Plagiarism is a serious issue that affects academics world-wide: Chaitali Moitra, Turnitin

October 19 was the International Day of Action Against Contract Cheating and this phenomenon is increasing and presenting a threat to academic standards and quality. The menace of plagiarised content, contract cheating and copied content picked up manifold during the pandemic as learning and teaching went online. Recently, Kalyani University Dean was removed for plagiarism, Ranchi University has passed a resolution to check plagiarism in research work. 20%-30% of Indian students studying abroad fall prey to plagiarism and face serious consequences (Feb 2022)

Chaitali Moitra, Regional Director, South Asia – Turnitin shares insight on the trend and talks about how universities are increasing awareness around this.

Q. Turnitin is working with several universities in India. We would like to understand how serious the issue of plagiarism is in academic institutions in India?

A. Plagiarism plagues almost every institution of the world. We work with top-notch universities in the world including 700+ institutions in India. We have noticed that inevitably plagiarism is recognised as an issue in many institutions. However, due to awareness of the same increasing along with availability of a tool that enables one to detect plagiarism, I would say that there is now a concerted effort to ensure that authentic work is accepted by the institutions. 

As you would be aware that recently, there have been few cases whereby heads of institutions have also been called out for plagiarised content. We did have an incident even with a Harvard student authoring a book which was later exposed as plagiarised (How Opel Mehta Got kissed, Got wild and Got a Life by Kaavya Viswanathan).

I would like to rephrase to say that plagiarism is a serious issue that affects academics world-wide, and we should create more awareness around the necessity of inculcating “integrity” in our life to eliminate this menace.

Q. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a lot of academic activity moving online. Was there a change in trend when it comes to creating original content by students?

A. It is not just Covid-19 which deterred students from creating original content. I would say that the availability of the internet and being exposed to a plethora of information readily available at the touch of a fingertip has resulted in students seeking shortcuts to write their assignments or articles. If I may go back by a decade, it was more difficult to plagiarise as hard copies needed to be read and then used in our work. The gradual shift towards moving away from original work started to happen as students realised that online, there are numerous sites that even enables one to download projects in lieu of uploading a project. Getting the service of ghost writers to write on one’s behalf is much easier as information on the web connects them to contract cheating companies and even freelancers. 

Probably shifting everything online, has expedited the process wherein original thinking and creating authentic work has taken a back seat as students try to complete their assignments in a hurry. The other side of getting easy access to the wide array of information is that the students have more relevant content easily accessible that can help them come up with a better version of their work. The key lies in them understanding the importance of acknowledging a source from where they are getting the content or the idea. 

Q. How serious are academic institutions about plagiarism? What steps are they taking to curb this practice? 

A. The Guidelines issued by UGC in 2018 saw a definite shift in Higher Education institutions as they realised the severity and long-term impact of plagiarism. The mandate has coerced them to use tools to facilitate authentic writing. News of the impact that plagiarism has had in the career of public personalities, authors and even researchers along with the subsequent result of reputation of publishers and institutions being at stake has surfaced a lot in the past few years. This has also helped to increase the interest of institutions in ensuring that tools are used early on in college to build a sense of academic integrity and induce writing of original content.

Plagiarism goes beyond taking content from other sources. When we can make students and institutions be aware of the different aspects of plagiarism and convinced about the need for academic integrity then only the solution comes. I think “yes” there is a significant step being taken by institutions to ensure that students adhere to original writings and faculties are scrutinising submitted work using plagiarism detection tools. Fortunately, the NEP 2020 lays emphasis on building early-stage creativity, original thinking and innovation in learners - this too will provide impetus to writing and developing original content. 

Q. Internationally, academic institutions have been taking various steps to check plagiarism. How do you compare the practices in India with those in the West? 

A. Plagiarism and academic integrity are well-recognised subjects at international universities. Learners are encouraged to demonstrate the right moral standards in an academic setting in the context of writing and content development. In India, with the UGC coming up with a regulation on the Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Educational Institutions, the point is now well-driven within the academic community and institutions are investing in plagiarism detection tools. 

The project-based assessment system also promotes original thinking from childhood and also teaches the skills of referencing/citing a source when content is taken from somewhere to validate the students’ ideas. Working in group assignments also promotes the healthy practice of acknowledging the contribution of all the group members.

Q. The New Education Policy 2020 promotes original thinking and encourages learners to move away from the concept of rote learning. How is Turnitin helping to seed and embed this concept?

A. We ought to move away from the "chalk and talk" system of learning and teaching where summative assessments are the endpoint. The task at hand is to create a generation of conceptually sound learners who do not have to rely on borrowed content or ideas. Also, if our talent has to join the global workforce, they must be original thinkers, innovators, and problem-solvers. This is exactly what the new National Education Policy 2020 promulgates.

I would also like to add that secondary education in India should start using plagiarism detection tools from early years so that this habit can be taught from childhood. It is extremely difficult for students to enter college and then realise the seriousness of the need to create original work. It is not the avoidance of plagiarism alone but developing the habit of writing oneself that also needs to be encouraged.

Q. Why do we need to raise awareness now more than ever?

A. The government of India has talked about leveraging India’s demographic dividend and would like Indians to make up about a quarter of the global workforce by 2047. About half of our population is under 28 years of age and therefore in the ‘deep learning phase’ of their lives. Concepts such as academic integrity must be seeded now so that they do a great job of taking India to the world over the next few decades.

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