Article Review: Web Plagiarism: Empirical Study
Alexander E. Voiskounsky
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Moscow
2009
The article review entitled “ Web Plagiarism:
Empirical Study “ was published in 2009 by Alexander E. Voiskounsky as the
author. The study was done to 292 science undergraduates from four technical
universities in Moscow Russia. Alexander E. Voiskounsky mention that web
plagiarism as an academic cheating because students took the materials or information
from the internet and they declare it as their own sources. They know
plagiarism is against their cultural or moral values but they tent to do it
because the others are doing it too. This closely refers to behavioral (John B
Watson, Pavlov and Freud) and social cognitive theories (Albert Bandura).
Web plagiarisms are becoming a practice lately. The
findings show that first year students more prone to get involve in plagiarism
compared to their seniors. Undoubtedly some of them avoid plagiarism because of
their principle and moral obligations. Plagiarism amongst the undergraduates
occurs mostly in their assignments. According to gender, males are more
proficient in English language compared to females. Thus, they tend to do
plagiarism in both languages. Plagiarism happen due to a few factor such as they
think that their assignment are difficult and most of them try avoiding
failure. Students that perform plagiarism believes that their lecturer won’t
notice it and most of them are not very sure whether they will be caught
plagiarize or not. They did it because others are doing it and they get through
it.
The main point from this article is about
plagiarism among Russian Undergraduate science student. Result from the surveys
shows that, they are not heavy plagiarizers. Some of the students avoid
plagiarisms because it against the moral values. Some juniors plagiarizes due
to a few factors, part of them follow their friends while others because the
don’t want to fail their subjects. According to the writer’s, theoretically
because they were influence by their behaviors, environment and cognition
(Social Cognitive Theory by Albert Bandura). Secondly, according
Bandura’s Social Cognitive Model
To John B. Watson and Pavlov, behavior can be learning
through their experience with the environment and observation. The next point
is, students have to go to limited option of classes and most of them are
compulsory and they are tied to assignments. Students usually plagiarize in
order to submit their written assignments. The writer’s conclude that that from
the study, undergraduate science students in Russian university web-plagiarize
a few time a year during their junior year. Cases of plagiarism reduce during
their senior years as they become more proficient with the languages and aware
of plagiarism.
In conclusion, this article is understandable and
plagiarism somehow have to be avoided no matter how pressure the students feel.
It is against the moral of any religions and even the writer’s did not biased
with the writing, students that do plagiarism should feel guilty about what
they did. Overall this is a great article and can be a good reference.
xoxo
image googled from http://ihaveaplaniowa.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/career-development-through-career-fairs/
