Plagiarism in online literature publishing in China: why is it so rampant?
| Date | 12 August 2019 |
| Published date | 12 August 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-10-2017-0299 |
| Pages | 551-564 |
| Author | Zhigang Wang |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Collection building & management,Bibliometrics,Databases,Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet,Records management & preservation,Document management |
Plagiarism in online literature
publishing in China:
why is it so rampant?
Zhigang Wang
College of Liberal Arts, Journalism and Communication,
Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to analyze the reasons that plagiarism in online literature is so hard
to control in China, and it will conclude with a clear solution for the future.
Design/methodology/approach –This paper begins its research with the statistics and analysis of
plagiarism data and a review of expert interviews regarding online literature publishing. All of these data
materials were collected from anti-plagiarism platforms, online literature websites, news report websites and
judiciary office websites.
Findings –The paper provides empirical insights into why the plagiarism is so rampant in the publishing of
online literature in China. It suggests that the current task of controlling network literature plagiarism is
arguably created by the literary production platform, which leads to the problem of the validity of the
“self-monitoring model.”In fact, controlling plagiarism must be emphasized by means of external monitoring,
because strict supervision and various external punitive measurements for committing plagiarism can force
literature-generating platforms to strengthen their own internal monitoring.
Research limitations/implications –Online plagiarism occurs almost constantly, but it rarely results in
court cases over copyright because of the lack of a robust copyright ecology in China. This paper considers
large amounts of data and cases from self-publishing media platforms.
Practical implications –The paper includes implications for the development of plagiarism management
in online literature publishing from the publishing Association, media and government.
Social implications –This paper suggests to online literature users that plagiarism will be controlled when
certain active measures against it are taken. The authors hope that thisview will promote the development of
original online literature.
Originality/value –This paper points out that China must strengthen supervision that comes from outside the
online literature generate platforms to control the current rampant plagiarism that occurs on these platforms.
Keywords China, Plagiarism, Publishing, Copyright, Online literature
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Plagiarism is a cultural phenomenon that has affects a variety of media, and yet it has deep
historic roots. The Little Book of Plagiarism (Richard Posner, New York, 2007) examined this
subject from historic, legal and cultural vantage points Seidenberg (2007). With digital
media’s development from scarcity to abundance, the new media environment brings us
more media choices that are convenient for the plagiarist. Plagiarism seems ubiquitous in
the new media era.
In China, the proliferation of new media has contributed to the already entrenched
plagiarism phenomenon. For example,myriad examples of academic plagiarismusing digital
media have sprung up in China. Some studies have shown thatmost Chinese learners have a
high recognition of explicit plagiarism, and that they generally regard it as plagiarism and
reject it. Butthe obscure plagiarism showslow recognition of what plagiarismis, and why it is
not allowed by the ethical standards of original scholarship (Zhaoxia, 2013). Penalties for
engaging in plagiarism are often viewed as a private matter, and governance of plagiarism Online Information Review
Vol. 43 No. 4, 2019
pp. 551-564
© Emerald PublishingLimited
1468-4527
DOI 10.1108/OIR-10-2017-0299
Received 30 October 2017
Revised 18 November 2017
26 January 2019
Accepted 3 February 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/1468-4527.htm
This paper is supported by the National Social Science Fund of China grant “Copyright Developing
and Protection of Online literature in Big Data”(17BXW101).
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Plagiarism in
online literature
publishing
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