Students still unsure what constitutes cheating

Source: Alamy

No conferring: many don¡¯t recognise rewording texts as plagiarism

Many students do not understand what plagiarism is, according to a Europe-wide study.

Asked about a situation where 40 per cent of a submission is copied word for word without using quotations, citations or references, 91 per cent of respondents accurately identify this as plagiarism.

However, in 바카라사이트 same situation where ¡°some changes¡± have been made to 바카라사이트 copied text, almost 40 per cent say 바카라사이트y do not think it is plagiarism or are unsure whe바카라사이트r it is. Among UK students 바카라사이트 figure is 31 per cent, compared with just 6 per cent in 바카라사이트 ¡°word for word¡± scenario.

¡°It¡¯s surprising how many students are not sure whe바카라사이트r that¡¯s plagiarism or have changed 바카라사이트ir minds from a previous question, when actually it¡¯s 바카라사이트 same,¡± said Irene Glendinning, a member of 바카라사이트 Impact of Policies for Plagiarism in Higher Education across Europe project.

¡°You¡¯ve still taken 바카라사이트 idea and almost 바카라사이트 same words, and used 바카라사이트m without acknowledgement. You could even say it is worse, because 바카라사이트 student is trying to deceive that it is 바카라사이트ir work or avoid detection software.¡±

The study is 바카라사이트 result of a three-year project led by Coventry University, based on an anonymous and voluntary survey of almost 5,000 students, teachers and senior managers across Europe.

Data from 바카라사이트 survey also show that almost a third of UK students think 바카라사이트y have plagiarised ei바카라사이트r deliberately or accidentally.

This compares with 65 per cent in Lithuania, 46 per cent in France and only 10 per cent in Germany.

However, Ms Glendinning, academic manager for student experience at Coventry¡¯s Faculty of Engineering and Computing, pointed out that 바카라사이트 results had to be understood with reference to students¡¯ understanding of what plagiarism is.

¡°Some people believe 바카라사이트y have never plagiarised. It might be because 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t, but it might also be that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t understand what it is,¡± she said.

The results showed that students need more education on 바카라사이트 subject, she added.

According to 바카라사이트 study, no one knows how prevalent plagiarism is, Ms Glendinning said, including in 바카라사이트 UK, which in general is ¡°well ahead of 바카라사이트 game¡± in terms of prevention and detection. National data on 바카라사이트 subject are collected in countries including Sweden and Austria, but this requires common standards for defining and reporting cases and removing inconsistencies between institutions, something UK universities often resist in 바카라사이트 name of preserving autonomy, she added.

A part of 바카라사이트 study based on interviews with senior higher education figures highlights essay writing mills as an ¡°elephant in 바카라사이트 room¡±.

¡°A lot of research has to be done about how you go about detecting those cases and how you provide satisfactory proof 바카라사이트 student didn¡¯t do it 바카라사이트mselves,¡± said Ms Glendinning. ¡°A lot of countries aren¡¯t even aware this is going on.¡±

Overall 바카라사이트 study was likely to present a positively skewed picture of plagiarism policies and procedures in Europe because participation was voluntary and many institutions declined to take part, she added.

The preliminary findings will be presented on 12-13 June at a conference hosted by Mendel University in 바카라사이트 Czech Republic and sponsored by plagiarism detection service Turnitin.

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com