Adjudication No. 628 (March 1993) [1993] APC 20

ADJUDICATION No. 628 (March 1993)

The Press Council has dismissed a complaint by the Australian Chinese forum against the Sydney Morning Herald, about an article claiming serious problems of plagiarism amongst university students from foreign or non-English speaking backgrounds.

The article, headed "A problem they dare not name", quoted three identified sources and "many academics" unwilling to speak openly for fear of being branded racist, in an analysis of the reasons believed to underlie the alleged plagiarism. These included:

• "The slavish respect for authority" in some of the students' countries or origin, said to encourage a "repetition of approved solutions" in academic work;

• limited library resource in these countries, so that "one way of coping is to duplicate what the teachers say";

• English language difficulties amongst students which prompt the "development of groups around a marginally more competent linguist whose lecture notes are shared by all"; and

• students' fear of failure, especially when their families have made great sacrifices to send them to Australia.

The article also quoted one named academic who thought that talk of cheating being more common among foreign students was "probably apocryphal". An informal study he had conducted had shown plagiarism to be evenly distributed. However, the Herald pointed out the limitations of the study, and the widespread lack of more detailed research into the matter.

The Australian Chinese Forum objected both to what it saw as "unsubstantiated opinions of various people" forming the basis of the article, and to the paper's attempt to link students' cultural background with their alleged tendencies. It felt that claims in the report were groundless, reinforce racial stereo types, and that they fell below the standards of responsible journalism.

Nevertheless, in the Press Council's view, the issues raised in the article were of undoubted public interest, and the Herald was justified in exploring them despite the relative lack of formal research of statistics in the area: indeed, the article provided an opportunity to call for more detailed research.

The views quoted were from people with the relevant experience and knowledge of students' difficulties, and covered various shades of opinions.

Finally, the article's treatment of the alleged plagiarism was quite sympathetic: while linking a part of the problem with students' cultural background, it was free of any apportionment of blame or racist undertones, and suggested clearly that solution lay with the universities and not with the students or their countries of origin. This suggestion was reinforced by a boxed item within the main article ("Failed student's warning protest"), which quoted a Chinese student's criticism of her experience in an Australian tertiary institution.

The Press Council believes the article was balanced and fair.