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I too have wondered about the reality of the increase - certainly the number of cases I see at the OU has and continues to rise. An important factor must be the ease with which some forms of plagiarism can be committed and, on the recognition side, the increasing ease of detection. In our case collusion is a particular concern.
Ben
Head of Assessment Credit and Awards
-----Original Message-----
From: Plagiarism [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mike Reddy
Sent: 09 December 2004 15:47
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Plagiarism on the increase?
I rarely see evidence that is convincing in the claim that plagiarism is increasing - including this study - but I do see evidence that what was probably happening before is now being recognised by students as plagiarism, hence an increase in self reporting. Also, I see more interest in looking for it, hence an apparent increase. Maybe I am naive, but I am still of the opinion that it has been happening for a long time, and esteemed academics, many of whom are now pointing the finger, cut their teeth in "learning by copying". However, there probably is still an increase, just due to the differing backgrounds of an increasing student population. We still need to maintain academic practices, and to discourage copying as inappropriate, but I don't think it is an epidemic, unless it has been raging for 100 years. At least we are finally waking up, but I wish that my cynicism of the temptation for a good headline didn't make me doubt the reports.
I wonder what the consensus of this forum is? Do you believe it is a rise of the offence, rather than a rise of the recognition?
Mike
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