Abstract

Students using ‘cut-and-paste’ and paraphrasing tools to present the work of others as if it was their own is a significant problem in higher education. This Briefly Speaking argues however that the problem is largely misunderstood to be a legal rather than educational issue, with a resultant neglect of educational responsibilities. Further, it argues that the moral outrage associated with the issue of plagiarism makes it difficult to move beyond current police-catch-punish approaches, which have long been found to be ineffective. As generative AI becomes ubiquitous, ever more thoughtful educational initiatives are needed to develop students’ knowledge and writing practices. 

Keywords: Assessment, doctoral degrees, graduate attributes, qualification standard, supervision 

Access and download the full article: BrieflySpeaking No. 27 A Closer Look at Plagiarism within the Context of Student Academic Writing in an Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence