The issue of plagiarism
is of great concern to many colleges and faculty members. Plagiarism entails
the use of someone’s work without giving proper citation and credit to the
author. It is a theft of intellectual property. Instructors can be preventative
or punitive when dealing with plagiarism. According to Robert Insley in his
publication Managing Plagiarism: A preventative Approach, there are a number of
ways to deal with such issues.
The author indicates
that there are primarily three reasons why a student would plagiarize. This
includes 1.) doing so without knowledge they are doing it; 2.) not managing
their time well and rushing papers, and; 3.) taking the easy way out despite having
time and knowledge. To prevent plagiarism requires an understanding of whether
they are knowledgeable, not managing time, or really don’t care about
plagiarism.
The author discusses
team projects and how they can be adjusted to avoid plagiarism. The same
concepts apply to individual papers so they will be discussed from this vantage
point. Consider the following preventative measures:
·
Not
Knowing: Plagiarism can be a lack of awareness of proper citation and paraphrasing.
Informing students about plagiarism and how to write effectively is a benefit.
Handing out a sheet on the basics of citations, references and quotations with
assignments can be beneficial.
·
Time
Management: Because time management can be a factor in plagiarism it is
beneficial to have students turn in a draft copy of their work at a specified
time before the paper is due. The draft ensure that they are making significant
progress on their work and will not be forced to finish quickly.
·
Easy
Way: Such students should be informed about the process of losing one’s grade,
damaging their academic potential, and how this limits their life goals.
Informing such students helps them realize potential consequences.
Comments:
In my experience in
teaching I have found instances where all three of these concepts are true.
When a student isn’t aware they generally make some attempt to cite even though
formatting and follow-up information is missing. This is an educational issue.
The far majority of plagiarizers are people who have not managed their time
well and simply browse the Internet seeking ways to get their work done on time.
Only a few instances of complete paper copying have been experienced. In these
cases, students knowingly and wittingly are short-circuiting the educational
process.
Time-management and
knowledge are two of the fundamental weapons as it relates to plagiarism. Like
in the working world, people have natural procrastination with only a few
willing to be proactive on any project or issue. As students wait until the
assignment is almost due they inevitably rush to get their work done. It is
beneficial to discuss the importance of time management in classes and the
benefit of this skill in the working world. I like to help students think of
their college time as a practice for when these skills are going to be put to
greater use.
Insley, R. (2011). Managing plagiarism: a preventative
approach. Business Communication
Quarterly, 74 (2).
