By Jennefer Barton
Plagiarism is in the spotlight once again with a Harvard student''s recent cancellation of her two-book deal.
Kaavya Viswanathan''s first book, 'How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life,' has been permanently withdrawn from shelves, according to the Associated Press. Viswanathan''s book came under fire when the publisher of her book found striking similarities to another author''s works.
With the recent awareness of Viswanathan''s book cancellation, plagiarism is a concern on every campus, including BYU.
In 2004, BYU President Cecil Samuelson discussed this topic and said plagiarism and cheating were two of the top integrity issues affecting BYU, and cited studies 'that show three-fourths of individuals in high school admitted to cheating.'
With an Honor Code in place at BYU, students are expected to be honest and truthful in their work. The Honor Code begins with the phrase, 'We believe in being honest...'
Steve Baker, Honor Code Office director, said plagiarism may be rising at BYU, but not the dramatic rise seen at other universities.
'We recently performed a national survey on academic integrity and we came out very well as far as issues of plagiarism and cheating are concerned,' Baker said.
The Writing Center is a resource students have to help with writing skills, including plagiarism.
'We haven''t noticed that it has been a problem at all,' said Courtney Mangum, Writing Center employee. 'It hasn''t been something that has been brought up in the Writing Center; it is not a main concern of ours.'
If students are caught plagiarizing, then their own department will first deal with the issue, Baker said. If the problem continues, then the Honor Code Office will directly decide what penalties the student should receive.
While the Honor Code Office and Writing Center said plagiarism is not firmly on the rise, Brad Rawlins, an associate department chair in the Department of Communications, thought differently.
'I think overall it''s on the rise because of the availability of information,' Rawlins said. 'It''s much easier to find another''s thoughts than create your own ideas.'
Ed Carter, assistant professor of Communications had a different perspective.
'I haven''t noticed it has increased, but I''ve noticed an increase in detection,' Carter said.
Kristine Hansen, an English professor said that with the increase of information on the Internet, plagiarism has likely become more tempting.
At any rate, professors and universities are taking steps to eliminate the possibility of students lifting other''s ideas. The Department of Communications is initiating the use of Web sites, such as turnitin.com, to prevent Internet plagiarism. Turnitin.com looks for word pattern similarities to identify plagiarism.
'We don''t use it to catch students, but to teach students how to properly cite and to learn the skill of how to communicate properly,' Rawlins said.
Overall, most professors think the Internet has impacted the ability to plagiarize.
Students have mixed feelings about the issue.
Jennifer Sorensen, a 20-year-old biology major from Sandy said it''s hard to define what plagiarism is.
'You have to base what you do on your own judgment,' Sorensen said. 'You have to be as honest as you can.'
Jonathan Updike, a 22-year-old senior from Marino Valley, Calif., said while technology has made plagiarizing easier, it has also made it easier to detect.
'It''s easier to plagiarize these days but it''s also easier to find someone plagiarizing,' Updike said. 'There''s a greater access to resources.'
Kate Weaver, a 22-year-old history major from Overland Park, Kan., said the Internet has made plagiarizing more difficult.
'I feel like the Internet has made it harder to plagiarize because your teachers can easily find what you''ve written and can find your sources,' Weaver said.
The Honor Code Office maintains records of incidents concerning plagiarism on campus, but would not release any numbers.
Plagiarism is an issue the Honor Code Office works with, but the problem appears to be better than most universities, Baker said.
'I think the students do a really good job overall,' Baker said. 'I just ask the students to think it through and consider the consequences not only of their education, but integrity.'