| dc.description.abstract | Academic plagiarism is undoubtedly an issue for undergraduate students, staff and faculty members, and tutors at Oklahoma State University. In the field of writing studies, many scholars note that plagiarism is an elusive subject that many have trouble identifying and defining and that there are gaps in what we know on the subject. This project aims to fill those gaps by recognizing what three groups - students, staff/faculty, and tutors - identify as academic plagiarism, where discrepancies between the groups lie, and what can potentially be done at Oklahoma State University to mediate these issues. This project utilizes a survey consisting of Likert scale, short response, and identification questions. Likert scale questions included levels of confidence on four citation styles - MLA, APA 7, AP, and Chicago - and likelihood of plagiarism in certain situations, which corresponded to type of relationship with another individual. Short response questions asked about influences and motivations to plagiarize and resources to avoid plagiarism. Finally, identification questions utilized seven situations in which respondents had to determine if plagiarism occurred. Results showed a discrepancy in each group and between the groups on three situations: missing citation, completing edits on another's paper, and so-called 'self-plagiarism.' Results also show disagreement between what resources students say better demotivate them from plagiarizing and what resources staff say better helps students. The project's results show that a consistent understanding of plagiarism is needed at the university. This could occur through trainings, conversations, or even teachings in classes where writing assignments are a significant portion of the grade. The results also show that a clearer understanding is needed on what is going on in classrooms to determine next steps. | |
