Guidelines for Instructors
Plagiarism (lat. plagium 'kidnapping’') is the illicit appropriation of another person’s intellectual property.1
In academic and educational contexts, we use the word plagiarism to describe the borrowing of individual words, passages of text or structures without citing the original source and author.
Academic Misconduct
There is a very thin line separating academic misconduct from plagiarism. It is often not possible to distinguish clearly between the two.
In practice, most cases of academic misconduct result from negligence, such as the insufficient verification of sources, or an incorrect method of source citation. However, certain intentional actions can also be reprimanded as academic misconduct.
"Academic misconduct is present whenever false information of a materially significant nature is given, knowingly or not, in a scholastic context or in an academic paper, or when the intellectual property rights of another party are violated, or their research activities are deliberately impaired in some other way."2
When do we Speak of Plagiarism?
"By plagiarism we mean the appropriation, in whole or in part, of somebody else’s work without citing the original source and author. Plagiarism is essentially a violation of copyright. Brief passages of somebody else’s work may be cited, so long as the citation is properly labeled and the source is indicated."3
In suspicious or borderline cases, a thorough examination of the work suspected of plagiarism is essential. You can obtain more information on what to do in such cases and on how plagiarism within a text can be proven under Suspecting or Finding Plagiarism.
Sources:
1 http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarismus, accessed on 30.01.2012
2 https://www.weiterbildung.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:ffffffff-9a08-8cca-ffff-fffffe74617c/A_Z_Plagiaten_vorbeugen.pdf, accessed on 03.10.2018
3 https://www.weiterbildung.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:ffffffff-9a08-8cca-ffff-fffffe74617c/A_Z_Plagiaten_vorbeugen.pdf, accessed on 03.10.2018
As an instructor, you can help prevent plagiarism before any document is ever written.
This requires a good working relationship with your students, so that you can influence them to adopt the proper academic writing techniques. The main goal is prevention:
"University instructors are also responsible for the academic writing of their students. They should, therefore, begin instructing the students early in the fundamentals of scholarly writing and set an example for them. They should ensure that those under their supervision properly learn the rules governing academic writing. Students and research assistants must be trained to recognize cases of academic misconduct."1
Sensitizing and Explaining
The following is an overview of didactic measures for avoiding plagiarism:
- Raising the subject: for example, by discussing plagiarism in lectures, establishing a code of conduct, having instructors set the example.
- Introductory lectures on project and time management: discussing sensible time-management strategies and efficient planning of academic papers.
- A good introduction to academic writing: training students in the fundamentals of scholarly writing and proper citation techniques.2
Changing the Scope of Assignments
- Changing the choice of topic: avoiding subjects that are too general; narrowing down the scope of the subject.
- Adapting the subject: For example, through current or regional references.
- Clarifying the originality of the work: how demanding are the academic standards?3
Additional Requirements
In order to establish the authenticity of the work, some additional requirements are in order. These additional features should be provided along with the work itself.4
- Giving thesis sheets and reference lists
- Oral presentations and thesis defense
- Portfolio on the writing process
- Adding a bibliography
- Requiring at least 2 or 3 current internet sources or books: This is especially recommended for high school students. The inclusion of required sources helps to ease them into the process of academic writing.
Online Plagiarism Software
- Adopting a software-based system for plagiarism detection and analysis: Let your students know that their institution uses professional tools for detecting plagiarism. Doing this will dissuade many students from engaging in plagiarism from the start.5
Establishing an Honor Code
An honor code establishes standards of conduct for instructors and students alike. By signing the code, both groups pledge to uphold the rules and duties laid down by it. A code of honor creates an academic justification for preventing plagiaristic fraud.
This method is widely used at American universities and has proven very successful.
An honor code generally consists of two components. First of all, it defines the rules of good academic practice as well as the conditions that constitute academic misconduct; secondly, it lays out the procedure for dealing with academic misconduct.
BFU Berlin provides us with a good, practical example of how to implement an honor code.6
Sources:
1 https://www.weiterbildung.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:ffffffff-9a08-8cca-ffff-fffffe74617c/A_Z_Plagiaten_vorbeugen.pdf, accessed on 03.10.2018
2 https://www.weiterbildung.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:ffffffff-9a08-8cca-ffff-fffffe74617c/A_Z_Plagiaten_vorbeugen.pdf, accessed on 03.10.2018
3 https://www.weiterbildung.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:ffffffff-9a08-8cca-ffff-fffffe74617c/A_Z_Plagiaten_vorbeugen.pdf, accessed on 03.10.2018
4 https://www.weiterbildung.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:ffffffff-9a08-8cca-ffff-fffffe74617c/A_Z_Plagiaten_vorbeugen.pdf, accessed on 03.10.2018
5 http://www.plagscan.com, accessed on 14.02.2012
6 http://www.fu-berlin.de/forschung/service/Ehrenkodex-ab292002.pdf, accessed on 14.02.2012
Not every student is a potential plagiarist. In order to detect plagiarism, you need solid clues.
Indicators of Plagiarism
In an effort to avert suspicion of plagiarism, many students try to disguise their copying. Passages of text are rearranged or mixed together from various sources.1
A trained eye, however, can tell just by reading whether a document is internally consistent. The following signs may indicate an instance of plagiarism:2
Unusually Good Writing Style
Naturally there are some documents written by students which are very good in style.
However, when a text is extraordinarily well written and the diction is too perfect, you should begin to entertain doubts. These could be signs of plagiarism, especially in the case of inexperienced writers or those just beginning their studies.
Change of Style
A sudden change of style within a document could indicate that “cribbing” occurred while it was being written.
Whenever
- the text suddenly becomes flawless after a significantly large section with spelling errors
- the subjunctive is frequently used
- or the formatting suddenly changes in the middle of a running text (different headings, line spacing, margins or fonts),
you should conduct a manual plagiarism check.
Unusual Words
If you notice exceptionally strange words or unusual expressions in a document that are not part of a student’s vocabulary, this could be an indicator of plagiarism.
Spelling errors
Unusual misspellings can be a sign of plagiarism. Mistakes are sometimes copied word for word from a source since the plagiarist believes that they are actually examples of technical jargon.
Likewise, proper nouns written several different ways in the same document may also indicate that the text was copied from several different sources. A plagiarism check would also be advisable in this situation.
Methods of Checking for Plagiarism
If suspicions begin to mount, there are various methods for establishing whether plagiarism has taken place.3
Online Search Engines
At first you should randomly check some of the passages in question, using a search engine such as Google or Yahoo. z. B. Google oder Yahoo.4
Simply type whichever sentences grab your eye into the search box. For optimal search results, these sentences should be at least six words in length.
Note: Do not forget to document the websites where you have located the sources of plagiarism so that you can find them again if necessary. As websites are constantly changing, you are best advised to print out the relevant documents with date and source.
Online Plagiarism Software
An efficient alternative to time-intensive searches and manual evaluation would be an online program for automated plagiarism checking.5
Such an online service allows you to simply upload suspicious documents for immediate analysis. The results are listed along with all sources located.
Additionally, you can have all matches shown directly within the text and compared with one another. The number of matches is displayed as a percentage.
Library Search
Even with the internet’s numerous possibilities, conducting research at the library is still advisable in many cases. Although this method of research is a bit more time-consuming, it is well worth the effort when plagiarism is suspected.
Tip: Many libraries now have access to an online catalog where you can retrieve books in digital form.
Handling Cases of Plagiarism
Once you have established that plagiarism has taken place, you should act without delay and respond appropriately.
One-on-one conversation
The first thing you should do is speak confidentially with the student, asking them why they plagiarized.6
In the first case, you will often thereby obtain helpful information for preventing similar cases of plagiarism from occurring in the future. Secondly, by discussing it, the incident can be made into a learning experience for the student.
Sanctions
Inform yourself about the guidelines concerning plagiarism and the consequences for it prescribed by your educational institution.
At the university level, it is necessary to inform the university’s attorney. Moreover, you should find out whether there exists a committee responsible for handling cases of plagiarism and inform them right away.
Some educational institutions have an honor code which explicitly defines penalties for plagiarism.
Sources:
1 https://www.weiterbildung.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:ffffffff-9a08-8cca-ffff-fffffe74617c/A_Z_Plagiaten_vorbeugen.pdf, accessed on 03.10.2018
2 https://komm-in.uni-hohenheim.de/fileadmin/einrichtungen/agrar/Studium/Plagiate/strategien_plagiate.pdf, accessed on 08.02.2012
3 https://komm-in.uni-hohenheim.de/fileadmin/einrichtungen/agrar/Studium/Plagiate/strategien_plagiate.pdf, accessed on 08.02.2012
4 http://www.google.de, http://de.yahoo.com, accessed on 09.02.2012
5 http://www.plagscan.com, accessed on 09.02.2012
6 https://komm-in.uni-hohenheim.de/fileadmin/einrichtungen/agrar/Studium/Plagiate/strategien_plagiate.pdf, accessed on 08.02.2012
7 https://www.weiterbildung.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:ffffffff-9a08-8cca-ffff-fffffe74617c/A_Z_Plagiaten_vorbeugen.pdf, accessed on 03.10.2018
When a plagiarist is caught, there are consequences. Plagiarism is no trivial offense; it is a violation of copyright law which must be seriously penalized. You should always bear that in mind.1
Consequences at the K-12 Level
At the K-12 educational level, consequences can range from a grade point deduction on the assignment to an outright failing grade. Penalty assignments can additionally be imposed. In severe cases or for repeat offenses, the plagiarist can even be threatened with expulsion from school.2
Consequences at the University Level
At the university level, consequences can range from a disciplinary warning, to an automatic course failure, to an expungement from the student registry or even the full revocation of an academic degree or title.3
Note: Committing plagiarism has extensive repercussions and can irreparably damage one’s reputation. Moreover, it can have the effect of rendering certain career paths — in politics, academia, or the public sector — permanently off limits.
Legal Consequences
The following excerpts from the law of copyright make clear the legal consequences that you can face, in addition to any other penalties imposed by your school or university:
§ 106 Impermissible Use of Copyright-protected Works
(1) Whoever copies, distributes or publicly displays a work, or a revision or modification of a work, without the permission of the rightful owner and in a manner other than prescribed by law, is to be incarcerated for a period not to exceed three years or penalized with a fine.
(2) Attempted plagiarism is also punishable.4
§ 109 Demand for Legal Redress
In cases under Sections 106 to 108 and 108b, the crime will only be prosecuted in response to a demand for legal redress, except where the prosecuting authority believes it to be in the public interest to intervene officially.5