An investigation into the attitudes of academic librarians towards Internet plagiarism of HE students.

Abstract

This paper aims to report an investigation into the attitudes of academic librarians towards Internet plagiarism by higher education students, particularly, how they define Internet plagiarism, their perceived role in combating this phenomenon, and the skills and techniques they have or will adopt to achieve this. A Delphi study was undertaken using a sample of 10 respondents. The responses demonstrated that plagiarism is a multifaceted term and not easily definable, however respondents were unanimous in their opinion that the Internet has made it easier to plagiarise. The potential for active collaboration between librarians and academics to jointly address Internet plagiarism was seen as vital by all respondents, although opinion was divided on the role of librarians and academics. A blended approach is recommended, which involves involving policing and prevention; in addition to ensuring that students are achieving information literacy well before they reach the gates of the University.