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Plagiarism
Contents (on this page):
1. Defining Plagiarism
2. Strategies to reduce plagiarism
3. Teaching students about plagiarism
3. What should happen in cases of plagiarism
4. Further information and reading
Also, see: section 19 of the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes
Other relevant pages:
1. Turnitin, the JISC-endorsed plagiarism detection service used at Bristol
Defining Plagiarism
There are many definitions of Plagiarism in use. One of the most straightforward is:
"Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else's work as though it were your own" (JISC Plagiarism Advisory Service, 2003)
It is also important to look at intent when considering whether somebody has plagiarised work. It is possible to plagiarise through poor referencing when the student has genuinely attempted to research an assignment thoroughly. At the other extreme, the deliberate copying of sentences and paragraphs from an unquoted source is also plagiarism. It is therefore vitally important to equip students with the knowledge of how to cite and reference properly.
Strategies to reduce plagiarism
- Actively inform students about the regulations on plagiarism school, faculty and university level, as appropriate.
- Teach students how to reference and cite correctly.
- Consider using electronic detection tools, and tell the students that you will be using these as a preventative measure.
- Revisit assessment methods to lessen opportunities for plagiarism. For example, introduce problem-solving assignments instead of fact-recollection, where knowledge has to be applied to a new circumstance every time.
Teaching students about plagiarism
Information and advice for students can be found on the Library website.
What should happen in cases of plagiarism
The University's Examination Regulations, section 4 of the Rules and Regulations for Students, contain details of the procedures to be followed in cases of suspected plagiarism.
The Secretary's Office advise on the legal and disciplinary aspects of plagiarism. The Academic Registrar can advise on applying the regulations.
Further information
- Higher Education Academy (2010) Supporting academic integrity - Approaches and resources for higher education. Available online (last accessed 24 July 2013)
- Plagiarism Advice - www.plagiarismadvice.org (last accessed 24 July 2013) - provide resources, training, advice and guidance to the education sector
Articles
- Carroll, J. (2002) A Handbook for deterring plagiarism in higher education. Oxford: Oxford Brookes University, Centre for Staff Development. ISBN 1873576560.
- Carroll, J & Appleton, J (2005) JISC Plagiarism Advisory Service - Plagiarism: A Good Practice Guide. Oxford: Oxford Brookes University.
- Hooper, D (2008) Students turn to web plagiarism. BBC News Online, 29 April 2008. Available online (last accessed 24 July 2013). [Article concerns rise of plagiarism in the South West, Bristol is quoted]
- Lipsett, A (2008) Student cheating in South West grows. Education Guardian, 6 May 2008. Available online (last accessed 24 July 2013). [Article concerns rise of plagiarism in the South West, Bristol is quoted]
- Shepherd, J (2008) History essay in the making. Education Guardian, 6 May 2008. Available online (last accessed 24 July 2013). [Article concerns rise of 'contract cheating' at UK universities]
- Shepherd, J (2008) Universities review plagiarism policies to catch Facebook cheats. Education Guardian, 31 October 2008. Available online (last accessed 24 July 2013). [Article concerns a survey reporting that 49% of Cambridge undergraduates admit passing off other people's work as their own]