Plagiarism-Proofing Assignments by Doug Johnson, Phi Delta Kappan, March 2004. Adapted from a chapter in the book Teaching Right from Wrong in the Digital Age (Linworth, 2003).

"Much effort is expended in education trying to 'catch' plagiarism in student work. Teachers and library media specialists are using various web services and techniques using search engines to determine if or how much of student writing is lifted from online sources. This article argues that educators’ time is better spent creating assignments, especially those that involve research, that minimize the likelihood of plagiarism. Sixteen suggestions are given for ways teachers can modify assignments to help stimulate higher level thinking and thereby reduce the likelihood of plagiarism. A rubric to evaluate the quality of a research question is included."