Plagiarism and Cheating Online - Research Proposal Example

Plagiarism cheating and plagiarizing are drawing much attention these days due to the fact that the rates of plagiarism have risen due to the almost universal access to the Internet. The research investigates the relationship between students’ awareness of the nature of plagiarism and its seriousness and plagiarism rates. It is hypothesized in the research that there is a direct relationship between students’ lack of understanding of what plagiarism really is and its high rates. This paper reviews literature and statistical data on student plagiarism to define how big the problem is, what the main causes of it are and how students themselves perceive the notion of plagiarism and whether they have a full understanding of the problem. Introduction These days, people are more concerned with plagiarism than in previous years, and this concern is explained through the rise of the so-called ‘New Plagiarism’ which originated due to the availability of the Internet sources. Every year, the problem is growing bigger, and there is evidence that plagiarism becomes a common method used by both undergraduate and postgraduate students attending different types of educational establishments. The issue becomes even harder to deal with as the notion of plagiarism appears to be difficult to define (Posner 11). The main purpose of the research paper is to study and analyze the types and causes of plagiarism as well as tendencies, prevalence and students’ attitude toward the trend with the aim to answer the research question, which is as follows: is there a relationship between students’ awareness of the nature of plagiarism and its consequences and plagiarism rates? Methods The main method used while conducting the research on plagiarism is literature analysis. The research started with the Internet search on the issue. More specifically, it started with the search of the definition of plagiarism as well as its classification and current data on its prevalence and main trends. When the necessary data were found, the research moved on to and was narrowed to more specific issues, such as students’ motives, intentions as well as perception of the issue. With the aim to find the necessary information, search through various online databases was conducted. As a result, a range of articles, books, handbooks and brochures were found. Through the analysis of their content, five most relevant of them were chosen to be used in the further research. Results Types of cheating Researches on academic dishonesty among students often focus on the cheating practices that students engage in and, more specifically, on types of plagiarism. In accordance with Nelms, there are at least six types of written plagiarism (6). The first type is plagiarism of authorship, which means that a student steals material from another source and simply puts there his / her name. The second type is word-for-word plagiarism, which presupposes copying words, sentences or even entire passages of text without quotation marks. Also, paraphrasing plagiarism also occurs among students when they paraphrase material from someone’s work without proper referencing. The last common type of plagiarism is plagiarism of ideas, which is using ideas taken from another source without acknowledging the author of that source (Nelms). Reasons why students cheat In order to be able to address the issue of plagiarism, a number of studies have been conducted with the aim to recognize the causes, motives, and intentions of students who plagiarize. The state of things regarding the problem is quite complex, and the reasons for plagiarism are numerous and multi-dimensional. First of all, students plagiarize because it gives an opportunity both to get a good mark and save time. In other words, those who are not confident in their skills and abilities, such as academic writing, as well as those who experience either lack of time or problems with time management or even both choose plagiarism. Secondly, very often, it is student’s personal attitudes and values, such as laziness, a lack of respect for authority etc., that result in plagiarism (Batane 7). In addition to this, plagiarism also takes place due to students’ ignorance, meaning they are not clear about the nature of plagiarism, and commit plagiarism unintentionally. Also, cultural differences influence student’s view on plagiarism. For instance, students from cultures, in which collectivism is valued greatly, may not perceive plagiarism as a problem (Posner). Prevalence of plagiarism in educational institutions The available data on the prevalence of plagiarism do not give a clear picture on the seriousness of the issue as well as the nature of plagiarism as the problem. Also, it is not so easy to find comparative data due to the fact that in the majority of cases studies and researches on plagiarism differ in focus, aims, and sources of information. The reported incidence of plagiarism varies depending on the level of students’ education. As it follows from the information obtained from the Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics and the research conducted by Donald McCabe of Rutgers University, the older the students are, the less is the chance they will engage in plagiarism. More specifically, among high school students, it is 58% that admitted cheating; 36% of undergraduates admitted copying and/or paraphrasing information without proper referencing; the amount of graduate students who admitted the same is 24% (“Facts and Stats”). How students perceive plagiarism In accordance with the latest research results, many students do not have a clear idea either of what plagiarism really is or how serious this issue is. More specifically, the study described in Times Higher Education shows that about 30% of interviewed students state it is normal to copy ideas without references in case they paraphrase and about a half of respondents believe quotation marks are not needed if large sections of text are copied. In addition to this, a significant number of respondent do not show a full understanding of the nature of plagiarism. Discussion The results of the research show the main issue to be addressed and analyzed in regard to student plagiarism. As it follows from what is mentioned above, in the majority of cases plagiarism occurs due to the fact that students are not well-informed on the nature of the problem, its peculiarities and consequences. Now it is clear that a significant number of students do commit plagiarism because they do not have a clear understanding of what should be regarded as plagiarism. As a result, quite often it leads to unintentional plagiarism. In addition to this, intentional plagiarism appears to be the consequence of the lack of authority in educational establishments, meaning that there are no certain rules regarding this issue or the existing rules are not clear to students. Conclusions / Recommendations From the data obtained during the research, it follows that there is a direct correlation between the rates of plagiarism and students awareness of the nature of this notion. More specifically, the results show that the high rates of plagiarism are presupposed by the fact that a significant number of students do not know what plagiarism really is and what its actual manifestations are. Based on the research results, it is clear that students need more information on what plagiarism is and what its types are as well as on how to avoid plagiarizing and improve one’s academic writing skills. Therefore, it is not only detection tools, such as Turnitin, and penalties that are necessary to deal with the issue but certain educational programs and student engagement as well. Works Cited Batane, T. "Turning to Turnitin to Fight Plagiarism Among University Students." Educational Technology and Society. 13.2 (2010): 1-12. Print. "Facts and Stats." Plagiarism.org. iParadigms, LLC, 2014. Web. 29 Jun 2015. . Jump, P. "Hundreds Fail to Spot Plagiarism." Times Higher Education. 23 Apr 2015: n. page. Web. 29 Jun. 2015. . Nelms, G. "Plagiarism Overview: What Research on Plagiarism Tells Us." Wright State University. Wright State University, n.d. Web. 29 Jun 2015. . Posner, R. A. The Little Book of Plagiarism. Pantheon Books, 2007. Print. Read More