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Imitation, not theft: a mixed-methods study of plagiarism

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Imitation, not theft: a mixed-methods study of plagiarism
Authors: Burger, Amy
Committee Members: Stewart, Jennifer L.; Hunter, Rik; Palmer, Heather; College of Arts and Sciences
Summary: This mixed-methods study examines how student writers’ use of others’ work that is labeled plagiaristic may actually represent productive attempts to engage in scholarly discourse through imitation, which has a long history of use in pedagogy. The study’s two research questions were: do points of transition into new composing contexts correlate with higher rates of plagiarism? and: is the education students receive about plagiarism in lower-level composition classes transferable to new composing contexts? The research conducted at Dalton State College includes the analysis of records kept by its Dean of Students Office and interviews with instructors. Findings from this project may inform a more understanding approach to plagiarism reporting and handling grounded in the potential of imitative writing as a pedagogical strategy to help students develop their composition skills. The study offers insights into the prevalence and handling of plagiarism at the college, on both an institutional and instructor level.
URL: https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/701
Database: OpenDissertations
Description
Abstract:This mixed-methods study examines how student writers’ use of others’ work that is labeled plagiaristic may actually represent productive attempts to engage in scholarly discourse through imitation, which has a long history of use in pedagogy. The study’s two research questions were: do points of transition into new composing contexts correlate with higher rates of plagiarism? and: is the education students receive about plagiarism in lower-level composition classes transferable to new composing contexts? The research conducted at Dalton State College includes the analysis of records kept by its Dean of Students Office and interviews with instructors. Findings from this project may inform a more understanding approach to plagiarism reporting and handling grounded in the potential of imitative writing as a pedagogical strategy to help students develop their composition skills. The study offers insights into the prevalence and handling of plagiarism at the college, on both an institutional and instructor level.