teaching with writing

Strategies for Preventing Plagiarism

Plagiarism always occurs in the context we create. Instances like those alleged to have occurred recently, where someone actually writes the student's paper for him/her, and does so in a nonprofessional voice, are the most difficult type to prevent. Copying off the net or retyping an article or recycling someone else's paper, however, are very often preventable. These sorts of appropriative plagiarism can be reduced if we assign papers with the following in mind.

Tailor assignments to the course topic rather than leave paper assignments fully open-ended. That is, make the assignment in reference to required work in the course. This reduces the likelihood of generic web-papers or old general topic friends' papers coming in. Require that the paper be formed through a series of small steps at weekly (or biweekly) intervals rather than simply be due on a certain date (this is good writing practice, as well). Ask for things like a statement of topic or research question fairly early. Then get a research plan, which must be approved. Then a working, annotated bibliography. Then a thesis and topic outline. Then a draft for reaction. Then a final draft. If colleagues would distribute in small blocks the effort they now devote to an after-the-fact mark-up of a final paper, these steps need not add up to a great net increase in work, and TAs can do a good bit of it with some guidance. I also require a dated research "log," or a list of what search engines were used, what journal indexes, what librarians were consulted, what reference works were used, with a note about what was helpful and what wasn't. I ask that this be turned in which each "chunk." I do this so that the students will have a record for future reference about indexes, particularly helpful librarians, waste-of-time web sites, etc., or so that I can steer them midstream, but it also seems to be a deterrent to last minute work and to simple copying.

It is also useful to require a source or two which must be used in the student's essay--not an exhaustive packet of sources, but a couple of pieces that are helpful. This throws a monkey wrench into simply copying old papers or encyclopedia chunks.

Be very clear about what can be collaborative and what cannot be collaborative. For instance, if students are welcome to work in groups on an experiment, or to find source materials, or to brainstorm, but must compose in isolation, but may then edit and proofread in groups or with tutors or some such combination, state the acceptable mix very explicitly. In this multi-pedagogy environment, I think it is very unwise to assume that students will always know where "group" and "individual" divide. After all, in some classes collaborative learning is required, while in others, it is prohibited. The burden is on us to identify for the students which part of the collaborative--independent spectrum we expect for what purposes in our course. Keep in mind that most of us talk to our colleagues about writing projects we are working on, ask for reaction, and take pointers about sources we might have overlooked. Some departments even have editors available to do final mark-up of manuscripts. Therefore, we need to help students be productive writers in the modes we have found useful while at the same time being clear about boundaries we require for their work. And in some disciplines, part of the ethic is co-authorship. Students need to hear explicitly, from each teacher in each course, what the boundaries are.

In general, I think it is very important for faculty to define plagiarism in the context of their particular course, to do so in writing, and to do so at some length. Genuine dishonesty is always repugnant. But there are many instances where what is allowed or even preferred in course A constitutes plagiarism in course B. We're the professionals, and students are not required to be telepathic, so the burden of clarity falls to us.

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