This study presents data and commentary from 50 academic library directors or other high level executives about their library role in addressing plagiarism. The advent of generative artificial intelligence and its broad use in academia has created a plethora of new questions about exactly what plagiarism is, how it should be identified and policed, and how academic libraries should respond. Traditionally, academic libraries have played a major role in defining and explaining plagiarism to students and developing strategies to eliminate it. This role has assumed greater importance.
The report gives detailed data on the rate of increase in instances of plagiarism, and on how librarians evaluate the seriousness of the problem at their institution. It also presents data on the percentage of libraries that offer access to Turnitin and similar applications, and measures librarian confidence in automated efforts to detect plagiarism, especially AI-assisted plagiarism. Librarians also offer insights on how clear that they feel are their institution’s definitions of and policies on plagiarism, and what are some of the best methods for combatting plagiarism on campus.
Just a few of this 35-page report’s many findings are that:
- The mean increase in complaints about plagiarism received in the past year was 17.58%.
- A shade less than half of survey participants felt that their institution’s policies on plagiarism were either clear or very clear.
- 14% of survey respondents from institution’s charging more than $34,000 in annual tuition felt that the plagiarism problem at their institution was serious or very serious.
- 62.5% of research university libraries in the sample offered access to Turnitin
Data in the report is broken out by numerous institutional and personal variables such as enrolment size, public/private status, college Carnegie class or type, and level of tuition for institutions and gender and age for individual respondent.
Table of Contents
The Questionnaire
Participant List
Summary of Main Findings
- Volume of Information Requests from Library Patrons About Plagiarism 2023-24
- Academic Library Participation in College or University Wide Effort to Confront Plagiarism Stimulated by Artificial Intelligence
- Estimate of the Seriousness of the Plagiarism Problem at One’s Institution
- Library Offered Access to Turnitin
- Level of Confidence in AI Detection Applications
- Clarity of Institutional Policies on Plagiarism
- Most Effective Library Policies on Combatting Plagiarism
List of Tables
- Table 1.1 In 2023-24, the volume of information requests from faculty, students and administration about plagiarism have increased or decreased by approximately what percentage?
- Table 1.2 In 2023-24, the volume of information requests from faculty, students and administration about plagiarism have increased or decreased by approximately what percentage? Broken out by tuition, $
- Table 1.3 In 2023-24, the volume of information requests from faculty, students and administration about plagiarism have increased or decreased by approximately what percentage? Broken out by enrollment
- Table 1.4 In 2023-24, the volume of information requests from faculty, students and administration about plagiarism have increased or decreased by approximately what percentage? Broken out by public or private college
- Table 1.5 In 2023-24, the volume of information requests from faculty, students and administration about plagiarism have increased or decreased by approximately what percentage? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie Class
- Table 1.6 In 2023-24, the volume of information requests from faculty, students and administration about plagiarism have increased or decreased by approximately what percentage? Broken out by age of respondent
- Table 1.7 In 2023-24, the volume of information requests from faculty, students and administration about plagiarism have increased or decreased by approximately what percentage? Broken out by gender of respondent
- Briefly describe the library's participation in any college or university effort, including one predominantly or solely launched by the library, to deal with the emerging issue of artificial intelligence applications being used in ways that are or might be considered plagiarism
- Table 2.1 In your view how serious is the problem of plagiarism at your institution?
- Table 2.2 In your view how serious is the problem of plagiarism at your institution? Broken out by Tuition, $
- Table 2.3 In your view how serious is the problem of plagiarism at your institution? Broken out by enrollment
- Table 2.4 In your view how serious is the problem of plagiarism at your institution? Broken out by public or private college
- Table 2.5 In your view how serious is the problem of plagiarism at your institution? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie Class
- Table 2.6 In your view how serious is the problem of plagiarism at your institution? Broken out by age of respondent
- Table 2.7 In your view how serious is the problem of plagiarism at your institution? Broken out by gender of respondent
- Table 3.1 Does your library offer access to Turnitin or other plagiarism detection application?
- Table 3.2 Does your library offer access to Turnitin or other plagiarism detection application? Broken out by tuition, $
- Table 3.3 Does your library offer access to Turnitin or other plagiarism detection application? Broken out by enrollment
- Table 3.4 Does your library offer access to Turnitin or other plagiarism detection application? Broken out by public or private college
- Table 3.5 Does your library offer access to Turnitin or other plagiarism detection application? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie Class
- Table 3.6 Does your library offer access to Turnitin or other plagiarism detection application? Broken out by age of respondent
- Table 3.7 Does your library offer access to Turnitin or other plagiarism detection application? Broken out by gender of respondent
- Table 4.1 How much confidence do you have in currently available detection applications to detect use of AI written documents?
- Table 4.2 How much confidence do you have in currently available detection applications to detect use of AI written documents? Broken out by tuition, $
- Table 4.3 How much confidence do you have in currently available detection applications to detect use of AI written documents? Broken out by enrollment
- Table 4.4 How much confidence do you have in currently available detection applications to detect use of AI written documents? Broken out by public or private college
- Table 4.5 How much confidence do you have in currently available detection applications to detect use of AI written documents? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie Class
- Table 4.6 How much confidence do you have in currently available detection applications to detect use of AI written documents? Broken out by age of respondent
- Table 4.7 How much confidence do you have in currently available detection applications to detect use of AI written documents? Broken out by gender of respondent
- Table 5.1 About how clear are official policies at your institution about what to regard and not to regard as plagiarism in student writing?
- Table 5.2 About how clear are official policies at your institution about what to regard and not to regard as plagiarism in student writing? Broken out by tuition, $
- Table 5.3 About how clear are official policies at your institution about what to regard and not to regard as plagiarism in student writing? Broken out by enrollment
- Table 5.4 About how clear are official policies at your institution about what to regard and not to regard as plagiarism in student writing? Broken out by public or private college
- Table 5.5 About how clear are official policies at your institution about what to regard and not to regard as plagiarism in student writing? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie Class
- Table 5.6 About how clear are official policies at your institution about what to regard and not to regard as plagiarism in student writing? Broken out by age of respondent
- Table 5.7 About how clear are official policies at your institution about what to regard and not to regard as plagiarism in student writing? Broken out by gender of respondent
- What policies or measures that the library has taken have been most effective in combating all forms of plagiarism, and AI-related plagiarism in particular?
Methodology
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