How to Discourage Plagiarism
Students may plagiarize for a variety of reasons. While some students may deliberately cheat and use another person's work, others may simply be unaware of what constitutes plagiarism. This can be because of a lack of research skills as well as confusion about how to cite sources. Internet resources can make plagiarism particularly confusing, since students may not understand how to cite and evaluate the information they find on the Web. There are ways in which you can educate your students on these issues and help to prevent plagiarism in the classroom.
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Instructions
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Educate students on what constitutes plagiarism; if students don't fully understand what plagiarism is, it can be difficult to avoid, particularly as today's students have access to such diverse materials via the Internet. Explain fair-use laws, copyright and academic integrity, including the academic standards at your school. Clarify how and when to use citations and what constitutes plagiarism, so that student are made aware of the need to cite on-line sources and know how to do so. Give students a clear idea of the ethical issues involved in plagiarism.
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Clearly explain the consequences of plagiarism. Include both the institutional consequences at your school as well as the consequences for your class. Include these rules in your syllabus, so that students have a written copy as well. Plagiarizing can result in academic suspension or expulsion from school; for your class, plagiarism may result in a failing grade on the individual assignment or for the course. Make these consequences clear at the beginning of the semester.
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Design your course to discourage plagiarism. Stagger due dates for different parts of a paper, and specify that different sources be used; for example, Internet sources as well as journal articles or book citations. Change paper topics each time you offer the course to prevent students from using or buying peer papers. Explain to your students that you will check their sources randomly. Require students to hand in their notes or outlines for the paper.
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Tips & Warnings
Educate students on how to properly cite Internet sources. Provide style guidelines for your field, and explain how these are used to prevent plagiarism. Show examples or the right and wrong ways to cite sources.
When discussing the consequences of plagiarism, it may be best to give fair warning but not threaten students. This allows them to openly ask questions about plagiarism and proper citation methods.
