Plagiarism: A Teacher’s Guide
Plagiarism is a serious concern for teachers and students more and more in this world of
easy access to information. Many teachers incorrectly place the burden on students to avoid
plagiarizing texts. In fact, it is the teacher’s responsibility to create an atmosphere and set goals
in such a way that students do not inadvertently or knowingly plagiarize.
Students plagiarize for a variety of reasons. According to the Council of Writing
Program Administrators, there are five reasons why a student may knowingly plagiarize:
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Students may fear failure or taking risks in their own work.
Students may have poor time-management skills or they may plan poorly for the time and
effort required for research-based writing, and they believe they have no choice but to
plagiarize.
Students may view the course, the assignment, the conventions of academic
documentation, or the consequences of cheating as unimportant.
Teachers may present students with assignments so generic or [nonspecific] that students
believe they are justified in looking for canned responses.
Instructors and institutions may fail to report cheating when it does occur, or may not
enforce penalties.
-Council of Writing Program Administrators
Students often plagiarize inadvertently. They do not intend to misuse someone else’s
ideas; but, for a variety of reasons, often lack of prior instruction, good students are often found
guilty of plagiarism. Some of those reasons may be:
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Students may not know how to integrate the ideas of others and document the sources of
those ideas appropriately in their texts.
Students will make mistakes as they learn to integrate others’ words or ideas into their
own work because error is a natural part of learning.
Students may not know how to take careful and fully documented notes during their
research.
…instructors may assume that students have already learned appropriate academic
conventions of research and documentation.
…instructors may not support students as they attempt to learn how to research and
document sources.
Students from other cultures may not be familiar with the conventions governing
attribution and plagiarism…
-Council of Writing Program Administrators
Therefore, as teachers, we must establish a climate that is not conducive to either
purposeful or accidental plagiarism.
Source: Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices. Retrieved
July 15, 2008, from http://www.wpacouncil.org
Tips for teachers helping students to avoid
plagiarism:
1. Create an environment that allows students to take risks in their
writing.
2. Help students with time management:
a. Communicate goals
b. Provide checklists for guidance
c. Schedule intermittent conferences to assess progress
d. Assess individual stages independently at appropriate
intervals
3. Consider the value of the assignment as a learning process and
share that value with the student.
4. Develop assignments in accordance with a theme that allows
students to develop a unique perspective on the topic.
5. Be aware of and provide real, immediate consequences for
cheating on class assignments, tests, and written reports.
6. Teach students appropriate methods of note taking that
emphasize integrating details from sources with their own ideas
and words.
7. Teach students methods for using and documenting researched
details in their writing.
8. Review conventions of academic writing within your discipline as
part of the writing process.
9. Support students as they attempt to master conventions of
academic writing.
10. Be aware of cultural or language differences that may impact
students’ understanding of plagiarism.
Tips for students to avoid plagiarism:
1. Take risks – let your writing represent your unique
thoughts about your topic.
a. Manage your time.
b. Create a checklist and calendar with due dates and
personal goals
c. Communicate with your teacher if you feel you’re
falling behind
2. Focus on the “little picture” – view large assignments
as a series of smaller goals
3. Own the assignment and realize its value.
4. Never “cut and paste” from an internet document.
5. Read research texts carefully and understand their
meaning.
6. When taking notes, record important
. DO NOT write
in complete sentences.
7. Use bullet format when taking notes.
8. Record your own thoughts alongside your notes. Look
for differing
research.
,
, , and
that develop as you
9. Learn and understand the conventions, or “tricks”, of
writing for this discipline. REMEMBER: Different fields
of study use different conventions.
10. Work with your teacher if you are feeling confused
about the processes of research and writing.