Internet Plagiarism Prevention Measures


There are a number of proactive strategies faculty can take to lessen Internet-based plagiarism. A six point list is enumerated below. A comprehensive policy, "Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices," has been developed by the Council of Writing Program Administrators.

  1. Statement on Course Syllabi--

    Faculty should include a forceful statement on the course syllabi about Academic Misconduct, specifically mentioning Internet Plagiarism. Part of the statement should be that Academic Misconduct can result in either failure for an assignment or failure for the course itself. A sample statement, incorporating wording from the University of Connecticut Student Code, under the heading, "Academic Integrity in Undergraduate Education and Research," could read:

    Academic misconduct is dishonest or unethical academic behavior that includes, but is not limited, to misrepresenting mastery in an academic area (e.g., cheating), intentionally or knowingly failing to properly credit information, research or ideas to their rightful originators or representing such information, research or ideas as your own (e.g., plagiarism).

    A student who knowingly assists another student in committing an act of academic misconduct shall be equally accountable for the violation, and shall be subject to the sanctions and other remedies described in The Student Code.

    Depending on the act, a student could receive an F grade on the test/assignment, F grade for the course, and could be suspended or expelled from the University. Please see the Student Code for more details and a full explanation of the Academic Misconduct policies.

    Faculty can mention that during the previous semester a number of students at the Waterbury Campus were given F's for papers due to Internet Plagiarism. A few students failed their courses due to plagiarized work.


  2. In-Class Discussion--

    Before written work is assigned faculty should discuss Internet Plagiarism with their class. The University of Wisconsin-Platteville outlines some good discussion points on their Plagiarism Prevention website.


  3. Crafting the Assignment--

    There are steps faculty can take to help prevent Internet Plagiarism when an assignment is first presented to students. Dalhousie University has put together, "Assignment Design Strategies' which provides a good outline for faculty.

    Robert Harris, a writer and former college and university English Professor, has listed "Anti-Plagiarism Strategies for Research Papers" faculty should consider when developing writing assignments.


  4. Citing Online Sources--

    Faculty should review the citation guidelines on this site with their students.


  5. Utilize Library Services--

    The University of Texas offers good advice about utilizing library services:

    • Librarians are available to collaborate on assignments and assist in creating meaningful research experiences for your students.
    • Schedule a tailored research session with a librarian for your class. Students overcome fears associated with research in these workshops. Sessions focus on selecting appropriate sources, searching library databases and the Web, or evaluating information.

    Contact Waterbury Campus Librarian Shelley Roseman at Shelley.Roseman@uconn.edu to schedule an in-class session.