Plagiarism Resources: For Librarians

Academic Honesty at UGA  Policies and documents, and student and faculty resources related to academic honesty at the University of Georgia.

Academic Honesty Policy (A Culture of Honesty) The University of Georgia's Academic Honesty Policy, from the Office of the Vice President for Instruction.

For further information on the librarian's role in combatting plagiarism, we recommend the following:

Stebbins, L. F. (2006).  Student guide to research in the digital age: How to locate and evaluate information sources. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. (220 pages).  Stebbins (Brandeis University Libraries) focuses on the research skills that will help students avoid unintentional plagiarism.  After an introductory chapter on "Research and Critical Evaluation,", six chapters treat different types of resources: books, articles, primary sources, biographies, legal works, and government documents.  The final chapter directly addresses proper citation of sources and plagiarism.  A useful resource for librarians and students alike. 

Burke, M. (2004).  Deterring plagiarism: A new role for librarians.  Library Philosophy and Practice, 6.  Retrieved from http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/ ~mbolin/burke.htm. Burke (Axinn Library, Hofstra University) discusses her library's use of Turnitin and the legal concerns surrounding this service. The library can do much more than simply help track down instances of plagiarism, as Burke explains how faculty/library liaison efforts can teach students key research skills.
    
Buranen, L. (2009).  A safe place:  The role of librarians and writing centers in addressing citation practices and plagiarism.  Knowledge Quest, 37 (3), 24-33.   Buranen, writing from the perspective of a librarian and writing center director, explores the complexities of plagiarism and the difficulties students have in mastering academic discourse, understanding others' ideas, and positioning those ideas within their own writing.  She argues that what may be viewed as plagiarism is in fact a necessary step in that learning process, and that libraries (as well as writing centers) can be "safe places" for students to practice and master these new skills without fear of punishment. 

Mundava, M., & Chaudhuri, J. (2007).  Understanding plagiarism:  The role of librarians at the University of Tennessee in assisting students to practice fair use of information.  College & Research Libraries News, 68 (3), 170-3.  Retrieved from the ACRL website.  This article covers the basics of plagiarism, including a consideration of the international student, and the steps taken by the UT librarians to reach out to students and faculty through workshops and instructional sessions.  

Lampert, L. (2006) The instruction librarian's role in discussing issues of academic integrity.  LOEX Quarterly, 32, 8-9.  Lampert (Coordinator of Information Literacy and Instruction, California State University, Northbridge) is a prominent voice in the discussion of plagiarism and the academic librarian's role in addressing it.  She is author of Combating Student Plagiarism:  An Academic Librarian's Guide (2008, Chandros Publishing) and presenter of a popular webcast, "The Role of the Librarian in Combating Student Plagiarism", an ACRL E-Learning Workshop.  In this article, Lampert succinctly argues for a discipline-based approach to teaching students about the ethical use of information, and posits that librarians are in an ideal position to provide this type of instruction.

1. Blum, S. D. (2009). My word!  Plagiarism and college culture. Ithaca:  Cornell University Press.  Main Library: PN167.B48 2009.  (229 pages).   Blum (Professor of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame) approaches this topic with a careful consideration of the student's situation and viewpoint.  She utilizes student interviews to argue that a divide exists between academic assumptions about plagiarism and student attitudes towards sharing and succeeding, and that current strategies for deterring plagiarism are insufficient.  
2. Academic Integrity in Teaching and Learning  (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
   Extensive bibliography that includes a breakdown of sources for the sciences, medicine, business, journalism, and academia.  
3. Howard, R. M., & Davies, L. J. (2009).  Plagiarism in the Internet era.  Educational Leadership, 66 (6), 64-67.  Available here on the Educational Leadership website.  This brief article argues that deterring plagiarism requires more than harsh penalties. Students need to be taught the values and the skills (such as conducting research and summarizing) to enable them to understand academic integrity, a useful approach for the classroom or the library instruction lab.
4. Fister B.  "Reintroducing Students to Good Research" A talk given to the faculty of Lake Forest College. Fister, a librarian at Gustavus Adolphus College, argues for collaboration between faculty and librarians in teaching students the complex art of research.  She presents a number of examples of innovative projects from various disciplines that develop independent research skills.  Her speech concludes with five assumptions about the nature of research and the librarian's role in teaching them.     
5. Wood, G. (2004).  Academic original sin:  Plagiarism, the Internet, and librarians.  The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 30 (3), 237-242.  Wood discusses the "communication disconnect" (238) that exists between faculty and librarians, on the one hand, and students on the other, and the student confusion that can arise from being told to both use sources and be original.  Wood also reflects on what role the library can play in teaching research skills, suggesting workshops, online tutorials, classroom instruction, and dialogue with faculty.  The "Information Literacy Process" (240) is especially useful.