Understanding Plagiarism to Better Counter It
Sylvie Deslauriers, PhD

Abstract
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of publications devoted to plagiarism. However, many grey areas remain regarding the factors that compel individuals to commit plagiarism. While cases of unintentional plagiarism can be understood to some extent, identifying what motivate students to deliberately plagiarize remains a complex task. It is essential to gain a better understanding of this phenomenon in order to fight this scourge. The first step is to come up with a definition of plagiarism that takes into account the many forms it can take. We then need to develop more comprehensive academic policies to ensure that students are well informed about the consequences of plagiarism. Although prevention is the area of priority, it is crucial that mechanisms be put in place for detecting and disclosing cases of plagiarism. Finally, a scale of penalties commensurate with the offence committed should be put in place.

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