Intellectual Property and Attribution in a Cross-Cultural Context: Understanding International Students’ Attitudes Towards Citation and Plagiarism

Beliefs regarding intellectual property and attribution in the United States vary greatly from those held in other parts of the world. International Students studying in the U.S. for the first time often struggle in writing classes with the when, why, and how of academic attribution and citation. Following the cultural norms of their home countries, these students often end up unintentionally plagiarizing portions of their writing. This presentation will examine cultural variations in regards to intellectual property and attribution. It will also provide guidelines for helping instructors and librarians who work with international students in writing courses.