MEASURES TO COMBAT PLAGIARISM IN LEARNING PROCESSES

Abstract

This study focuses on determining the perception of university students
about possible strategies to eliminate plagiarism from their academic
work. A qualitative, interpretative and inductive methodology based on
the answer to an open question aimed at determining how plagiarism can
be avoided, included in the Attributes Questionnaire for the Detection of
Coincidences in Academic Work (CUDECO). The categories that emerge
from the discourse of the respondents focus on: (a) information; normally
regarding the citation process, (b) training; both the citation process and
the preparation of the works requested (c) supervision; by the teaching staff
and (d) sanctioning measures; both coercive and punitive. The main ways to
combat plagiarism, according to the student body, focus on the definition
of what is to be understood by academic plagiarism and on informative
measures (usually with respect to the citation process), formative measures
(both by the teachers and the faculty members and the institution itself), of
a digital nature (through detection tools), of supervision by the teaching staff
(raising awareness of the importance of quoting correctly, producing greater
involvement and greater interest in both the type of work that is requested
and the times assigned as per the nature of the evaluations that are carried
out) but also coercive and punitive. There are some cases where there is a
need to start with this process beforehand, in courses prior to university
studies, and also cases considered to be somewhat inevitable, difficult to
solve. In conclusion, reflecting on these categories and trying to combat them
could reduce plagiarism in universities.