Being Proactive About
Plagiarism
How to Prevent, Detect, and Deal with It
By Dr. Ellen Millsaps and Prof. Emaly
Conerly, Carson-Newman College
What do these have in common?
Three Harvard professors
Two nationally acclaimed historians
A former Presidential contender
A reporter for the New York Times
A reporter for USA TODAY
The senior pastor of one of Charlotte, NC’s,
best known churches
 The President of Saint Louis University
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 According to a 2003 study, 38 percent of
students admitted to cut-and-paste
Internet plagiarism (Rutgers University/Center for
Academic Integrity Study, August 2003).
 80 percent of college-bound students admit
to cheating on schoolwork, yet 95 percent
of them never get caught (Who’s Who Among
American High School Students).
 90 percent of students believe cheaters are
either never caught or have never been
appropriately disciplined (US News and World Report
poll).
 257 chief student affairs officers
believe that colleges and universities
have not addressed the cheating
problem adequately (“Administrator Perceptions of
Student Academic Dishonesty in Collegiate Institutions,” a study by
Ronald M. Aaron and Robert T. Georgia)
Source: “Latest Facts.” Turn It In. 1998-2004. 6 Oct. 2004.
http://www.turnitin.com/static/products_services/latest_
facts/html
The Causes of Plagiarism
1. Fear of failure due to inadequate
writing skills.
2. Poor time-management and planning
skills.
3. Viewing a course and/or assignment
unrelated to a major as unimportant.
4. The pressure to maintain a high
GPA—for athletics, scholarships,
loans, etc.
5. Too many demands of school, work,
and family.
6. Lack of knowledge about what
plagiarism is in all its forms.
7. Self-defense since others in the class
who cheat create unfair competition.
8. The failure of instructors and
institutions to report cheating and
enforce proper penalties.
Preventing Plagiarism
I. Defining Plagiarism and Its
Consequences
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Talk about what plagiarism is and
isn’t.
Make students aware of the
institutional response to
plagiarism.
Mention far-reaching
consequences of plagiarism.
Carson-Newman’s Statement on
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty may include, but is not limited to, the
following: giving or receiving aid on tests; plagiarizing
papers, assignments, book reviews; removing and/or
copying test questions from office files. Incidents of
suspected dishonesty will be addressed by the course
instructor/professor with the department chair and/or
the division dean. After hearing the student and
considering all the evidence, sanctions will be assessed if
guilt is determined. Academic dishonesty may result in
sanctions including, but not limited to, an F and loss of
credit for the course, and upon a recurrence or gross
dishonesty, expulsion from the college. Any finding of
academic dishonesty, and the sanction applies or
recommended, shall be reported to the Provost who shall
assess any sanction more severe than loss of credit for
the course. A student may appeal a finding and/or a
sanction assessed to the Provost. Otherwise, no appeal
shall be allowed. (2005-2006 C-N College Catalog)
Preventing Plagiarism (cont.)
 II. Clarifying Assignment Details
 Specify parameters of assignment.
 Discuss benefits of using and citing
sources.
 Specify the required components of
the paper.
 Defeat “paper mill” essays by specific
requirements.
 Show models of appropriate use of
sources.
Original source
 World problems such as poverty, pollution, war, and
hunger are inherent in the current system of world
order based on nation-states and economic
competition. They can be solved if people know and
understand one another on a global, grass-roots
basis. By developing people-to-people linkages
irrespective of national borders, we can start to
ameliorate global tensions and inequities. (page 23)
 Example 1
 William Ellis asserts that world problems such as
poverty, pollution, war, and hunger are inherent in the
current system of world order based on nation-states
and economic competition (23).
Original source
 World problems such as poverty, pollution, war, and
hunger are inherent in the current system of world
order based on nation-states and economic
competition. They can be solved if people know and
understand one another on a global, grass-roots
basis. By developing people-to-people linkages
irrespective of national borders, we can start to
ameliorate global tensions and inequities. (page 23)
 Example 1
 William Ellis asserts that world problems such as
poverty, pollution, war, and hunger are inherent in the
current system of world order based on nation-states
and economic competition (23).
Original source
 World problems such as poverty, pollution, war, and
hunger are inherent in the current system of world
order based on nation-states and economic
competition. They can be solved if people know and
understand one another on a global, grass-roots
basis. By developing people-to-people linkages
irrespective of national borders, we can start to
ameliorate global tensions and inequities. (page 23)
 Example 2 (APA)
 Ellis (2002) asserts that world problems such as
poverty, pollution, war, and hunger are inherent in the
“current system of world order based on nation-states
and economic competition” (p. 23).
Original source
 World problems such as poverty, pollution, war, and
hunger are inherent in the current system of world
order based on nation-states and economic
competition. They can be solved if people know and
understand one another on a global, grass-roots
basis. By developing people-to-people linkages
irrespective of national borders, we can start to
ameliorate global tensions and inequities. (page 23)
 Example 2 (APA)
 Ellis (2002) asserts that world problems such as
poverty, pollution, war, and hunger are inherent in the
“current system of world order based on nation-states
and economic competition” (p. 23).
Original source
 World problems such as poverty, pollution, war, and
hunger are inherent in the current system of world
order based on nation-states and economic
competition. They can be solved if people know and
understand one another on a global, grass-roots
basis. By developing people-to-people linkages
irrespective of national borders, we can start to
ameliorate global tensions and inequities. (page 23)
 Example 3 (MLA)
 Global tensions and inequities can be solved if people
begin to help one another on a grass-roots basis,
moving beyond the current world order of economic
competition (Ellis 23).
Original source
 World problems such as poverty, pollution, war, and
hunger are inherent in the current system of world
order based on nation-states and economic
competition. They can be solved if people know and
understand one another on a global, grass-roots
basis. By developing people-to-people linkages
irrespective of national borders, we can start to
ameliorate global tensions and inequities. (page 23)
 Example 3 (MLA)
 Global tensions and inequities can be solved if people
begin to help one another on a grass-roots basis,
moving beyond the current world order of economic
competition (Ellis 23).
Original source
 World problems such as poverty, pollution, war, and
hunger are inherent in the current system of world
order based on nation-states and economic
competition. They can be solved if people know and
understand one another on a global, grass-roots
basis. By developing people-to-people linkages
irrespective of national borders, we can start to
ameliorate global tensions and inequities. (page 23)
 Example 4
 Economic competition is at the basis of many of the
world’s problems. Only by seeing ourselves as a single
human family without the separation of national
boundaries can world tensions begin to be eased.
Original source
 World problems such as poverty, pollution, war, and
hunger are inherent in the current system of world
order based on nation-states and economic
competition. They can be solved if people know and
understand one another on a global, grass-roots
basis. By developing people-to-people linkages
irrespective of national borders, we can start to
ameliorate global tensions and inequities. (page 23)
 Example 4 corrected
 Economic competition is at the basis of many of the
world’s problems. Only by seeing ourselves as a single
human family without the separation of national
boundaries can world tensions begin to be eased (Ellis
23).
Preventing Plagiarism (cont.)
 III. Focusing on the Process of
Writing
 Do intermediate steps leading to full
research paper.
 Give due dates for different steps.
 Provide teacher and/or peer
feedback.
 Do “low-stakes,” reflective writing.
 Require all drafts with final paper.
 Require photocopies of cited
references with final paper.
 Have students sign and attach
honesty statement to their paper.
 After submitting the final paper,
ask students to do reflective, inclass essay.
Sources: Bates, Peggy, and Margaret Fain. “Cheating
101: Easy Steps to Combating Plagiarism.”
www.coastal.edu/library/pubs/easystep.html
Harris, Robert. “Anti-Plagiarism Strategies for Research
Papers.” www.virtualsalt.com/antiplag.htm
Keefe, Carolyn. “Avoiding and Coping with Plagiarism.”
Pre-Conference Forum on Writing Research Papers at
the 2002 ACA Tech Summit
Methods of Detecting Plagiarism
in Student Papers
1. Writing Style:
 Different in grammar, tone, and
vocabulary from student’s usual style
of writing.
 Has a mix of very scholarly
paragraphs or sections combined
with simpler styles of writing.
 Uses a mixture of English and
American phrases or word spellings.
2.Content:
 Contains material that is not on the
topic of the paper.
 Treats dated material by referencing
past events as if current.
 Contains references to charts or
diagrams that are not in the paper.
3. Formatting:
 Has unusual margins, spacing
changes, various page numbers, etc.
 Has a web address on the top or at
the end of the paper (URL for a paper
mill site)
 Has unusual text or headings at the
beginning or end of the paper
 Has obviously been printed from a
student’s web browser.
4. Citations:
 Have quotes in the paper that do not have
citations
 Contain a mixture of citation styles such as
MLA, APA, etc.
 Have citations that can not be verified or
web sites that are no longer active
 Have citations for material that is 5 years
or older
Verifying Plagiarism in Student
Papers
1. Search commercial databases
provided by your college library.
2. Search the Internet:
• Use search engines such as Google,
Northern Lights, HotBot, Infoseek, etc.
• Use exact phrase searching (4 to 6 words)
for a suspicious phrase that you find in the
paper.
• Use several keywords that match the
content of the paper.
3. Use a commercial or online
plagiarism detector such as
Turnitin.com.
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Turnitin.com : Checks submitted papers against 3
databases: current and archived copies of Internet pages,
including internet paper mills and cheat sites; millions of
published works from commercial databases such as
Proquest, ABI/Inform, Periodical Abstracts and electronic
books; and millions of student papers already submitted to
Turnitin.com.
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Example of a Turnitin.com Originality Report
4. Web sites that list some detection
tools/services:
a. VAIL:
http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/cip/vail/fa
culty/detection_tools/choosing_online.html
b. Center for Intellectual Property:
http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/cip/
links_plagiarism.html
c. A sample of these services:
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Edutie.com
PlagiServe.com
Integriguard
Turnitin.com
Jplag
Glatt Plagiarism Self-Detection Program
CopyCatch
Useful Internet Sites for Further
Information on Plagiarism:
 Harris, Robert. “Anti-Plagiarism
Strategies for Research Papers”
http://www.virtualsalt.com/antiplag.htm
 Standler, Ronald B. “Plagiarism in
Colleges in USA”
http://www.rbs2.com/plag.htm
 Thinking and Talking about
Plagiarism
http://bedfordstmartins.com/technotes/
techtiparchive/ttip102401.htm
 OWL Online Writing Lab: Avoiding
Plagiarism
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/
research/r_plagiar.html
 Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism
http://wpacouncil.org/node/9
 World Wide Web Research Tools
http://www.virtualsalt.com/search.htm
 VAIL: Virtual Academic Integrity
Laboratory. Faculty and
Administrator Resources. “Guides”
http://www-apps.umuc.edu/forums/
pageshow.php?forumid=2
 Center for Intellectual Property.
“Plagiarism”
http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/cip
/links_plagiarism.html
 Cheating 101: Paper Mills and You
http://www.coastal.edu/library/
presentations/papermil.html
Sources:
Bates, Peggy and Margaret Fain. Cheating 101: Detecting
Plagiarized Papers. (Rev., 2003) Retrieved Oct. 6, 2004
from http://www.coastal.edu/library/pubs/plagiarz.html
Harris, Robert. Anti-plagiarism Strategies for Research
Papers. (7 March 2002). Retrieved Oct. 6, 2004
from
http://www.virtualsalt.com/antiplag.htm