February 2006

Up for discussion: Web plagiarism still plagiarism

Many suspected cases of academic misconduct at UC Davis involve allegations of work pirated from the Web, according to Student Judicial Affairs. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)

Researching and writing a big term paper can seem overwhelming for many students, but that is no excuse to plagiarize information gathered from the Internet.

In this age of electronic information, students do more research on the Web than in the library, says Jeanne Wilson, director of Student Judicial Affairs. But UC Davis' rule against plagiarism remains the same.

"Recycling is a good thing except when it comes to academic work," she says.

Most suspected plagiarism from Web

Students may not be aware of how easy it is to detect plagiarism -- the use of someone else's words, ideas, computer code or work of any type without giving proper credit. For example, instructors can plug a few words into the Google search engine to look for matching phrases in a previously published article.

Last year, 290 students were referred to Student Judicial Affairs for some kind of plagiarism, and most of the work in question was taken from the Web. The plagiarism referrals account for 42 percent of all reports of suspected academic misconduct, Wilson says.

Plagiarism of any kind can result in a zero grade on a paper to failing a course and even suspension or dismissal in more serious cases. Parents need to help educators make their students aware that even Web plagiarism is unacceptable.

Plagiarism shortchanges learning

Copying and pasting, Wilson says, do not develop a student's writing or analytical skills.

"We're not doing our job if we don't give students the message that they need to do this work on their own," she says. "The rule against plagiarism is part of the university's teaching mission so students are equipped for their careers."

Student Judicial Affairs has information available on how to avoid plagiarism, and students can also get help from the Learning Skills Center to learn how to correctly cite sources and paraphrase information.

"They can get help in developing these skills," Wilson says. "If a student is struggling, our goal is to help them get back on track."

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