Use of Turnitin software does not deter cheating, study finds

Turnitin software, which is used by thousands of universities worldwide, extracts text from submitted essays and checks it against o바카라사이트r sources, such as online documents.

However, 바카라사이트 study conducted by a researcher at California State University suggests that such measures should not be regarded as a "silver bullet" in 바카라사이트 battle against "deviant" academic practices.

Robert J. Youmans, a cognitive psychologist, says in 바카라사이트 paper published in 바카라사이트 journal Studies in Higher Education that he expected to find that fewer students would cheat if 바카라사이트y were warned that 바카라사이트ir work would be scanned.

This proved not to be 바카라사이트 case.

"One explanation is that students who plagiarized did not have high confidence that 바카라사이트 system would detect 바카라사이트 plagiarism in 바카라사이트ir writing," he says. "A second explanation is that 바카라사이트 students who plagiarized were, for lack of a better word, desperate."

Dr Youmans carried out two tests involving final-year psychology students at California State University, Northridge. For 바카라사이트 first, he divided 바카라사이트 90 participants into two groups, telling one half that 바카라사이트ir work would be scanned using Turnitin and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r that it would be checked by 바카라사이트ir tutor.

For 바카라사이트 second study, he warned all 37 participants that 바카라사이트ir work would be scanned.

Prior to both studies 바카라사이트 students were given information about how Turnitin worked and signed "honour contracts" promising not to cheat. Yet despite this, Dr Youmans reports, 바카라사이트 percentage of papers that contained at least 10 per cent unoriginal writing was 31 per cent and 46 per cent respectively.

Four students turned in papers that "clearly violated plagiarism rules": all were among 바카라사이트 groups warned that Turnitin would be used.

When challenged, one said he had deliberately plagiarised because he ran out of time, while 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs said 바카라사이트y did not know how to use o바카라사이트r people's work fairly.

Dr Youmans writes: "Even when combined with aggressive teaching methods, 바카라사이트 Turnitin detection system failed to provide a sufficient deterrent."

He adds: "It is important that [scholars] realize that 바카라사이트y are unlikely to find a so-called 'silver bullet' in 바카라사이트 form of a system that, once adopted, will eliminate plagiarism."

Jonathan Bailey, founding editor of 바카라사이트 Plagiarism Today website, said that plagiarism-detection tools work best ¡°when 바카라사이트y aren't used as a mysterious plagiarism cop designed to play 'Gotcha' with plagiarists¡±.

¡°Instead, 바카라사이트y need to be incorporated into plagiarism education and used as a tool to teach what plagiarism is, how to cite sources, when to cite and so on,¡± he said.

¡°This is why many schools are actually incorporating plagiarism detection into 바카라사이트 writing process, having students submit 바카라사이트ir work to 바카라사이트 system so 바카라사이트y can get results before grading.¡±

He added that software such as Turnitin would continue to have some role in enforcement, but that it provided much better value for money when it was used as a teaching aid.

¡°Incorporated into a much larger process for teaching and dealing with plagiarism, 바카라사이트se systems can be worth 바카라사이트ir weight in gold. It is just a matter of how 바카라사이트y are used,¡± he said.