Plagiarism Research Paper

Does culture influence understanding and perceived seriousness of plagiarism?
International Journal for Educational Integrity

Amanda Maxwell University of Western Sydney [e-mail] Guy J. Curtis University of Western Sydney [e-mail] Lucia Vardanega University of Western Sydney [e-mail] Keywords: culture, Asian, understanding, seriousness, plagiarism Abstract This paper discusses the perceived seriousness and understanding of plagiarism by local and Asian international students in Australia, presenting new data from a study conducted at two Australian universities. In our study no differences were found between local and Asian students in ratings of perceived seriousness or understanding of plagiarism.
As a result, there has been a retreat from a moralised view of plagiarism, to a more inquiring stance with a desire to understand what factors affect such behaviour, including differing cultural backgrounds (Hafernik et al., 2002). International students are one particular group that has been at the centre of the discussions due to their reported difficulties in understanding the concept of plagiarism (Deckert, 1992; Evans & Youmans, 2000; Marshall & Garry, 2006). Some argue that these students are at increased risk of committing acts of plagiarism (Deckert, 1992; Park, 2003). East Asian international students, specifically, have attracted attention in the literature on plagiarism (Deckert, 1993; Lahur, 2005) and are a particularly relevant group for Australian research, as they comprise a large proportion of the international student population in Australia. Although East Asian international students form a heterogenous group, there are a number of factors that they share in common: their Confucian heritage, ESL status, and the experience of living abroad (Chalmers & Volet, 1997). These three factors may contribute to East Asian students experiencing difficulties in complying with plagiarism rules in Western universities. Indeed, one study, without examining Asian students specifically, found lower understanding of plagiarism among ESL students as compared with native English-speaking students (Marshall & Garry, 2006). Cultural beliefs unique to Asian cultures, most notably the Confucian heritage, provide some perspective on the differing understandings students have about textual ownership and plagiarism. Central to Confucian philosophy is the concept of the relational self, whereby the individual only exists in relation to others (Gao, 1998). Within this tradition there are five hierarchical principal relationships, with the more senior individual having more power and authority (Bond & Hwang, 1995; Cho, 2000). All