An online plagiarism workshop is to be introduced for all students as part of a new initiative co‐chaired by Dean of Graduate Studies Professor Aideen Long and Senior Lecturer Dr Gillian Martin. As of this academic year, students of all levels will be required to sign a declaration alongside every piece of work submitted to College. This declaration will confirm that the student has completed the new ‘Ready, Steady, Write’ plagiarism module on Blackboard and that they are aware of what constitutes plagiarism.
The introduction of the ‘Ready, Steady, Write’ online workshop is part of a wider attempt by College authorities to boost understanding among both undergraduate and graduate students as to what plagiarism is and how it can be avoided. A working committee was set up in order to tackle the issue, consisting of various bodies and individuals including the senior tutor, the dean of students, the Students’ Union education officer and representatives from the Library and the Centre for Academic Practice and eLearning.
The committee also reviewed the manner in which College deals with the issue of plagiarism as a whole and the measures taken to combat it. As a result of their findings, numerous changes have taken place. Speaking to Trinity News, Long and Martin explained that the entry on plagiarism in the University Calendar has now been updated to make it clearer and more accessible. Furthermore, they said that all of College’s online information and resources regarding plagiarism have been consolidated in one place, having previously been scattered across a number of different sites and difficult to locate as a result. A central repository hosted by the Library will now contain the relevant information, including a matrix explaining the different levels of plagiarism and their consequences, how to avoid accidental plagiarism and details on software packages such as Turnitin, which can be used to detect plagiarism. The goal, according to Long and Martin, is that “these various measures will contribute positively to support and foster academic integrity.”
