Conspiracy Theory: Who’s the thief?
Anti-plagarism Web service turns students into Tom Cruise
By Leela Pereira, senior writer
Posted on October 2, 2006

It almost seems like a sticky simulation of “Minority Report” — minus Colin Farrell’s greasy hair and Tom Cruise’s monochromatic wardrobe. Students from my local high school have challenged an online anti-plagiarism service for presuming all students are guilty until proven innocent. As in the film, an intriguing fight scene has ensued.

Turnitin.com will be implemented in Fairfax County Public Schools this fall. The service checks students’ papers against a database of Internet pages and student submissions, highlights suspicious passages, and submits a digital Originality Report to teachers’ inboxes within seconds, according to the service’s Web site. Technology-driven criminal catching is no longer Spielbergian fiction, or a thing of the future.

Undoubtedly, colleges and high schools need to address the plagiarism epidemic by cultivating academic integrity and stronger citation skills among students. Both JMU and the University of Virginia received media attention over the past five years for large-scale cheating incidents. But are college and high school students ready for a high-tech crackdown?

In “Minority Report,” an anti-criminal system uses “precogs,” or futuristic seers, and high-tech gadgetry to monitor the populace and anticipate criminal activity. While Turnitin.com is not prescient, it operates by forcing students to submit their papers for scrutiny, just as airplane passengers must submit their shoes and luggage for routine security checks. But Turnitin.com doesn’t necessarily leave students feeling better about their academic experience.

Plagiarism thwarts students’ “ability to develop writing fluency and critical-thinking skills,” assert Thomas Atkins and Gene Nelson, teachers who use Turnitin.com, in a March 2001 English Journal article. On some level, such beliefs erroneously equate scholarship with originality. In pursuit of originality, Turnitin.com could unfairly penalize diligent students whose best work merely regurgitates the opinions of the sources consulted. If teachers rely too heavily on the Originality Report, the system could unintentionally cheat a conscientious student out of an effort-based grade.

Further, as some dismayed students allege, Turnitin.com will make money off of their papers, and not return the favor. As a database, the service thrives by archiving students’ papers for future comparisons between new and old submissions, according to the service’s Web site. Students neither sign a waiver to release their work to Turnitin.com, nor receive monetary recompense for their submissions. What makes for adequate compensation?

Currently, school systems employ more familiar forms of policing, such as security guards and metal detectors, to ensure students’ safety. Referees monitor student-athletes’ ability to play fairly. But all such services make the school environment secure and just for everyone. Turnitin.com targets individuals whose dishonesty only threatens the individuals themselves. Mandating students to submit their papers to Turnitin.com (or risk failing an assignment) seems a drastic measure, in order to catch a few unarmed idea thieves — and robs all students of both choice and trust.

Turnitin.com can help students develop stronger writing habits. The program allows students to revise and review their peers’ papers online, and submit drafts in return for early Originality Reports. But with its emphasis on helping teachers catch plagiarists, Turnitin.com seems less an aid to students and more a radar gun for teachers.

As a solution, perhaps students should have exclusive access to Turnitin.com. Teachers could acquaint students with the service’s features throughout the writing process, for application in class or at home. Thus, teachers would resume the role of mentor and restore trust in students. Until then, Turnitin.com deserves scrutiny. The service’s high-tech virtues do not outshine its flaws. In reality, as in “Minority Report,” there are cogs in every system.

Leela Pereira is a senior history major.