Terry Darr. Combating Plagiarism: A Hands-On Guide for Librarians, Teachers, and Students. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2019. 307p. Paperback, $45.00 (ISBN 978-1-4408-6546-6).

Abstract

With the topic of plagiarism blanketing both teaching and librarianship in K–12 and higher education, I was excited to see this one-volume book with an impressive table of contents and breadth of coverage. Combating Plagiarism is a practical guide for those teachers and librarians responsible for delivering how-to’s and competency exercises for students on how to avoid plagiarism. The book is structured with eight chapters and includes a host of appendices, the latter making up almost half the book’s total pages. The content is heavy on citations and style formats (APA, MLA, Chicago), with discussions also touching on micro-paraphrasing, the state of plagiarism, digital images, and identifying common knowledge. On page 4, I appreciated the blunt message that set the stage for the rest of the book: “As educators, we tell students not to plagiarize, but we do not explain how to stop. Instruction works.” Citations for a literature review follow, pointing to studies with the evidence to support that assertion.