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Liddell, J. & Fong, V. (2008). Honesty, Integrity, and Plagiarism: The Role of Student Values in Prevention. Plagiary:
Cross‐Disciplinary Studies in Plagiarism, Fabrication, and Falsification, 3 (1): 1‐5. [temporary pagination for ad‐
vance online copies of article]
Honesty, Integrity, and Plagiarism: The Role of
Student Values in Prevention
Jean Liddell and Valerie Fong
E‐mail: liddeje@auburn.edu; fongvalerie@foothill.edu
Abstract
Campus plagiarism policies often focus on de- administrators, faculty, and students (Liddell
tection and punishment. One alternative is to foster and Fong, 2005), and these definitions can inform
student-centered cultures of honesty, for example the extent to which plagiarism is perceived to
through honor codes. Such an approach requires a constitute a problem within a given campus. At a
shift in perceptions with respect to the problem, the minimum plagiarism is clearly defined as taking
institution, and students’ own responsibilities within
the ideas and writings of another and presenting
the learning environment.
them as one’s own. Further, plagiarism is often
defined specifically relative to citation, to the at‐
tribution of content to its source.
Much has been noted about the growing problem
of plagiarism on high school and college cam‐ While there are some instances in which this as‐
puses. With statistics now indicating up to “80% pect of citation is construed in benign terms, as a
admit[ing] to cheating at least once” (Clayton, breach of etiquette, the problem seems more of‐
1999) and “54% acknowledge[ing] they had com‐ ten to be defined as an act of stealing. From this
mitted plagiarism using the internet” (Tyre, perspective, the problem takes on ethical and
2001), we are continually focusing our attention moral dimensions, with an emphasis on the vic‐
on ways to address the problem. tim of the theft. At least one student defined pla‐
giarism in these terms, as “practices [that] have a
In reviewing the literature, we find that strate‐ detrimental effect on other students, either di‐
gies for addressing the problem fall within two rectly or indirectly, and as such are particularly
approaches: those that frame the problem puni‐ serious and reprehensible” (Ashworth and
tively and those that seek to create student‐ Bannister, 1997).
centered cultures of honesty that reinforce the
ethical nature of the problem. This paper dis‐ But such punitive approaches may in many ways
cusses these approaches, with a particular focus ignore what is, in reality, a more complex issue.
on student perception and understanding with As Ashworth states:
respect to the problem, the institution, and indi‐
vidual responsibilities within the learning envi‐ Studies within this field characteristically
ronment. measure student and/or staff perceptions of
cheating through the use of attitude scales. . .
Crime and Punishment What curbs the usefulness of studies of this
nature is the presupposition that the meaning
Punitive approaches focusing on effective detec‐ of cheating is relatively unequivocal, and com‐
tion and appropriate punishment are informed parable for the researchers and their subjects
by the ways in which plagiarism is defined by (teachers and students) who are all assumed to
among college students in the early 1960s, soci‐ this commitment centers on our ability to create
ologist William Bowers argued that ‘students are the environments in which students know what
less apt to cheat as the campus wide climate of plagiarism is, know how to avoid it, but perhaps
disapproval [of cheating] increases’” (McCabe & most importantly, understand what constitutes a
Trevino, 1997, p. 394). This peer pressure may true culture of trust, integrity, and honesty. Edu‐
take social forms, but what is critical is what cators play a large role in guiding students
McCabe calls a culture of integrity, in which stu‐ through this discussion, allowing students to ask
dents “do not necessarily have to monitor or re‐ questions and explore the true complexity of the
port on their peers, but they do have to help cre‐ issue. To accomplish this, faculty and administra‐
ate and sustain an environment where most stu‐ tors must themselves have a strong sense of in‐
dents view cheating as socially unaccept‐ tegrity and honesty.
able” (McCabe & Trevino, 2002, p. 37‐41). Such
strategies as honor pledges, peer reportage, un‐ The need for faculty, staff, and administration to
proctored examinations, and peer‐run judiciar‐ buy in to creating such a culture cannot be un‐
ies/councils can be a means to accomplish this. derstated, as student perception of official guid‐
ance is integral to creating an environment of
A shift to this system is not without its chal‐ trust. If, as one student comments, “cheating
lenges. One important aspect of the peer disap‐ seems to be a low‐key issue for the university
proval system is that academic honor cannot be [and] the regulations are sometimes vague, with
simply imposed from above, but is rather deeply responsibility for understanding placed on the
tied to approval, and disapproval, by one’s peers student,” (Ashworth & Bannister, 1997, p. 187‐
(McCabe & Trevino, 2002, p. 37‐41). But while we 204) this cultural shift will be difficult.
can be confident that students value the opinions
of their peers, when it comes to peer deterrence The implications for faculty, administrators, and
and monitoring, some students can be reticent staff are clear. We must have a clear commitment
about imposing their own set of values on others, to creating a culture that incorporates clear and
seeing the act of plagiarism as an individual consistent communication of not only what con‐
choice that remains benign until it directly affects stitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it, but also
(negatively) another student. Indeed, in one what constitutes integrity and how to foster it. In
study, only 1.7% of respondents were willing to this way, we shift our tone from one that is pro‐
report a friend whom they found cheating; the hibitive to one that stresses more positive moti‐
majority of respondents (82%) chose to ignore it vations. In this article we have explored a con‐
(Lim, 2002, p. 261). A strong consideration in ex‐ cept of collaborative learning that requires a fun‐
ploring an honor code is the idea that the current damental shift in how we perceive the learning
student ethic is one of peer loyalty, and it is process. Considering the current competitive
within this context that students evaluate the rhetoric reflected in student comments as to why
practices of their peers. they cheat, what might be necessary is a shift
away from individualistic perspectives on
With this in mind, while the shift toward stu‐ achievement to a more collective view. In other
dent‐defined cultures of integrity can de‐center words, it requires transferring adversarial, com‐
faculty out of traditional roles of authority, the petitive academic relationships into cooperative
role of educators (faculty, staff, and administra‐ ones.
tors) remains critical. As McCabe acknowledges,
creating a culture of academic integrity requires a Perhaps the greatest challenge and implication is
“commitment of all members of the campus com‐ the pedagogical shift required to relinquish puni‐
munity,” (McCabe & Trevino, 2002, p. 37‐41) and tive authority and shift the responsibility for
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