Tackling plagiarism: library action

1
Tackling plagiarism library action

• Judy Reading,
• OULS User Education Co-ordinatorUmbrella 28th
  June 2007
• With acknowledgement of the work of Jude Carroll
  who has provided much of the content of this
  seminar

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Session outline

• Plagiarism as a current concern in higher
  education and strategies that library services
  can adopt to prepare students for appropriate use
  of information
• Plagiarism definitions and issues
• Course design and student support
• Institutional policy and practice
• Discussion of potential contribution from library
  staff

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Definitions

• Plagiarism is passing off someone elses work,
  whether intentionally or unintentionally, as your
  own for your own benefit
• A definition used in many institutions
  according to Jude Carroll
  (2002 p. 9)

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Exercise Where do we draw the line?

• In small groups look at the list of six examples
  and decide where you would draw the line.
  (Carroll, p.42)
• Why would you draw it there and how would you get
  students to understand why it is drawn there?

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Jude Carrolls comments

• Those who teach students with few writing skills
  often say,2 is not acceptable but if I can get
  the students to 3, then Im happy. Others state
  that 3 is not acceptable but 4 would be worth a
  mark because the student did some work, adding
  that they probably would not spot the lack of
  quotation marks anyway. When I do this exercise
  with students, they come up with many different
  answers, especially at induction sessions. When
  there is time, I ask if they can explain why the
  line must be drawn between 4 and 5. Insisting
  that 4 is not acceptable with teaching staff
  whereas 5 is, often results in a discussion on
  the difference between the real and the ideal and
  how best to work within this spectrum.

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Exercise differentiating cheating behaviours

• Look at the list of cheating behaviours and
  decide which ones are examples of plagiarism and
  which ones collusion.

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Exercise differentiating cheating behaviours
Collusion 1 5 10 16 17
Plagiarism 3 6 9 12 13 14 15
Cheating 2 4 7 8
11 14 15
Collusion as a subset of plagiarism as subset
of cheating
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Exercise acceptable practice

• Citation - Look at p.54-5 in the handout - ch. 5
  of Jude Carrolls handbook. What is different
  about each of the acceptable variants?
• Paraphrasing look at p.56-7 and decide which
  re-write is plagiarised.

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Good practice in citation

• Be consistent
• Be accurate
• Follow the relevant guidelines for the current
  work eg academic department or publisher
• Keep good notes as you go
• Use reference managing software if you have lots
  of references
• Two most common forms are Harvard (name and year)
  and numeric

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Grey areas

• Student confusion - see p. 51 of handout
• What if you list references but dont use quotes?
• What about over-citing?
• Where does paraphrasing become your own work?
• How does paraphrasing become summarising?
• How can you possibly be original in your ideas
  before doctoral level?
• How can be sure if you come up with something
  yourself that someone else hasnt published it
  and you will be accused of cheating?
• What is common knowledge?
• What if you understand the content but have
  difficulty expressing it e.g. because of dyslexia
  or having English as a second language?

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Tips to help avoid plagiarism

• Copy direct quotes verbatim to ensure they have
  not been altered in any way
• Be clear when note-taking to include details of
  the author and source
• Become familiar with methods of citing within the
  text
• Only include passages vital to the argument
• Record ones own views and thoughts before
  beginning to find information, then use work by
  others to support or counter these arguments
• Be selective and not include too many quotations
• Be careful when paraphrasing that the material is
  used properly
• Write notes from memory after reading the source
• Taken from How to find information by Sally
  Rumsey (2004) p.218

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Why do students plagiarise?

• Poor language skills
• Poor time management skills (maybe also partying,
  need to work, caring responsibilities,
  part-time)
• Fear of failure
• Poor study skills
• Poor citation skills
• Alienation and hostility towards the system
• Feel they have bought the right to a degree
  through fees

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Why shouldnt they do it?

• Academic integrity it isnt healthy to cheat
• Academic work is designed to help students
  understand the content of a course if they
  plagiarise they wont learn
• Students are likely to get caught and it could
  ruin their lives
• If some students gain academic credit by cheating
  it is unfair to other students
• The credibility of an academic institution can be
  undermined by plagiarism

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Detection

• Clues in text itself eg signs of original of
  careless cutting and pasting
• Uncharacteristic writing
• Shifts in style and voice
• Google and other search engines can find web
  sources
• Turnitin, Copycatch and other detection software

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Design out plagiarism by

• The better you know your students
• Make procedures, penalties and detection crystal
  clear and ensure positive support and training is
  available
• Clarify the rules when setting collaborative work
  and ensuring assessment is fair
• Dont set essay topics which would be easy to
  download
• Ask to see drafts
• Value work which requires students to create not
  regurgitate
• Set topics which will not be available in essay
  banks eg use very contemporary events or
  personalities for contrast, local case studies
• Set literature review assignments as stage
  towards important dissertations

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Exercise elements in a holistic approach

• Using the handout think about your own
  university. Put an X by the elements that are in
  place XX if strongly in place Put an O by the
  elements that are lacking. Discuss.
• From a workshop on plagiarism delivered by Jude
  Carroll for Oxford University in June 2006

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Plagiarism

• Oxford University definition (from EPSC
  Plagiarism site)
• What is plagiarism?
• Plagiarism is the copying or paraphrasing of
  other peoples work or ideas into your own work
  without full acknowledgement. All published and
  unpublished material, whether in manuscript,
  printed or electronic form, is covered under this
  definition.
• Collusion is another form of plagiarism involving
  the unauthorised collaboration of students (or
  others) in a piece of work.
• Cases of suspected plagiarism in assessed work
  are investigated under the disciplinary
  regulations concerning conduct in examinations.
  Intentional or reckless plagiarism may incur
  severe penalties, including failure of your
  degree or expulsion from the university.

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Disciplinary procedures

• http//www.admin.ox.ac.uk/proctors/info/pam/sectio
  n11.shtml
• In less serious matters the case can be heard by
  the Proctors (subject to a right of appeal)
  otherwise cases are brought to the Student
  Disciplinary Panel of the University.
• Appeals can be made to a Student Appeal panel
• Penalties can range from a fine, academic
  penalties, through expulsion to criminal
  proceedings.

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Oxford University policy and practice

• http//www.admin.ox.ac.uk/epsc/plagiarism/
• Online plagiarism course
• Information from Proctors regarding regulations
• Support for students from tutors and also from
  Language Centre
• Information contained in course handbooks and
  sometimes on the web
• Turnitin
• Training for academic staff?
• Library involvement?

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Exercise skills students need

• Using handout headed Skills students needin
  small group identify where librarians are
  involved in developing student skills and where
  they might be involved

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Library staff contributions

• Training in citation skills as part of an
  information literacy programme which would also
  include plagiarism and reference managing
  software (see also www.refworks.com/refworks)
• All Library staff supporting students should have
  a basic understanding of citation and should know
  where to find official advice for students on a
  particular course
• An excellent opportunity to add value to our
  services by offering assistance which is likely
  to be appreciated by staff and students
• Imperial College has been able to expand their
  information literacy courses by selling their
  coverage of plagiarism and related skills to
  academics

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References

• Carroll, Jude (2002) A handbook for deterring
  plagiarism in higher education (Oxford Centre for
  Staff and Learning Development) 1873576560New
  edition due out June 2007
• JISC Plagiarism Advisory Service
  http//www.jiscpas.ac.uk (Accessed 1.7.07)
• Rumsey, Sally (2004) How to find information a
  guide for researchers (Open University Press)
  0335214282
• Park, Chris (2003) In other (peoples) words
  plagiarism by university students literature
  and lessons in Assessment evaluation in higher
  education v.28 no.5, October 2003 p. 471-88