Plagiarism
in an Online Environment
Mary Pat McQueeney
Associate Professor of English at JCCC
http://staff.jccc.net/pmcqueen
pmcqueen@jccc.net
WPA Definition:
“In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs
when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s
language, ideas, or other original (not common-
knowledge) material without acknowledging its
sources.”
--from “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best
Practice”
Council of Writing Program Administrators
Academic Integrity
Pat’s policy statement from her syllabus:
Represent your work honestly, and give credit
according to accepted conventions to the
work of others, whether you gained use of it
from a paper, an electronic source, a visual,
or from a conversation….
…Students who have someone else do their
work commit fraud. Misrepresenting the work
of others--their specific words or their ideas--
is plagiarism. Both fraud and plagiarism are
serious offenses that will result in failure for
the assignment and a letter submitted to the
student's permanent file….
Take care to protect your files from theft or
misuse. I will not sort out individuals‟
intentions if I receive one paper submitted by
two people.
Plagiarism Categories by Intention
“Plagiarism”
Confusion Ignorance Deception
Create learning environment:
1. Use CMS—students own learning
2. Promote student communication
Class pictures (secure shell) and bios
Discussion Board—peer review/cyber lounge
Chat
3. Encourage civil discourse
4. Involve students in process
Explain assignment strategies
Disclose plagiarism deterrents
5. Encourage review of exemplary
communication
Listservs
Individual and organizational web pages
Journals online
Student exchanges
Address confusion about ….
Best places to search
for a source
Nature of a particular
source or site
What‟s reliable
Ownership of a text
Selection of best information
Conventions for acknowledging sources
URL paths
Boolean logic
Use of word processing programs
Copy and paste
Format
Edit
Adapt to online environment….
Jamie McKenzie, writing about the “new plagiarism”
emerging from technological factors, points out that
“it is reckless and irresponsible to continue requiring
Topical „go find out about‟ Research projects in this
new electronic context. To do so extends an
invitation…to „binge‟ on information.”
--From “The New Plagiarism…” available at FNO.org 7.8(1998)
Topic Tips:
More options not better Promote thinking
Specify some sources Encourage higher
order: how, why, and
good/better/best
Tie curriculum to
inquiry.
Theory
Value “narrow/deep”
Theme rather than
Student career goals “broad/shallow.”
Process Tips:
Make writing real:
Real audience and purpose.
Publish end product.
Scaffold assignments across a course.
Chunk out tasks to permit damage control
and accountability.
Require peer feedback throughout process.
Draw on templates—with temperance
Use support services
Incorporate CAC
As students begin--
Brainstorm in groups
Report choice of topic to class
As project progresses--
Give oral progress report to class or group
At the end--
Present PowerPoint, Web, or scientific poster presentation
Ask class for oral feedback
Deter fraud….
consistent policy
Google (or other search engine)
Commercial systems—with care
and ethical reflection
What will (and will not) system
detect?
Have students given permission
to put papers in databases?
A positive final thought:
How the increase of Internet Plagiarism has
“improved” our instruction:
Challenges traditional writing genres and trite
assignments.
Challenges the “banking model” of knowledge and
education
Promotes thinking about interrelationship of
academic inquiry and thinking.
--Russell Hunt
Slides and a linked bibliography are available
at Writing Matters!, my web site, for the
remainder of the semester. Go to
http://staff.jccc.net/pmcqueen
Click on Teaching
My email: pmcqueen@jccc.net