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An approach to detecting plagiarism in spreadsheet assignments: A digital answer to digital cheating

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  • Singh, Anil
  • Mangalaraj, George
  • Taneja, Aakash

Abstract

Accounting instructors often experience frustration when confronted by plagiarism in student assignments. Also, they face difficulty verifying and proving cases of plagiarism. Students have increasingly found it easier to plagiarize assignments because of digitization in education. Instructors face an important pedagogical challenge due to digitization based plagiarism. Digitization, however, provides instructors with tools to address this issue. This paper showcases three tried and tested methods built into spreadsheet software to identify and detect plagiarism in spreadsheet based assignments. The first method is a manual method of hiding unique markers in files sent to students. The second method involves hiding a formula that can track plagiarism in more detail. The third method uses a program code to track issues related to authorship of assignments. These methods along with a compiled list of strategies discussed in this paper can help reduce plagiarism.

Suggested Citation

  • Singh, Anil & Mangalaraj, George & Taneja, Aakash, 2011. "An approach to detecting plagiarism in spreadsheet assignments: A digital answer to digital cheating," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 142-152.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joaced:v:29:y:2011:i:2:p:142-152
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jaccedu.2012.02.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Neil Granitz & Dana Loewy, 2007. "Applying Ethical Theories: Interpreting and Responding to Student Plagiarism," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 72(3), pages 293-306, May.
    2. Paul M. Goldwater & Timothy J. Fogarty, 2007. "Protecting the Solution: A 'High-Tech.' Method to Guarantee Individual Effort in Accounting Classes," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 129-143.
    3. Kathleen Molnar & Marilyn Kletke & Jongsawas Chongwatpol, 2008. "Ethics vs. IT Ethics: Do Undergraduate Students Perceive a Difference?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 83(4), pages 657-671, December.
    4. Gregory Stoner, 2009. "Accounting Students' IT Application Skills over a 10-year Period," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 7-31.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fisher, Elizabeth & McLeod, Alexander J. & Savage, Arline & Simkin, Mark G., 2016. "Ghostwriters in the cloud," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 59-71.
    2. Apostolou, Barbara & Dorminey, Jack W. & Hassell, John M. & Watson, Stephanie F., 2013. "Accounting education literature review (2010–2012)," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 107-161.

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