Plagiarism in Student Papers: Prevalence Estimates Using Special Techniques for Sensitive Questions

Coutts Elisabethen, Ben Jann, Krumpal Ivar () and Näher Anatol-Fiete ()
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Coutts Elisabethen: Zurich
Krumpal Ivar: University of Leipzig, Institute of Sociology, Beethovenstrasse 15, 04107 Leipzig, Germany
Näher Anatol-Fiete: University of Leipzig, Institute of Sociology, Beethovenstrasse 15, 04107 Leipzig, Germany

Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), 2011, vol. 231, issue 5-6, 749-760

Abstract: This article evaluates three different questioning techniques for measuring the prevalence of plagiarism in student papers: the randomized response technique (RRT), the item count technique (ICT), and the crosswise model (CM). In three independent experimental surveys with Swiss and German university students as subjects (two web surveys and a survey using paper and- pencil questionnaires in a classroom setting), each of the three techniques is compared to direct questioning and evaluated based on the “more-is-better” assumption. According to our results the RRT and the ICT failed to reduce social desirability bias in self-reports of plagiarism. In contrast, the CM was more successful in eliciting a significantly higher rate of reported sensitive behavior than direct questioning. One reason for the success of the CM, we believe, is that it overcomes the “self-protective no” bias known from the RRT (and which may also be a potential problem in the ICT).We find rates of up to 22 percent of students who declared that they ever intentionally adopted a passage from someone else’s work without citing it. Severe plagiarism such as handing in someone else’s paper as one’s own, however, seems to be less frequent with rates of about 1 to 2 percent.

Keywords: Plagiarism; sensitive questions; randomized response technique; item count technique; crosswise model; Plagiarism; sensitive questions; randomized response technique; item count technique; crosswise model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:231:y:2011:i:5-6:p:749-760

DOI: 10.1515/jbnst-2011-5-612

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