New research reveals variations in plagiarism practice

The results of the second phase of the Academic Misconduct Benchmarking Research Project (AMBeR) show that while HEIs vary in their application of plagiarism policies, there are ‘clusters of consensus’ within groups of universities.

The research, the first of its kind in the UK, was conducted by the Academy Jisc Academic Integrity Service (AJAIS), and aims to benchmark current policy and practice in UK higher education with regard to the methods used to manage student plagiarism.

While all universities were found to manage the issue of student plagiarism on an individual basis, the research showed the most common ways of dealing with the issue were the resubmission of assessments, where the resulting mark would be capped and a formal warning given. Over 50 per cent of the recorded instances of plagiarism were dealt with in one of these ways.

The incidence level of formally recorded cases reported in the survey, released this week by the Higher Education Academy, demonstrates a lower level of plagiarism than that normally reported. The survey also indicates that the vast majority of offences are first offences which suggests that current measures are successfully reducing repeat offenders.

The first phase of the AMBER (Academic Misconduct Benchmarking Research project) report released in 2007 supported the view put forward by Baroness Deech of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) that research into penalties for plagiarism was needed in order to take a step closer to greater consistency within the sector. The new research will, it is hoped, help institutions to look at their existing procedures with a view to bringing about a greater consensus within the sector.

AMBeR report (PDF)

For further information please visit the Jisc iPAS website