University of Iowa Subscribes to Plagiarism Checking Service
IOWA CITY, Iowa
Turnitin, which costs about $11,000 a year, compares student papers to databases of past work, books, journals, newspapers and even the Internet.
About 150 faculty are Plagiarism has become so widespread on college campuses that the University of Iowa employs a service to help stop it. now signed on to the service, but many don’t know it exists, said Ken Clinkenbeard, who works with the university’s informational technology service and recently sent out a faculty reminder.
“When I talk to faculty, they say, ‘Wow, we have this available?”’ Clinkenbeard said.
Growing Internet use has “muddied what plagiarism is,” said Kathe Rasch, a dean at Maryville University in St. Louis. She said some students think they can cut corners by buying papers or not sourcing their work. Others take notes from technical material they don’t understand.
Mike Thongvanh, 22, a senior at Iowa, said he does his own work, but knows many people who think plagiarism is no big deal.
