{"id":270,"date":"2017-06-16T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-16T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/teachingresources\/teachingresources\/?page_id=270"},"modified":"2026-02-25T14:35:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T19:35:36","slug":"academic-integrity-resources","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/teachingresources\/assessing-student-work\/academic-integrity-resources\/","title":{"rendered":"Academic Integrity Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Academic Integrity Resources\n <\/h1>\n \n \n <\/header>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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\n Table of Contents\n <\/h2>\n
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\n \n 1.\n <\/span>\n\n \n Resources for Instructors\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n \n
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\n \n 2.\n <\/span>\n\n \n Resources for Students\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n \n
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\n \n 3.\n <\/span>\n\n \n External Resources\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Resources for Instructors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Preventing Plagiarism Through Course Design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re used to thinking about plagiarism as a problem that begins and ends with our students, whether through a lack of effort, planning, time management or familiarity. But recent research suggests that instructors also can and do play a role in facilitating it, and that they can and should take concrete steps to reduce or even eliminate it from their classrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is a short list of preventative strategies suggested by the literature that reframes the problem as an issue of course design rather than one of student behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preventative Strategies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Teach the skills\/knowledge you expect your students to have\/be familiar with.<\/strong> Allocate class time to talk about the subject; use hands-on, low-stakes activities (in-class and\/or online) that give students opportunities to practice; and assign marked assignments on the issues involved. For example, teach students  not just how to use citation style, but also how to effectively paraphrase, summarize and quote a text. Each of these is a skill that requires time and practice before it can be mastered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For assignments, Indiana University has a great online tutorial and automated quiz<\/a> that you could make students responsible for completing. Alternatively, you could make students responsible for providing photocopies of sourced items, with all paraphrased and quoted passages highlighted, or have them attach a short reflective piece in which they reflect on their use of their sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a chair or director, it might be a good idea to discuss with instructors the possibility of establishing a framework that ensures that all students in year one of the program have this exposure. That way, instructors at the second year and beyond can legitimately be assured that students have been taught these skills and knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Employ scaffolding.<\/strong> Weeks in advance of the due date and always for marks, have students submit a paper proposal, a rough draft, or an essay outline document, and\/or have them participate in an in-class peer review session that you structure. Alternatively, you could use a writing portfolio or ePortfolio in which students chronicle the paper\u2019s development over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever you do, make students responsible for responding to all feedback provided: assign a short reflective piece after they receive your\/their peers\u2019 feedback, itemizing the changes they intend to implement. Archive all such materials for later consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Connect your students to existing resources.<\/strong> There are already many resources on this subject in place around campus (see the list of student resources below for more details). Draw your students\u2019 attention to these resources by including contact information and links in your syllabus and\/or assignment descriptions, and\/or by inviting Writing Services<\/a> into your classroom to talk to your students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider, too, getting your class involved in the Centre for Student Academic Support’s incentive program<\/a>. You could, for instance, make students responsible for completing their online academic integrity workshop and CSAS would track the workshop attendance and provide a report to you at the end of the semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Add specificity to your essay topics, and avoid recycling.<\/strong> Design your essay topics so that they assign precise topics or intersect with subjects that are more uniquely tied to the course content you have been teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n