Instructor Perceptions of Plagiarism

This study examined instructor views of what constitutes plagiarism. The authors collected questionnaire data from 158 participants recruited through three teaching-related electronic listservs. Results showed that most participants agreed that behaviors that claim credit for someone else’s work constituted plagiarism. Instructors differed in their perceptions of whether “recycling” one’s work was plagiarism. Exploratory analyses showed that being likely to “do nothing” in response to plagiarism was related to perceiving recycling as appropriate, whereas being likely to consult the appropriate university committee when faced with plagiarism was related to perceiving recycling as inappropriate. Thus, common ground is emerging in definitions of plagiarism, though instructors should discuss among themselves, and clarify to students, the appropriateness of recycling one’s work.

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