Plagiarism | Resources

An article by Darin Wagner    No Comments

One of the primary concerns expressed by educators in this electronic, Google age, is the ease with which students can simply search, find, copy, paste and submit information as if it was their own. Not a surprise then that a number of web sites exist now with the purpose of tracking down those that refuse to cite or give credit when it is due. Listed below are a few free resources that might come in handy if you need to check some student submissions.

:::plagium | http://plagium.com/
DOC Cop | http://www.doccop.com/
PlagiarismDetect.com | http://www.plagiarismdetect.com/

My concern is not so much about the plagiarism (yes, it is wrong and we have to teach students how to cite properly) but more about the assignment itself that allows for search, find, copy, paste and submit. Yes, there is basic information in every content area that students have to know in order to understand and make personal meaning, and teachers should expect that student know this declarative knowledge. But if we really want students to engage with content, we need to change the nature of the assignments we are asking them to complete. Since Jamie McKenzie writes much better than I do, I will send you to his post where you can read about strategies to avoid the “cut & paste” scenario.

The New Plagiarism: Seven Antidotes to Prevent Highway Robbery in an Electronic Age
http://www.fno.org/may98/cov98may.html