Today has seen a discussion with some colleagues about models for writing references and bibliographies. The main problem is that there are so many models and possibilities, do we tell students to use only one? What if they put the date in a different place? Those are the simple questions … (if you want my definitive answer, get in touch). We have also decided to use the Turnitin software, to (hopefully) train students in recognising what could be plagiarism, and how to avoid it. Not that we have found the answer - even after 5 assignments, some students are still not getting the hang of it as it is so different from academic practice in other countries (so I’m told). The university of York has done a study of the issue.
In an amazing act of coincidence (!) I also happened to read today in a blog about a problem with citing blogs that cite blogs …