How
      are
      some
      of
      them
      discovered,
      and
      then
     
     
      how
      are
      they
      dealt
      with?
      Many
      professors
     
     
      say
      an
      easy
      was
      to
      spot
      unoriginal
      material
     
     
      is
      if
      it
      is
      much
      better
      that
      the
      rest
      of
      the
     
     
      paper’s
      content.
      A
      less
      frequent
      occurrence
     
     
      is
      immediately
      recognizing
      the
      work
      as
     
     
      something
      you’ve
      read
      before
      (one
      English
     
     
      professor
      once
      had
      a
      student
      who
      passed
      in
     
     
      a
      copy
      of
      a
      famous
      short
      story
      and
      tried
      to
     
     
      pass
      it
      off
      as
      his
      own).
      Professors
      may
      also
     
     
      sometimes
      consult
      source
      material
      for
      the
     
     
      topic
      if
      they
      are
      suspicious.
      In
      some
     
     
      instances
      they
      will
      find
      the
      source
     
     
      vandalized
      by
      a
      plagiarizer,
      copied
      sections
     
     
      removed
      from
      the
      book
      or
      underlined,
      other
     
     
      sections
      crossed
      out.
      However,
      it
      is
      very
     
     
      time
      consuming
      work
      to
      track
      down
      the
     
     
      source
      of
      possibly
      stolen
      passages,
      and
     
     
      professors
      often
      avoid
      this
      unless
      they
      have
     
     
      strong
      grounds
      for
      suspicion.
      In
      the
      end,
     
     
      though,
      professors
      as
      a
      whole
      say
      that
      a
     
     
      minuscule
      percentage
      of
      _
      students
     
     
      deliberately
      plagiarize,
      and
      then
      punishment
     
     
      may
      sometimes
      depend
      on
      the
      mercy
      of
      the
     
     
      professor.
      Some
      professors
      simply
      refuse
      to
     
     
      give
      credit
      for
      copied
      works,
      and/or
      ask
      for
     
     
      a
      substitute
      paper
      to
      be
      written.
      If
      a
     
     
      student
      is
      taken
      to
      University
      authorities,
      he
     
     
      or
      she
      might
      be
      let
      off
      with
      a
      warning
      for
     
     
      the
      first
      offence.
      Repeat
      offenders
      could
      be
     
     
      expelled.
      Most
      cases
      are
      noted
      and
      kept
      on
     
     
      a
      record
      of
      the
      student,
      but
      this
      evidence
      is
     
     
      destroyed
      when
      the
      student
      leaves
     
     
      university.
      Punishment
      can
      be
      very
      stiff,
     
     
      although
      some
      professors
      are
      willing
      to
      be
     
     
      merciful.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      After
      speaking
      with
      a
      number
      of
      professors
     
     
      from
      various
      departments,
      I
      compiled
      a
      list
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      suggestions
      that
      professors
      had
      for
      their
     
     
      colleagues
      to
      prevent
      plagiarism
      and
      other
     
     
      forms
      of
      cheating
      form
      occurring.
      First,
     
     
      professors
      should
      encourage
      individual
     
     
      thought
      in
      their
      students,
      and
      educate
      them
     
     
      in
      what
      plagiarism
      is
      and
      how
      it
      is
      wrong.
     
     
      Professors
      should
      also
      change
      the
      topics
     
     
      they
      use
      for
      essays
      and
      papers
      each
     
     
      semester,
      so
      that
      students
      cannot
      turn
      in
     
     
      "recycled
      essays"
      done
      on
      the
      same
      topic
      by
     
     
      an
      earlier
      student.
      Professors
      should
      try
      to
     
     
      be
      familiar
      with
      the
      common
      _
      source
     
     
      materials
      for
      the
      essay
      topics
      they
      use,
      so
     
     
      that
      they
      can
      recognize
      copying
      of
      it.
      There
     
     
      are
      various
      safeguards
      to
      prevent
      cheating
     
     
      in
      tests
      as
      well.
      Professors
      should
      specially
     
     
      mark
      the
      set
      of
      exam
      booklets
      they
      use
      for
     
     
      a
      particular
      test
      or
      exam.
      Otherwise,
      as
      has
     
     
      been
      suggested
      by
      some
      professors
      and
     
     
      students,
      students
      might
      acquire
      an
      exam
     
     
      booklet
      before
      hand
      and
      write
      out
      answers
     
     
      within,
      taking
      the
      completed
      booklet
      into
     
     
      class
      and
      passing
      it
      in
      as
      their
      exam
      at
      the
     
     
      end
      of
      class.
      This
      can
      be
      prevented
      by
     
     
      specially
      marking
      the
      booklets
      used
      for
      each
     
     
      test.
      Also,
      exam
      booklets
      should
      not
      be
      left
     
     
      lying
      around
      where
      students
      might
      obtain
     
     
      them
      to
      use
      later.
      Make-up
      exams
      should
     
     
      be
      supervised.
      Some
      students
      deliberately
     
     
      miss
      an
      exam
      in
      hopes
      of
      taking
      an
     
     
      unsupervised
      make-up
      test.
      In
      test
      rooms,
     
     
      books
      should
      be
      kept
      away
      from
      students’
     
     
      desks,
      and
      students
      should
      remove
     
     
      outerwear
      which
      might
      conceal
      materials.
     
     
      More
      monitors
      should
      be
      available
      to
     
     
      supervise
      exams
      as
      well.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      These
      suggestions
      are
      reasonable
      safeguards
     
     
      against
      dishonesty;
      professors
      want
      to
      trust
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      UPEI
      X-Press
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      15,
      1990
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      21