Referencing is giving credit where it is due” – KNUST webinar tackles plagiarism in research

“Plagiarism is intellectual theft. It destroys trust in scholarship and prevents true learning.” That was the reminder from Dr. Edward Borteye, Deputy University Librarian and College Librarian at the College of Engineering, during a webinar organised by the KNUST E-Learning Centre.

The session, part of the Centre’s E-Learning Webinar Series, was on plagiarism and referencing in academic writing. More than 100 students and staff joined the discussion online.

Dr. Borteye explained that plagiarism takes many forms, from copying entire works and making slight word changes without citations, to remixing content from multiple authors or even fabricating references. “With the rise of AI tools, we are also seeing a new form of plagiarism,” he noted. “Using machine-generated text without disclosure is equally dishonest.”

To counter this, he advised students and researchers to use plagiarism detection tools such as Turnitin, Grammarly, and iThenticate, all of which are accessible to the university community. The second part of his talk turned to referencing.

“Referencing is simply giving credit where it is due. It allows readers to trace the sources you used and shows respect for intellectual property.” He outlined the use of citation styles such as APA, Harvard, IEEE, Chicago, and MLA. “Consistency is key.

Once you choose a style, you must use it throughout your work,” he said, adding that most KNUST requirements focus on APA or Harvard.

Dr. Borteye urged participants to plan their work early, take careful notes, and use digital tools like Zotero and Mendeley to manage references efficiently. “Academic honesty is not optional. It is part of the discipline of being a scholar.”

Opening the event, the Director of the E- Learning Centre, Professor Eric Appau Asante, said academic integrity is central to teaching and research at KNUST. “Whether you are writing a thesis or preparing a paper, it is important to acknowledge the work of others,” he told participants. He also thanked the Canvas Library for supporting the session.

The webinar was moderated by Mr. Prince Lovelace Tetteh, who highlighted Dr. Borteye’s role as a researcher and peer reviewer for international journals. The discussion ended with a quote from C.S. Lewis shared by Dr. Borteye: “Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.”

Published: 26th September, 2025  Source: KNUST E-Learning Centre