Plagiarism: cross-cultural and genealogical perspectives

Conflicting academic and cultural perspectives hinder international awareness of plagiarism and the development of policies and practices for dealing with it. Research into the extent of the problem currently and over time is needed to counter this. Two case studies are presented, analysing the self-justifications given by an habitual plagiarist, and the repeated plagiarism of a piece of plagiarised material over a ten-year period. Emphasis is placed on the exclusion methods provided by the Turnitin.com service in analysing content originality. Identifying the origins of content over time is likened to the cautious approach used by genealogists in tracing family history links. The findings of such research need to be disseminated in order to explain to international collaborators why plagiarism is not cross-culturally acceptable. Similes such as that between plagiarism and genealogy research can help in explaining plagiarism to students. Statement of the problem Perspectives on plagiarism range from the view that it is a reprehensible behaviour that should be prevented, to the tolerant view that it can be justified in particular cultures and academic activities. These relatively simplistic viewpoints deter discussion of the underlying reasons for plagiarism and the international extent of the phenomenon. To assist in this debate, the paper presents an analysis of the mindset of a student plagiarist, conducted from the point of view of the writer’s academic discipline, psychology. It also considers how plagiarism studies can be assisted by the comparable approaches and concepts used in genealogical research.