Why plagiarism increases in schools and universities around the UK - Essay Example

Reasons why Plagiarism may be on the Increase in Schools and Universities around the UK Plagiarism can be defined as the act of copying someone’s work and presenting it as though it was one’s own original work. This vice is illegal in all universities and schools around the UK. Despite being illegal, plagiarism is increasing in various universities and schools. Due to increasing use of the internet, plagiarism rose significantly in the UK within the early 2000s from 23% to 90%. Since then, efforts have been made through the invention of Turnitin to curb the problem.

Despite such efforts, the vice is still on the rise. Turnitin.UK (2015) suggests that plagiarism has increased by 24% between 2014 and 2015. Some of the reasons why plagiarism is rising in that manner are explained in this essay. One of the reasons for the increase of plagiarism in universities and schools around UK is the easy access of the internet (Watkins, 2008). There are various tools such as Google that students use to conduct their research and get access to information and ideas that can be used to complete assignments and research projects.

However, such research tools have contributed to plagiarism increase across the UK because it enables learners to copy information from the internet. It is difficult to spot this form of plagiarism and cannot be identified manually. Indeed, there is a “significant, negative influence on the rate of plagiarism due to the internet” (Ison, 2014). The internet is therefore a significant cause of increasing plagiarism in most universities and schools around UK. Online education is also a significant contributor of plagiarism on the internet platform.

Ison (2014) argues that online coursework or online education which is common in various institutions in UK causes a great temptation for students to plagiarize than the brick-and-mortar form of education. Online education allows students to stay on the internet for a long time, tempting them to search through various websites for information that can enable them to complete their online assignments easily. Furthermore, there is limited supervision in online studies because the student and the lecturer operate from different places and the lecturer cannot supervise the student directly.

Another reason why plagiarism is increasing is because of the proliferation of term paper mills (Park, 2003). In this case, students buy papers from vendors who sell customized papers for a profit. This amounts to plagiarism because the student does not use his own mind to produce original work, but just buys someone else’s work (Pennycook, 1996). The vendors may also commit plagiarism by copying materials from other sources without acknowledging them. With the increasing use of the internet, paper mills are becoming more serious in UK as students just log on to the web, click on purchase paper, and enter their credit cards to purchase papers from such paper mills.

Students also use their credit cards to pay for the services of ghost writers who write customized papers for them (Park, 2003). “Some of the websites allow students to download papers for free while others charge a fee and an extra fee for email delivery” (Park, 2003). Some students also commit plagiarism due to lack of awareness (Turnitin.UK, 2015). In this case, the students fail to draw a line between research and plagiarism. While attempting to conduct research as instructed by their instructors, some students in the UK end up presenting other people’s work from the internet.

Students may not understand how to summarize, quote or paraphrase information presented by others on the internet (Neville, 2010). This leads to what is known as accidental or unintentional plagiarism. “Lack of understanding on how to cite sources correctly also leads to unintentional plagiarism” (Turnitin.UK, 2015). Rising plagiarism is therefore enhanced partly by the inappropriateness or lack of appreciation of the sources of information used by students when they are conducting research.

Postponement and close deadlines also lead to plagiarism. Laziness leads to the lazy plagiarist. Some students nowadays engage in many things including fun and entertainment at the expense of their studies. They only realize that they have pending assignments when the deadline is closing in. They then end up rushing for information on the internet and intentionally or unintentionally plagiarize materials from the web. Some students also ask for the services of ghost writers when their deadlines are close.

According to Turnitin.UK (2015), “students who do not manage their time effectively or lack interest in the tasks may choose to copy and paste information to meet deadlines.” References List Ison, D. (2014). Does the Online Environment Promote Plagiarism? A Comparative Study of Dissertations from Brick-and-Mortar versus Online Institutions. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 10(2), 272-282. Marsden, R. (2014). The big steal: rise of the plagiarist in the digital age. Accessed July 10, 2015 from http://www.

theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/21/rise-plagiarism-internet-shia-labeouf. Neville, C. (2010). The complete guide to referencing and avoiding plagiarism. Maidenhead: Open University Press/McGraw Hill. Park, C. (2003). In Other (People’s) Words: plagiarism by university students—literature and lessons. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 28(5), 471-488. Pennycook, A. (1996). Borrowing Others Words: Text, Ownership, Memory, and Plagiarism. TESOL Quarterly, 30(2), 201-230. Turnitin.UK (2015). Copy and pasting: How to stop the rising tide of plagiarism.

Accessed July 10, 2015 from http://www.turnitinuk.com/en_gb/resources/blog/423-news/2427-copy-and-pasting-how-to-stop-the-rising-tide-of-plagiarism. Watkins, H. (2008). Plagiarism. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.