Studying the issue of plagiarism at a university in Hong Kong: An exploration of the teaching and learning processes

Abstract

This paper reports findings from the exploratory stage of an ongoing study conducted at a university in Hong Kong on the issue of plagiarism. The early stage of the study focused on exploring undergraduate students’ understanding of plagiarism, the strategies they used when preparing their assignments, the textual results of their strategies, lecturers’ response to their students’ use of sources, and the role played by Turnitin in the assessment process. In the present paper, the data collected from nine student participants and four instructors were drawn upon to illuminate some findings. The paper concludes by highlighting the implications that the reported findings may have for universities’ anti-plagiarism policies and for the EAP (English for Academic Purposes) and subject-based instruction.