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MANAGING PLAGIARISM: A PREVENTATIVE APPROACH

Robert Insley University of North Texas

UNFORTUNATELY, PLAGIARISM IS A REALITY in most college classes where some students plagiarize unknowingly and others do so knowingly. This situation requires instructors to decide how to manage the situation. Some may take the easy way out by ignoring the problem, simply pretending that none of their students plagiarize. It is hoped that only a few will take this approach, although it can be tempting when saddled with high-enrollment classes and/or a heavy workload. In contrast, other instructors embrace the problem by putting forth the effort, the time, and the creativity to devise practical solutions. Embracing the problem, in turn, gives way to two major challenges. The first involves a willing- ness to move past the disappointment and frustration associated with accepting that some plagiarism is very likely occurring in our classes. This is necessary so we can move forward with clear, logical minds unim- peded by emotions. The second challenge involves devising practical approaches to manage the problem by reflecting on our past experiences, applying creativity, and considering methods suggested by others.

The remainder of this article focuses on approaches designed to embrace the problem. As you proceed, reflect on whether your current approaches to the problem are punitive or preventative. Next, I explain the main reasons students plagiarize. Then, I present several approaches that are relatively effective in managing plagiarism in an extensive team project in my business communication classes; all link directly to specific reasons for plagiarism. Last, the article presents some additional possibilities for managing plagiarism.

PuNITIVE OR PREVENTATIVE?

Are the approaches you use to manage plagiarism in your classes pre- dominately punitive or preventative? Do they set a negative or a positive

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tone in your classes? The tone of a class either contributes to the problem or helps reduce it. For example, using predominately punitive approaches often leaves students feeling that their instructors don’t care about them and their educational well-being. For some, a negative tone serves as a catalyst to test their professors! I have known instructors who practice predominately punitive approaches and appear to take great pleasure in catching and punishing students they catch plagiarizing. In contrast, using preventative approaches typically sets a positive tone that tells students you care about their learning and success. Fortunately, I have come into contact with a greater number of instructors who believed that plagiarism could best be managed through prevention, using approaches that encouraged, motivated, and taught their students how to avoid plagiarizing.

The latter is my preference. I believe I was influenced in this direc- tion, in part, by my father and one of his many World War II stories. Early in the war, fellow soldiers would occasionally ask why he locked his footlocker. “To eliminate temptation” was his response; in other words, to keep them honest. With regard to plagiarism, I believe well- crafted preventative approaches can serve a purpose similar to the lock on my father’s footlocker.

TyPICAL REASONS fOR PLAGIARISM

Students plagiarize for a number of reasons. Whereas some are cognizant of what they are doing, others are not. We need to be careful not to be too quick to label all students who plagiarize as being unethi- cal scoundrels. When we do, valuable teaching and learning oppor- tunities are lost.

I’ve identified three main reasons some students plagiarize. First, some students unknowingly plagiarize because they are unclear as to what constitutes a quotation or paraphrase and how to cite each properly. Second, other students plagiarize as a direct result of simply “waiting until the last minute” to research and write their papers. In their haste to complete their assignments, they knowingly copy what they see in journal articles and websites without giving authors credit. Of course, they hope they don’t get caught. Third, other students, despite having adequate time, knowingly plagiarize because they believe doing so is

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a quick-and-easy way to complete their assignments. They may even be arrogant or naïve enough to believe that their instructors are incapable of identifying where they plagiarized. So they take the easy way out.

REASON-CENTEREd APPROACHES TO MANAGE PLAGIARISM

Here are the approaches I use to manage plagiarism in my business communication classes. Each is directly linked to one of the student reasons for plagiarizing.

Reason 1. Some students unknowingly plagiarize because they are unclear as to what constitutes a quotation or paraphrase and how to cite properly. Preventative approaches include class discussions about the meaning and role of plagiarism, the purpose and meaning of quot- ing and paraphrasing, and how to cite quotations and paraphrases properly. A detailed team project guidelines handout that each student receives includes similar information.

Reason 2. Some students plagiarize as a direct result of waiting until the last minute to conduct research and write their papers. One preventative approach requires that each team have its research col- lected early in the project, which ensures students will not procrastinate. Another is to require that each team submit a draft copy of its entire report a few weeks before the final edited version is due. This not only keeps teams from waiting until the last minute to write the report; it also leaves them enough time to edit before submitting the final version. In addition, requiring a draft allows me to identify plagiarism early, so that I can bring the matter to the team’s attention. They can then make the necessary corrections before submitting the final version. Although I do not deduct points for plagiarism in the draft, I do take punitive actions if the final report is plagiarized.

Reason 3. Some students, despite having adequate time, knowingly plagiarize because they believe doing so is a quick-and-easy way to complete their assignments. Preventative measures in response to this situation are varied. What I really want is for these individuals to under- stand that I do not take acts of plagiarism lightly. For example, when

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I inform classes that plagiarism is one of the things that I will look for in the draft, I do not mention that no points will be deducted. I also remind classes that I cross-check their drafts with reports submitted during previous semesters and that citations are required. Finally, I remind students, both in class and in writing, of the severity of pun- ishment for plagiarizing the final version: An individual or team could receive a zero for the project and be reported for further action to our university’s Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Business students must earn at least a C, since this is a core course, and repeat- ing it would be a certainty because the project accounts for 25% of the grade. A student who earns a zero on the project would need a near-perfect performance on the remaining grade components to earn a C. In addition, the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities would likely take additional and possibly more severe measures.

OTHER APPROACHES

In addition to these approaches, here are some other possibilities. Vary project topics by adding new ones and not repeating previously used topics frequently. Also, when reading each team’s report, look out for sections that read too smoothly in contrast with the other writing; occa- sionally, these sections contain plagiarized material. I also look closely at sections that contain none or very few citations. Possibly, the most effective approach is my reminder that all members of each team are collectively responsible for the quality of the report’s final version: If plagiarism is identified, each team member shares the punishment. This sobering reminder seems to get their attention and goes a long way toward inspiring individuals not to plagiarize, as well as in looking for and discouraging it in their teammates’ writings.

CLOSING THOuGHTS

Wouldn’t it be nice if one simple approach could effectively manage plagiarism in our classes? Possibly, one day one of us will figure it out. In the meantime, we are left to piece together methods that work for each of us. The approaches shared in this article collectively work for me. You may already be using some or all of these or may want to try some other ones. By all means, do so. But I hope the methods you use

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are preventative and promote a classroom environment conducive to both teaching and learning, instead of one that centers on mistrust, resentment, and punishment.

Robert Insley is an associate professor of management at the University of North Texas. His current research focuses on engaged learning pedagogies, self-regulated learning, and response set bias. Address correspondence to Rober t Insley, Depar tment of Management, Denton, TX 76203-5017; email: [email protected].

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