Planning for a Plagiarized Future

The link in the headline leads to a fairly elaborate tutorial, from the University of South Florida, on the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing, and the long-term consequences of what the site calls "the fraud of plagiarism." (Warning: the site features some rather loud background music which can be muted once the page has loaded.) Butte College's own Center for Academic Success has workshops on avoiding plagiarism, and an article in the e-journal "Innovate" links to other anti-plagiarism tutorials. At the beginning of a new semester there is something else that we faculty might want to consider. We already know that some plagiarized sentences in student papers can be found with a simple Google search, but what about those students who use the work of others who have taken the class previously or who are in another section? Here's a suggestion.

• First, install free desktop search software. For example, the Copernic desktop search software is free to use (there are also paid versions) and quick to download. Once installed, it indexes all the documents in your Documents folder, including the text contained in Word and PDF documents.
• Next, create a folder on your hard drive called, for examples, "Papers." Create subfolders for each semester and then, at the start of the semester, resolve to keep an electronic copy of all student-submitted papers in the appropriate folders. Even those instructors who like to grade printed copies can also ask students to turn in electronic versions. These papers form the database that the desktop search software will index.

If you suspect a phrase has been lifted from an earlier paper, simply type it in the search window. Within half a second all such word strings will show up in the search results and you can go right to the older paper with just a click. If you're faithful in keeping the database of papers over time, you'll also be able to see how your assignments have changed (or not changed), and how your present and past students have addressed the issues you've presented. It's a great process to stimulate self-reflection.