PLAGIARISM: OLD PROBLEM, NEW CONTEXT

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PLAGIARISM OLD PROBLEM, NEW CONTEXT

• Miriam E. Joseph, PhD
• Jamie L. Schmid, MSLIS
• Reference Librarians
• Pius XII Memorial Library
• HELIX Conference 2003
• Tan-Tar-A, Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach MO
• http//pages.slu.edu/faculty/josephme/talks/helix0
  3/plag.ppt

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Common Sources of Plagiarized Work

• Print Publications
• Other Students Papers
• Full-Text Library Resources
• Internet

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Detection Print Publications Other Students
Papers

• No really good detection method
• Reliance upon repeated use of text
• Hope you recognize it!
• Use electronic detection software/service

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Detection Full-Text Library Resources

• SLUs Pius Library offers
• 190 electronic databases (DBs)
• 106 of them provide full text
• Access to portions of 20K online periodicals
• E-Books
• Part of the Invisible Web

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Detection Full-Text Library Resources

• Faculty need to
• Be familiar with key DBs in their fields AND
  related DBs that students use
• Know DB search protocols
• Demonstrate awareness of this info to students
  (deterrent)

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Detection Internet

• Potential Sources
• Term Paper Mills
• Increasingly part of the Invisible Web
• See Coastal Carolina Lists
• Internet Paper Mills
• http//www.coastal.edu/library/mills2.htm
• Internet Subject Specific Paper Mills
• http//www.coastal.edu/library/mills5.htm

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Detection Internet

• Potential Sources
• Any Web Page
• Organization/Agency
• E-Print/Preprint Archives
• CogPrints Cognitive Sciences Eprint Archive
• http//cogprints.soton.ac.uk/
• HTP Prints The History Theory of Psychology
  Archive
• http//htpprints.yorku.ca/
• Online Newspapers

8
Detection Internet

• Search Engine Selection
• Scope (general or subject)
• Size (how big)
• Freshness (how often)
• Invisible Web issues
• (file types, passworded sites)
• Search Engine Watch
• http//www.searchenginewatch.com/

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Detection Internet

• Tips for Search Engine Use
• Know What They Do
• Phrase Searching (quotation marks)
• Boolean Operators (AND, OR)
• Dont Rely on Just One

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Plagiarism Detection Software Services

• Software for Local Installation
• CopyCatch
• http//www.copycatch.freeserve.co.uk/vocaly
  se.htm
• Glatt Plagiarism Services
• http//www.plagiarism.com/
• WCopyFind (Bloomfield/U of Virginia)
• http//www.plagiarism.phys.virginia.edu/
• WordCHECK KeyWORD
• http//www.wordchecksystems.com/

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Plagiarism Detection Software Services

• Online Services
• CiteMaster (forthcoming)
• http//www.citemaster.com/
• EduTie
• http//www.edutie.com/
• Essay Verification Engine (EVE)
• http//www.canexus.com/eve/index.shtml
• Turnitin.com
• http//turnitin.com/

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Plagiarism Detection Software Services

• Case Study Turnitin.com
• Advantages
• Student knowledge of use is deterrent
• Searches complete text submitted
• Objective doesnt single out anyone
• Students can submit their own papers
• Relatively speedy (24-hour turnaround)
• Provides spiffy originality reports

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Plagiarism Detection Software Services

• Case Study Turnitin.com
• Disadvantages
• Identified as suspicious only 18 of 38 excerpts
• Google identified 16 of those 18 2 others
• Search capabilities limited to its own DB of
  submitted student papers Visible Web
• Matched no excerpts from full-text library stuff
• No access to actual student papers in DB
• Array of ethical and legal issues (compelling
  student paper submissions, permanent archive)
  

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Plagiarism Education Prevention

• Understand why students plagiarize
• Deliberate vs Inadvertent
• Present institutional/course policies, including
  consequences
• Consider agreement contract

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Plagiarism Education Prevention

• Teach paraphrasing style conventions (e.g.,
  APA)
• Give assignments that minimize opportunities for
  plagiarism
• Engage students in the writing process
• Get writing samples early in semester
• Require submission of papers in both print and
  electronic formats
• Request evidence of sources used

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Plagiarism Old Problem, New Context

• Bottom Line
• Detection is a Reactive Approach
• Be PROACTIVE
• Educate to Prevent!!
• Selected Resources Related to Plagiarism
• http//pages.slu.edu/faculty/josephme/talks/heli
  x03/resources.pdf