Plagiarism in Graduate Research:

A Critical Perspective

Abstract

Empirical work on plagiarism in graduate research, particularly in English studies, in the Bangladeshi institutions of higher learning (private and public), is so scarce that it could be considered as almost negligible. Plagiarism is a crime and a violation of intellectual property, and needs to be addressed; but it seems to be overlooked and or neglected by the University Grants Commission (UGC) as well as the concerned universities. Moreover, when plagiarism is detected in graduate research, the blame predominantly falls on the plagiarists/students, who are held accountable for their actions. However, are the plagiarists completely responsible for their acts of negligence–conscious or unconscious? Should they shoulder all the blame or should others, directly or indirectly, responsible for guiding them in their academic research/studies be held accountable as well? This study intends to shed light on plagiarism in graduate research, especially in English studies in private and public universities in Bangladesh, from a critical discourse analysis (CDA) perspective.