Project Background

Recent studies (Bennett 2005, Park 2003) into the nature and extent of plagiarism within HE institutions suggest that plagiarism has risen sharply within several western countries such as the UK, Australia, Scandinavia and the USA.

Project Summary

A Birmingham Teaching Fellowship Scheme 2005 award has been made to Dr Alison Davies to investigate plagiarism issues at the University of Birmingham.  The overall aim of the project is to examine staff and student views and experiences of plagiarism at the University of Birmingham, with a more specific focus upon evaluating and monitoring use of two electronic plagiarism detection systems: the JISC Plagiarism Detection Software (Turnitin) and CopyCatch.

The project explores the extent to which staff and students experience plagiarism at this institution, the kinds of strategies and mechanisms that staff use to deal with plagiarism, and the problems that they encounter. Student views of plagiarism are also be examined, to understand their attitudes towards plagiarism and why they may engage in plagiarism, purposefully or accidentally.

In doing so, the project aims to determine if the use of detection software can help to reduce plagiarism at the University, and to identify good practice in the guidance given, detection, and prevention of plagiarism.

Methodology

To fulfil the project aims, a range of information has been gathered and analysed using the following methods:

• Literature Review
  A review of recent literature and case studies that investigate the incidences and methods of dealing with plagiarism in HE institutions to provide a context for this study [Literature Review]. 
• Staff Survey
  A survey has been delivered to staff within different Schools across the University of Birmingham to investigate the extent to which staff experience plagiarism within their School, and to determine if they are using, or would consider using, plagiarism detection software [Survey Results].   
• Student Survey
  An anonymous survey has been delivered to students across the University of Birmingham to gather their views of plagiarism [Survey Results]. 
• Staff Interviews
  Interviews with staff from different Schools within the University will provide important detail about their views of plagiarism and the detection software, how they deal with plagiarism, the problems they encounter, and the lessons they have learnt from these experiences [Summary Report] [back to top].

Deliverables

A final report summarising all the findings will be produced. The report will also provide staff with guidelines for good practice on plagiarism.

Contact Details

For further information about this project, please contact Dr Alison Davies on extension 42960 or by email to: a.davies.1@bham.ac.uk