlighted as an issue.
Health (incorporating Health Sciences & Practice and Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine
Integrating plagiarism detection software tools into an in-house Medical VLE
A current JISC eLearning case study aiming to document the experience of integrating Turnitin® software into an in-house eAssignment handling system
History, Classics and Archaeology
Case Study: Turnitin UK: A Test Case
Use of Turnitin across two modules in American History
Finding your own voice, plagiarism & originality
A section in the paper “Students experiences of the formative assessment of essays in history and archaeology at Oxford”
How to cite electronic resources. OKell, Eleanor (December 2006)
A review of the Library of Congress Learning page
Study Skills Module: Plato’s Protagoras: Students Handbook. Osborne, Catherine
Teaching materials prepared for a First year module designed for the induction of new students in Classics and Ancient History
This Subject Centre also provides access to a number of externally produced resources such as the leaflet “Reduce the risk of plagiarism in just 30 minutes” produced by the ASKe CETL and F.I.R.S.T – Finding It!, which is a research skills tutorial that provides guidance on research methodology, citation, plagiarism and structuring a bibliography. (For a review of the latter see the entry for January 2007 at
Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism
How to manage plagiarism: plagiarism workshops for staff. Seymour, Diane.
Outline of a workshop designed to help schools develop a school policy on plagiarism
LINK 14
Subject Centre newsletter article by Diane Seymour on the role of Academic Conduct Officers in promoting academic integrity.
LINK 18
Whole issue of Subject Centre newsletter devoted to Academic Integrity
Information and Computer Sciences
A review of electronic services for plagiarism detection in student submissions. Culwin, Fintan & Lancaster, Thomas
Review of web-based detection services, MOSS, plagiarism.org, Integrigaurd, Copycatch and EVE
Assessing contract cheating through auction sites – a computing perspective. Lancaster, Thomas & Clarke, Robert
Report of a study evaluating the use of the RentACoder website for contract cheating by Computing Students
Classification of Plagiarism Detection Engines, Lancaster, Thomas & Culwin, Fintan
An article in the SC newsletter proposing a new set of classifications based around the types of the metrics free text detection engines use.
Coursework for Cash: The online threat. Jenkins, Tony
Reporting on a study buying assignment answers from web sites to pass an assignment in which work of a first class standard was received.
(Resource includes the report and accompanying powerpoint slides)
Does advocacy help to embed information literacy into the curriculum? Stubbings, Ruth & Franklin, Ginny
Study of the impact of an embedded information literacy programme and preventative strategies against plagiarism in one UK HEI
Internet Detective – helping students to wise up to the web. Place, Emma & Kendall, Margaret
Evaluation of a free, nationally available eLearning tutorial
Making the most of your library – a guide for ICS lecturers
The guide includes advice on using librarians to help teach students the mechanics of referencing and citation
Online assessment & checking of SQL: detecting and preventing plagiarism. Russell, Gordon & Andrew Cumming
A paper outlining an investigation of plagiarism detected in a learning environment for SQL and the effectiveness of techniques used to eliminate plagiarism. One of a series presented at the Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Databases event held at the University of Sunderland on 04/07/05
Perceptions of plagiarism: An HE in FE case study. Duggan, Fiona & Mazey, Rosalyn
Report of a JISC DEL funded project considering the issues relating to plagiarism for tutors in an FE college teaching on HE accredited courses.
Source-Code Plagiarism: a UK Academic perspective. Cosma, Georgina & Joy, Mike
Source-Code plagiarism in UK HE Computing Schools. Culwin, Fintan, McLeod, Anna & Lancaster, Thomas.
The phenomena of contract cheating. Lancaster, Thomas & Clarke, Robert
Extract from an article published in Student plagiarism in an online world: problems and solutions. T S Roberts (Ed.), which outlines the problems of contract cheating, whereby students seek to employ others to complete academic work on their behalf.
The ISC website also provides access to a bibliography of online resources and the following powerpoint presentations on the topic of plagiarism, which are of varying usefulness when viewed out of context as stand-alone presentations.
On-line resources on the pedagogy of plagiarism
Detecting source-code plagiarism. Joy, Mike (discusses MOSS, JPlag & Sherlock)
Plagiarism: Can technology help? Reddy, Mike & Chester, Gill (now out-of-date)
Plagiarism issues in programming assessments. Culwin, Fintan
Prevention better than cure? The case for plagiarism detection. Davis, H C. (source-code plagiarism)
Responding to plagiarism. Varnava, Tracey (from 2002 so possibly too dated now)
Should we worry about plagiarism? Oppenheim, Charles
What do you mean I’m cheating? Carter, Janet (Discusses the difficulties programming students have with understanding what plagiarism is)
What do students do when they work on assignments? Carter, Janet (provides examples of penalty allocations that are not consistent with the findings of the AMBeR study)
With a little help from my friends. Barrett, Ruth & Rainer, Austin(Very useful case study on plagiarism in programming)
Languages, Linguistics & Area Studies
American Studies and the Internet. Currell, Sue (2005)
Paper includes one paragraph about the internet and plagiarism
This site also includes a link to the following resource produced by the publishing company Palgrave;
Skills4study, which includes pages on What is plagiarism? The six-point code, How to cite a reference, Remedies and a free audio download of the material
Law (UKCLE)
All my own work? Plagiarism and how to avoid it.
An extract from the University of Brighton’s student guide
Academic misconduct in legal education. Bermingham, Vera
Outline of a project funded in June 05, but no final report available yet
Essaybanks and internet plagiarism: threat or opportunity, Duggan, Fiona
Presentation from the UKCLE seminar on plagiarism and legal education held on 22/09/04
Guidance to BVC providers: a common approach to plagiarism and collusion
Guidance from the Bar Council’s Education and Training Committee
Meeting the plagiarism challenge. Tribe, Diana & Rendell, Catherine
Paper on strategies adopted by institutions to address the growth in plagiarism
Plagiarism: a guide for law lecturers. Bone, Alison
A teaching resource note
Plagiarism and legal education
Report of an event held in September 2004
Plagiarism and the law: a solicitor’s perspective
Paper presented by Gary Attle, Mills and Reeve, Solicitors, at the UKCLE plagiarism and legal education event held on 22/09/04
Plagiarism in an electronic age. Duggan, Fiona
Summary of a session presented at the UKCLE seminar on e-assessment held on 31/01/08
Plagiarism: the Teesside experience, Crosby, Cath & Powell, Dave
Reflections upon a series of workshops for staff plus the presentation used in the workshops
Tackling plagiarism at SheffieldHallamUniversity, Lomax, Lesley
Case study report of the use of an innovative assessment design – a compulsory moot (judicial review) on an appeal by a student who had been found guilty of plagiarism on various grounds
Materials (UK Centre for Materials Education)
Combating ‘Cut and Paste’ plagiarism
Report on the JISC Plagiarism Detection Service (now out of date)
Also link to the report Plagiarism: do students know what it is? By Maureen Dawson & Joyce Overfield on Bioscience Subject Centre site
Maths, Statistics & OR
PiSA – Plagiarism in Statistics Assessment
The Plagiarism in Statistics Assessment (PiSA) project, which aims:
To survey HE lecturers in Statistics to find out what methods of assessment and strategies to deter plagiarism are being employed currently;
To identify and synthesise elements of good practice;
To disseminate findings widely
Palatine – Dance, Drama and Music
A briefing on plagiarism. (2001) Stefani, Lorraine & Carroll, Jude
One of a series of guides produced for the LTSN Generic Centre
Assessing students: Cheating and plagiarism. (2001) McDowell, Liz & Brown, Sally
Paper outlining possible reasons for student plagiarism and potential strategies for dealing with the issue
Plagiarism, prevention, deterrence and detection (2001) Culwin, Fintan & Lancaster, Thomas
Paper introducing a four-stage plagiarism detection model and associated software tools
The concept of plagiarism (2003) Johnston, Bill
Paper discussing the ambiguity associated with attempts to define plagiarism
What kinds of solutions can we find for plagiarism? (2001) Carroll, Jude