Investigate the extent and nature of plagiarism & collusion in your institution.
Commission lawyers to investigate related legal issues in your country – copyright, paternity right, database rights, moral rights, data protection, deception/fraud, derogatory treatment.
Develop an easy-to-understand definition of plagiarism that is highlighted and clarified. Be aware that there will still be ambiguities.
Clarify which kinds of resources may be used without naming author, e.g. collective works such as yearbooks.
Develop disciplinary procedures that are transparent to students & staff. Discipline could include learning as well as punishment.
If non-compliance is detected, investigate reasons for non-compliance & the intention of the student.
Discuss common issues in order to raise awareness, e.g. the thin line between collaboration & collusion.
Promote academic integrity as part of Integrity as a desirable quality of all graduates of your institution. Academic staff can lead by example of course.
Teach students critical analysis, how to build an argument, citation and referencing skills & provide them with ample practice activities that are discipline-specific. This may be initiated in language & communication subjects, but can continue in all subjects.
Put emphasis on teaching students time management skills. Also, avoid giving students multiple concurrent deadlines for submission of work.
Invest in detection software and train staff in its use. For deterrence purposes publicise that your institution uses this software but do not advertise its limitations. Decide how the software is going to be used, e.g. random samples or comprehensive checks.
Require students to submit written work/images electronically together with a declaration that it is their own work. Establish a searchable database of student work for each course. Make new students aware of the existence of the database. Inform students of the reason for collecting their work (data protection issue).
Train academic staff to be sensitive to changes in discourse style.
Design assessment tasks that minimize the effectiveness of plagiarism or collusion.
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