Plagiarism

Plagiarism

Kathy Lambert

Axia College of University of Phoenix

Axia College Campus Ethnics Committee

Yvonne Phelps

February 21, 2009

Plagiarism

Academic honesty is a major concern that all students, teachers, and institutes for higher education worry about (Grijalva, Nowell, & Kerkvliet, 2006)…Since there is no face-to-face interaction between the students and the faculty in online classes, cheating is being seen as more uncontrollable in these classes (Grijalva et al, 2006). According to a 2001 survey, online classes and traditional classes are similar when it involves academic dishonesty (Grijalva, Nowell, & Kerkvliet, p180). Cheating on assignments or exams, including plagiarism are all forms of academic dishonesty (Grijalva, Nowell, & Kerkvliet, p180).

According to a study in the US, 80% of college students admit to cheating at least once (P. Wicker, 2007). Even though plagiarism is now high on the public agenda, reports show that many of the new generation of students raised on the internet see nothing wrong with copying other people’s work (P. Wicker, 2007). “However, plagiarism remains an increasing problem for academics because of the ease in which online information can be cut and pasted into a document.” “Combine this with the high pressure of today’s competitive environment and there is a breeding ground for plagiarism” (P. Wicker, 2007, p372). There are several factors that are associated with academic dishonesty which includes stress, social pressures, grades, and workload (D. Bricault, 2007, p15).

To understand plagiarism, it is important to first understand the basic purpose of academic writing, which is to demonstrate or share the writer’s own knowledge and understanding (P. Wicker, 2007). “Writer’s, however, cannot know everything about a subject.” “To expand their knowledge of a subject they read about other authors’ knowledge and understanding and then refer to that author in their...