Plagiarism today: current themes and perspectives Dr Erica Morris Senior Adviser Academic Integrity Service The Higher Education Academy

2 Measuring the scale of the problem types of misconduct, policies, procedures and penalties Education and going online academic integrity modules, learning activities (with text- matching tools) Follow the light holistic approach, institutional framework, promoting academic integrity But in my discipline educational context, subject- specific academic integrity issues Uncovering secrets reasons, student understandings and perspectives

Summarising work from last 10 years Highlighting key issues Case studies: educational approaches – Institution – Programme – Subject Sharing good practice across higher education Supporting academic integrity 3

Reviewing policy to manage unacceptable academic practice in higher education Previous research and good practice guidance 12 recommendations Examples and excerpts from institutional policies Illustrative cases Policy works 4

Plagiarism tomorrow: emerging themes, challenges and directions Dr Erica Morris Senior Adviser Academic Integrity Service The Higher Education Academy

6 Measuring the scale of the problem types of misconduct, policies, procedures and penalties Education and going online academic integrity modules, learning activities (with text- matching tools) Follow the light holistic approach, institutional framework, promoting academic integrity But in my discipline educational context, subject- specific academic integrity issues Uncovering secrets reasons, student understandings and perspectives

Importance of AMBeR project Methodological issues – Self reporting (dis)honest behaviour – Variation in terminology Patterns: use of assignments – Frequency and nature of plagiarism – Student characteristics – Walker (2010) Promote academic integrity – East (2009) Measuring the scale of the problem 7

Complex skills – Research, study, academic writing – Web resources, tutorials, online modules Formative assessment – Students: practise skills – Text-matching tools Avoid, reduce plagiarism Evaluation study – Academic integrity module – Lack of knowledge: citation – Belter and du Pre (2009) Education and going online 8 University of Aberdeens guidance on plagiarism

Generic and subject-specific issues – Group work and collusion – Data fabrication Context of the subject – Students acquiring knowledge and skills Teaching, learning and assessment practices – Authentic assessments But in my discipline 9

Follow the light 10 Continuous staff engagement Senior management Ownership of policies Working to achieve consistency Staff development Joining up strategies and policies Using tools effectively Holistic approaches – Teaching and learning strategies – Policies and procedures – Student learning and development – Staff training and development East (2009), Macdonald and Carroll (2006), Park (2004)

Varied, interrelated reasons Study on use of sources and plagiarism in essays – Questionnaire, text-analysis, consultations with students – Electronic sources as different from print – Lack of note-taking from electronic sources – Academic writing: not just technical matters – Ellery (2008) Uncovering secrets 11

Policy, strategy, practice, implementation Alignment (East, 2009) Language of policies (Bretag et al, 2011) Building connections Academic integrity standards initiative in Australia (Bretag et al) Approaches in USA: academic integrity seminars, peer educator programme (Bertram Gallant, 2010) International perspectives Directions 12

13 Range of understandings and confusions Dialogue and discussion Collaborative developments and campaigns Student engagement

Supporting academic integrity: approaches and resources for higher education Policy works: recommendations for reviewing policy to manage unacceptable academic practice in higher education Follow-up and resources 14

Belter, R. W. and du Pre, A. (2009) A strategy to reduce plagiarism in an undergraduate course. Teaching of Psychology, 36(4), Bertram Gallant, T. (2010) UCSD Academic Integrity Annual Report ed/academicintegrity/AI_ _Report.pdf [7 June 2011]. ed/academicintegrity/AI_ _Report.pdf Bretag, T., Mahmud, S., East, J., Green, M., James, C., McGowan, U., Partridge, L., Wallace, M. and Walker, R. (2011) Academic integrity standards: a preliminary analysis of academic integrity policies at Australian universities. Carroll. J. (2007) A Handbook for Deterring Plagiarism in Higher Education. Second edition. Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development. East, J. (2009) Aligning policy and practice: an approach to integrating academic integrity. Journal of Academic Language & Learning, 3(1), A38-A51. Ellery, K. (2008) An investigation into electronic-source plagiarism in a first-year essay assignment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 33(6), Macdonald, R. and Carroll, J. (2006) Plagiarism – a complex issue requiring a holistic institutional approach. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(2), Morris, E. with Carroll, J. (2011) Policy works: recommendations for reviewing policy to manage unacceptable academic practice in higher education. The Academy JISC Academic Integrity Service, The Higher Education Academy. Available from: Morris, E. et al (2010) Supporting academic integrity: approaches and resources for higher education. The Academy JISC Academic Integrity Service, The Higher Education Academy. Available from: Park, C. (2004) Rebels without a clause: towards an institutional framework for dealing with plagiarism by students. Journal of Further and Higher Education. 28 (3), Plagiarismadvice.org (2010) Plagiarism Reference Tariff. Available from: [1 November 2010]. Tennant, P. and Duggan, F. (2008) Academic Misconduct Benchmarking Research Project: Part 2. The Recorded Incidence of Student Plagiarism and the Penalties Applied. Available from: k [21 July 2010]. k Walker, J. (2010) Measuring plagiarism: researching what students do, not what they say they do. Studies in Higher Education, 35(1), References 15