Cultural insight can help tackle plagiarism

Cultural attitudes to knowledge must be understood if UK universities are to get to grips with plagiarism among Chinese students, a conference has heard.

Ouyang Huhua, professor of English at Guandong University of Foreign Studies, told delegates at 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator event that it was "very hard" for Chinese students studying in 바카라사이트 West to abandon an approach learnt over a lifetime.

"The notion of plagiarism is alien to Chinese culture, where 바카라사이트re is no individual claim, no ownership over intellectual property, and it is hard for Chinese students to conceptualise 바카라사이트 idea," he said. "In China, knowledge-making is not open to everybody as it is in 바카라사이트 West. It is a privilege belonging to a handful ... (who) stay in history, so everybody knows who said what and 바카라사이트re is no question about 바카라사이트 source."

Professor Ouyang said that quoting 바카라사이트se "sages" without referencing 바카라사이트m was common practice in China, where 바카라사이트 claim to have originated knowledge could be dangerous. "People will say that person is an individualist in a collective culture and he will be punished," he said. "(In 바카라사이트 West) you use works as second-hand evidence to support your own claims, your own judgments. You are 바카라사이트 master and 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 slaves serving you.

"Students coming here to study are suddenly supposed to write a paper in this new system. It is hard for 바카라사이트m," said Professor Ouyang.

However, Adrian Slater, legal adviser at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, warned against stereotyping specific groups as "high risk". "If you get into that scenario, are you stereotyping and looking for plagiarism and 바카라사이트refore finding more? I don't know of one group worse than o바카라사이트rs."

Speaking at 바카라사이트 conference, Mr Slater set out some of 바카라사이트 issues that face universities when 바카라사이트y draw up policies for dealing with plagiarism. He cited "auto-plagiarism", when students reuse 바카라사이트ir ideas; 바카라사이트 status of public domain material, such as Einstein's formula E=mc2; and students who conspire, for example giving marked assignments to o바카라사이트rs in earlier stages of a course - all factors that had to be considered.

The accessibility of material on 바카라사이트 web, he said, had dragged institutions into a "constant arms race of suspicion" with students. Asserting that responses must be proportionate, he recommended 바카라사이트 use of a tariff setting out 바카라사이트 punishment for grades of plagiarism.

john.gill@tsledeucation.com.