Violating a school’s policy for plagiarism can result in an automatic fail or even worse removal from the institution completely. A study by the Center for Academic Integrity found that almost 80% of college students admit to cheating at least once and another survey by the Psychological Record shows that 36% of undergraduates have admitted to plagiarizing written material. (Standler) Plagiarism thus has become a very serious issue within education across all levels. Surprisingly such information is hard to come by defining types of plagiarism, the extent to which it is done, and how not only students but professors and many more people continue to do so. A definition of plagiarism will be explored, the levels of academic plagiarism will be defined, and solutions and consequences to such acts will be spoken of. This is important because when looking at if expulsion is a reasonable ramification of plagiarism it is necessary to explore all angles. I believe that kicking a student out due to plagiarism is reasonable in some cases yet not necessary or effective as there are varying levels, degrees, and causes of plagiarism.
What is plagiarism? Well, plagiarism is defined as “the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own.” (Oxford) Yet this definition is broad and there are more varying degrees. Plagiarism can happen at any stage of the writing process yet is commonly only looked for and found once work is published. Without the use of technology, plagiarism is hard to detect because people like professors can only rely on their instinct to see if a student has a section written that may sound different or unlike themselves. Recently technology has been introduced that can detect plagiarism. In a previous course of mine while submitting a paper it also simultaneously goes through a plagiarism checker. On the student’s behalf, the only way to make sure one does not plagiarize is to cite and keep academic honesty.
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Where is the line drawn between sloppy referencing and serious plagiarism? (Betang) Who is to be the judge? There needs to be a formula or system put in place to consider all factors and aspects that lead to plagiarizing. Because accidental plagiarism is possible from the lack of knowledge on the topic, the intent should be considered in one’s actions. Another important aspect is the amount of plagiarising happening. Once again the extent to which it is done. Is it complete plagiarism or a small plagiarised section? The last angle that needs to be focused on is the result of plagiarism. Was the plagiarism done on a final paper or a small entry paper that per se is a common assignment for a course? Should the punishment always be punitive or should there be an alternative option that is dealt with educationally? These are many of the questions that need to be addressed which makes it almost impossible to expel a student because of plagiarism since it is not all the same.
Aside from the general wrongful appropriation and theft of ideas and thoughts plagiarism can be categorized into eight different groups. This is why plagiarism needs to be assessed on almost a case-by-case basis. There is Direct, Self, Mosaic, Accidental, Inaccurate, Paraphrasing, Complete, and Source-based Plagiarism. To begin direct plagiarism is simply the most direct form. Copying one’s work word for word and then passing it off as their writing or work. This type does not include quotation marks or attribution. Self or Auto Plagiarism is the use of taking an author's previously written work and using it without any attribution. Mosaic plagiarism might be the most common form of plagiarism among students. It is hard to recognize because of its subtlety. It is when a student uses smaller phrases or sections from writing and finds things such as synonyms to fill in to create almost like a patchwork of plagiarised thoughts and ideas. The reason for this being so serious is the intent and dishonesty behind it. Accidental plagiarism is as it reads; unintended. This can include misquoting, not citing sources, or unintentionally paraphrasing. This also is very common and many students may be plagiarising without even knowing it. Inaccurate authorship or plagiarism is when an author is given credit for work she/he has not contributed to. This can also be flipped and vice versa, an author who hasn’t received credit for work he/she has contributed to is also a violation. Paraphrasing plagiarism ultimately is the most common type of plagiarism. This is simply paraphrasing an author’s writing taking thoughts, texts, and ideas without giving such credit trying to pass off the writing as one’s own. There is a large grey area with paraphrasing which is why many are finding ways to implement plagiarism checkers to help students with their writing. Complete plagiarism is when one simply takes another author's full writing or text and submits it as their own without changing anything except the name, date, and class. Lastly, source-based plagiarism is the incorrect reference of a source or using secondary sources without a citation. (8 Most Common Types)
When debating the topic of expulsion from plagiarism I do find it necessary to explore which types of plagiarism are even expulsion-worthy. Ultimately plagiarism isn’t solely worthy of expulsion simply because it is cheating. In many different aspects of life, cheating is looked down upon yet that is because in those separate cases, cheating is not normalized nor is a culture of cheating created within the activities. When it comes to athletics this type of cheating is regarded in terms of acting in such a way that it may give you an unfair advantage over others. When it is so normalized within the culture of school it almost becomes necessary otherwise the student may end up behind since everybody else is ahead. The student who does all of their work without cheating then becomes the minority while those who plagiarise thrive in a way.
One of the problems with pursuing consequences within the educational system is fear. In many cases, professors may be hesitant to follow through with punishing for cheating when it comes to plagiarism. At one point in time, all professors were students. In turn, this means that they may have been good students and followed ethical school culture. They value the education system and the importance of it. The amount of widespread plagiarism within a school may bring unwanted attention to the school or the professors thus making it hard to commit to dealing with cheating. Calling a student out for cheating is not a light accusation. Even with proof, it can bring a whole set of problems. Guilt may also play a part in the lack of responsibility when it comes to teachers. At times as hard as it is to control professors may have preferences or favorite students. This may seem harmless but can affect the grading process or one’s drive to pursue a student for academic dishonesty. This is also a form of dishonesty within teachers that is extremely hard to judge. People are not robots thus creating an ethical school culture is necessary and does not exist in many educational institutions. (Lathrop, 100)
Another big issue with plagiarism is how common it is. The constant application of plagiarism in so many different ways makes it almost unfair to expel a student if caught. It then becomes very inconsistent and students will continue to do so anyway. In a study done between the 60’s and 90’s the consensus amongst students when talking about cheating was very nonchalant. My students don’t care and don’t value doing the work themselves because of the opinion that the work itself is unnecessary and repetitive. Below are the results of the study. In the study in which data were collected from a national survey of middle school, high school, and college students, there was an upward trend in the numbness to cheating and the devaluing of morals when it pertained to caring about cheating. The study was meant to be updated in 2000 yet it did not seem for the study to be continued into later decades.
This data suggests that as time goes on students begin to value honesty within the classroom less and less. This means that to prevent plagiarism the solution needs to begin at the root not focused on a tangent that is a result of the root. There is also clearly an increase in students who cheat which has more than doubled within two decades alone. The percentage of students who allowed their work to be copied means that almost any student who requests to see work or use work to cheat will be granted that request. This creates a culture where students see many of the issues within the educational system as them vs the institution. It becomes more of a “we” problem and less than an “I” problem which means kicking students out (an individual punishment) as an “I” solution is not effective. Another problem within the culture of cheating is the normalization mixed with the lack of attention directed toward the problem. Many times parents tell their students not to cheat but that is the extent of the conversation. If it isn’t stressed students will no longer begin to care. Another study is an annual survey of the academically top 5% of American high school students, results from 1998 show a direct correlation between the lack of repercussions when it comes to cheating and the increase of doing it. The studies show that :
- “83% said cheating was either ‘fairly common’ or ‘almost everybody does it’.
- 40% had cheated on a quiz or test themselves.
- 67% had copied someone's homework
34% said their parents never talked about cheating and only 6% were caught cheating while the most frequent punishment was being told ‘never do it again’” (Lathrop, 3) This shows that there is a disconnect between the lack of education on the importance of not cheating and the amount of cheating that is taken place. A suggested solution to kicking students out is educating students on the types of cheating, the possible consequences of cheating, and a more restorative approach as a solution instead of just kicking the student out.
Many more questions need to be addressed such as why do many students feel the need to plagiarize? Is it quite simply the laziness of students or maybe sometimes are students ill-equipped to handle the work thrown at them?
Ultimately plagiarism is not always punishable by expulsion. The world is not as black and white to say that every moment a student is caught the result should be the same. In the article “Challenges in Addressing Plagiarism in Education” Bretand explains how “plagiarism is not only an issue of student assessment. It is a symptom of a deeply entrenched academic culture that arguably places tangible rewards (grades, diplomas, publications, promotions, grants) above the intrinsic value of learning and knowledge creation.”(Bretang). Students would not plagiarise as much as they do if many didn’t feel as if there was a need to plagiarize. From educational levels from early middle school to higher education that same similar trend has continued. This shows that the issue must be rooted deeper within our educational system and not something to be dealt with at a surface glance. To summarize plagiarism is much more of a complex issue than many often realize. To address this issue it is necessary to recognize that a solution must be approached in a more holistic approach which in turn changes the negative culture that has been fostered around plagiarism.
Works Cited
- Bretag T (2013) Challenges in Addressing Plagiarism in Education. PLoS Med 10(12): e1001574. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001574
- Lathrop, Ann. “Student Cheating and Plagiarism in the Internet Era: A Wake-up Call.” Student Cheating and Plagiarism in the Internet Era: A Wake-up Call, Libraries Unlimited, 2000
- Dhammi, Ish Kumar, and Rehan Ul Haq. “What is plagiarism and how to avoid it?.” Indian Journal of Orthopaedics vol. 50,6 (2016): 581-583. doi:10.4103/0019-5413.193485
- “Office of the Dean of Students.” The Common Types of Plagiarism | Bowdoin College, www.bowdoin.edu/dean-of-students/judicial-board/academic-honesty-and-plagiarism/common-types-of-plagiarism.html.
- Standler, Ronald B. Plagiarism in Colleges in USA Legal Aspects of Plagiarism, Academic Policy. 16 Apr. 2012, www.rbs2.com/plag.pdf.
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