Preventing Cheating and Plagiarism

The following resources provide specific strategies for preventing cheating and plagiarism. In many cases, the best strategies for prevention are also best practices for teaching and pedagogy. However, different strategies correspond to different elements of the problem. As an instructor, it is important to stay focused on your pedagogical goals and then find appropriate strategies that will help you meet those goals. For University of Michigan instructors, the instructional consultants at CRLT would be happy to meet with you to discuss these issues.

• Resources for Teaching About Plagiarism
  
  
  • The Bill Taylor letter
    Preventing plagiarism and fostering academic integrity can be furthered by open discussions with students about your expectations. Professor Taylor's letter is an ideal starting point.
    
    
  • Purdue University's Online Writing Lab: Avoiding Plagiarism
    Useful as a site to refer students to or as a source for a comprehensive and thoughful discussion of plagiarism. Has clear and well organized advice to students about how they can avoid plagiarizing.
    
    
  • Indiana University: Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It
    Another good reference site. Includes examples and self-tests throughout.
    
    
  • Plagiarism: A Workshop for Law Students
    Created by Matthew Mirow for LexisNexis, this is a useful site for more advanced students or for graduate students.
    
    
  • Online interactive plagiarism knowledge test from Indiana University
    This is a fantastic interactive test on plagiarism and correct citation practices. Extremely useful as an activity to require of students or to go through with them.
    
    
  • Pen and paper plagiarism knowledge test from CRLT at the University of Michigan
    Another educational activity for students.
    
    
• Specific Strategies
  
  
  • Anti-Plagiarism Strategies for Research Papers
    Robert Harris provides a comprehensive discussion of plagiarism and steps instructors can take to make plagiarism less likely.
    
    
  • Plagiarism and Anti-Plagairism
    Heyward Ehrlich discusses issues related to plagiarism and details how instructors can make plagiarism less likely and easier to identify.
    
    
  • "Cheating on Exams" from the Teaching Resources Center at UC-Davis
    Advice on preventing cheating in a traditional exam context.
    
    
  • Tools for Teaching: Preventing Academic Dishonesty
    Barbara Gross Davis provides specific prevention strategies. Particularly useful for traditional exam settings.