Student plagiarism in an online world: An introduction

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an introduction to the problem of student plagiarism in an environment where use of the Internet is commonplace. What is plagiarism, and to what extent is it a problem? Why do students plagiarize, and what are typical attitudes towards such plagiarism? Why are academics, and institutions themselves, often reluctant to progress cases through official channels? What are some of the technologies used by students to plagiarise, and by academics to detect plagiarism? What solutions are possible, and what potential solutions might be just over the horizon? This chapter attempts to provide answers to all of these questions.