Like most academic institutions, the University of Manitoba (U of M) is deeply concerned about misconduct and committed to maintaining the highest integrity standards for students and faculty research. Plagiarism was a leading concern, yet there were no systematic policies and practices in place to allow students and faculty to feel confident that work submitted for publication and grant applications was free of duplication.
In 2013, the university’s vice-president (research and international) office contacted iThenticate to discuss a trial of the plagiarism detection technology for faculty researchers. Several weeks later, the university reached a licensing agreement with iThenticate and began to implement the service as part of their Research Integrity framework. As part of this effort, the U of M compiled a comprehensive set of recommendations and best practices for using the service, which is now freely available to all U of M graduate students, researchers and faculty.
Today, the University of Manitoba has fully integrated iThenticate into its recommendations on maintaining research integrity and avoiding all forms of plagiarism. The university website has a full section dedicated to answering common questions about iThenticate and detailing the institution’s guidelines for its use. The university strongly encourages all faculty and students to check their own work prior to submission for publication, grant applications, or theses. And while using iThenticate isn’t required, the school has empowered faculty to request proof of originality if questions should arise. “The University of Manitoba is committed to innovation in research, teaching and learning,” said Dr. Digvir Jayas, Vice-President (Research and International) and Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba. “iThenticate provides our faculty, students and staff with the tools to ensure we are reaching and exceeding the highest standards of excellence at our institution.”
The university’s policies also emphasize that iThenticate is only intended for use to verify the originality of one’s own work. By placing the responsibility on the individual authors—even within the context of co-authored work—this type of strategy helps instill a sense of personal responsibility for ensuring originality from the very start of a researcher’s academic career.
The University of Manitoba is a research-intensive, post-secondary, public university.
Located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Founded in 1877
The University of Manitoba is committed to innovation in research, teaching and learning. iThenticate provides our faculty, students and staff with the tools to ensure we are reaching and exceeding the highest standards of excellence at our institution.-Dr. Digvir Jayas, Vice-President (Research and International) and Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba
