Plagiarism made easier though the advancement of technology By: Phil, Kim and Kristina Plagiarism made easier through the advancement of technology

Plagiarism, while not a new phenomenon, has been made easier with the advent of technology like the Internet. Presented are the definition of plagiarism, reasons for it’s continued use and methods the academic world is using to deter it. Technology has made plagiarism easier through the internet by enabling the students to have access to different websites that have copies of previously written papers that they can use part or all of it.

Pla·gia·rism (pley-juh-riz-uhm) noun What is Plagiarism? Pla·gia·rism (pley-juh-riz-uhm) noun 1. the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work. 2. something used and represented in this manner (Plagiarism) Claiming someone else’s work as your own Using papers that were written by someone else Ignorance or Omission of citation process Plagiarism, as we know it, is defined as using someone else’s work and claiming it as your own. This may include total papers written by someone else or bits and pieces of someone else’s work. It also may include using someone else’s idea and concept and not acknowledging that it was someone else’s idea, even if you paraphrase or change the wording around. Ignorance of the rules of citing references is not an excuse for plagiarizing

Why do people Plagiarize? There are many reason people plagiarize. Fear of failure or competitiveness Procrastination or time restraints Laziness or disorganization Easy access to mass information in a short amount of time Didn’t think the work would be checked Ignorance or Omission of citation process Some of the reasons students give for plagiarizing is fear of failure due to their competitiveness, procrastination which results in time restraints, laziness or disorganization in their writing process or claiming they did not know how to cite the references correctly or at all. Two more reasons students plagiarize is the easy access to mass information quickly and they do not believe that the paper will actually be checked through one of the plagiarizing detection software.

How can Plagiarism be avoided and detected? Methods academia uses to deter and detect plagiarism Set expectation of honesty and review what plagiarism is and what it consists of. Avoid assigning assignments of general topics Review student’s draft multiple times before final draft is complete Use detection software to detect plagiarism Turnitin iThenticate EVE2 Plagiarism.org IntegriGuard Professors need to be proactive and address plagiarism from the beginning of class. They need to start out and state the expectation of honesty and review what plagiarism is and what it consists of. They can also be proactive by not assigning general topic assignments that are accessable online. By reviewing the student’s drafts throughout the writing process, they can ask questions of the students about the drafts to ensure the students know the information in the paper. Once the papers are complete and turned in, professors can send them through to any of the many plagiarism detection software available. The professors will get a report of some sort detailing the likelihood that the student plagiarized.

The advancement of technology and the availability and proximity of the internet allow students to get to information quickly, thus making plagiarism easier. To combat the plagiarism issue, professors need to be proactive and set expectations and with the use of plagiarism detection software should lower the number of plagiarism instances. The internet has made it easier for students to get information quickly. With the vast amount of information found on the internet, students have found it very easy to “borrow” information and think it is okay. Technology has made it easier by means of “cut and paste” versus the old way of actually having to type it out yourself. Professors need to bring this up when they review plagiarism in the beginning of class so that everyone understands that it is unacceptable and set the expectation of honesty. By explaining their use of the plagiarism detection software, hopefully this will lower the number of instances of plagiarism, intentional as well as accidental

References plagiarism. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved April 25, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http//dictionary.reference.com/browse/ plagiarism Groark, M., Onlionger, D., & Choa, M. (2001) Term Paper Mills, Anti-Plagiarism Tools, and Academic Intergrity. EDUCAUSE Review, September/October, 40-48,retrived from www.educause.edu on April 5, 2008  Murray, W., The Plagiarism Phenomenon, E. Learning Age; October 2006, ABI/INFORM Global, pg 22.

Scanlon, P. , (2003) Student Online Plagiarism, College Scanlon, P., (2003) Student Online Plagiarism, College Teaching, 51(4), 161-165, retrieved from www.ebscohost.com on April 8, 2008.