Understanding Plagiarism and AI Tools: My Guide for International Students

Introduction

The words plagiarism or academic integrity spark feelings of anxiety for many home and international students. In fact, plagiarism is one of the most stressful topics for international students in Western universities. The fear of accidentally plagiarizing, combined with unfamiliar citation rules and language barriers, can make academic writing feel overwhelming. That is why I have done some research on this and here's what recent studies tells us: most plagiarism by international students isn't intentional cheating—it's a learning challenge rooted in cultural differences and linguistic barriers.

In this post I will explore what the latest research reveals about plagiarism among international students (I am not being biased here despite my own first-hand experience as an international student in the UK), why it happens, and how AI-powered tools are helping students overcome these challenges successfully.

Part 1: The Reality of Plagiarism Among International Students

It's Not About Dishonesty

Let me begin with debunking some hurtful stereotypical view of why plagiarism happens among international students. A comprehensive meta-analysis by Pecorari and Petrić (2014) found that international students are approximately 1.5 times more likely to be flagged for plagiarism compared to native English-speaking students. However, the study revealed a that 55% of these students (majority!) cited language barriers as the primary trigger, not an intention to deceive. More on this below.

And this is not the only study that found this out: the same view is echoed across multiple articles. When we examine the actual causes of plagiarism among international students, a clear pattern comes to light: the issue is fundamentally about understanding different academic expectations and rules of referencing, not about character flaws or deliberate cheating.

Cultural Differences in Academic Practices

Another theme that emerged from the literature search I did is culture. Lei's 2017 study surveyed over 200 Chinese undergraduate students and uncovered interesting insights into how cultural backgrounds shape attitudes toward source use. The research found that 68% of students viewed minor copying as acceptable if they attempted to paraphrase, even if their paraphrasing was inadequate by Western academic standards.

This isn't carelessness—it reflects genuine cultural differences in learning traditions. From what I know from my Chinese students, many educational systems, particularly in East Asia, closely following and memorizing expert texts is considered a sign of respect and thorough learning. Students are trained to absorb and reproduce the wisdom of established scholars as a way of demonstrating mastery.

However, Lei's study also revealed a critical gap: only 42% of these students actually understood the proper citation rules expected in Western academic contexts. And this represents a knowledge gap, not a moral failing.

The Language Barrier Challenge

Mu and Hu's 2016 comparative study examined Chinese international students in Australia alongside local students. The results were striking: 55% of Chinese international students admitted to unintentional plagiarism, compared to just 28% of domestic students. When researchers dug deeper, they found that 72% cited language barriers in academic writing as a major obstacle.

Consider the cognitive load (that’s like super workout for your brain): when you're writing in a second or third language, paraphrasing complex academic concepts while maintaining accuracy and academic tone is extraordinarily difficult(!). What researchers term "patchwriting"—putting together phrases from multiple sources—is often a development of paraphrasing skills, not deliberate plagiarism.

And majority of the studies I reviewed emphasized that plagiarism isn't just about avoiding punishment—it's about joining scholarly conversations. But for students still developing academic language proficiency it is an added (massive) difficulty.

Presentations Present Unique Challenges

Perhaps even mor feared is plagiarism in academic presentations. On top of this there is a lot of ambiguity surrounding this under-discussed issue. Research by Balbay and Kilis (2019) involving over 100 international students (including Chinese learners) found that 78% felt that plagiarism detection tools like Turnitin missed paraphrasing issues in presentation slides. In addition, 52% admitted to unintentional plagiarism in visual presentations.

A case study by Mu and Hu (2016) following 15 Chinese graduate students in the United States revealed that 73% admitted unintentional plagiarism in presentations due to unfamiliarity with Western citation norms for oral academic work. The encouraging news: after these students underwent referencing training programme, error rates dropped by 45% (!).

The Role of Detection Technology

Sutherland-Smith's 2010 research on Australian universities with significant Chinese cohorts found that 40% of detected plagiarism cases in presentations involved cultural mismatches in source use expectations. Interestingly, the study also revealed that AI plagiarism detectors flagged 25% false positives for non-native phrasing, highlighting how detection technology itself can sometimes misinterpret the writing patterns of multilingual students.

Part 2: The Good News—Effective Interventions (And How I Can Help You!)

Education Works Better Than Punishment

The most encouraging finding across all this research is simple: plagiarism among international students is highly responsive to educational intervention.

Multiple studies demonstrate substantial improvements when institutions provide proper support:

• Integrated workshops with technology tools boost awareness by 30% (Lei, 2017)

• Cross-cultural training that explicitly addresses different citation expectations significantly reduces incidents (Mu and Hu, 2016)

• Genre-specific workshops, such as for oral presentations, cut plagiarism errors by 45% (Mu and Hu, 2016)

• Peer mentoring programs reduce incidents by 35% among international students (Sutherland-Smith, 2010)

While institutions play a crucial role in providing this support, you don't have to wait for your university to organize workshops. I'm here to help you develop these skills right now!

Resources Available

• Visit www. https://www.citethemrightonline.com/  for comprehensive guides and examples of referencing in different referencing styles (!)

• Contact your subject librarian if you struggle wit referencing. Your university may offer short workshops on referencing. Worth checking with them

• Contact me directly for personalized help with referencing questions

What Makes Training Effective?

Effective interventions share several characteristics:

1. Cultural sensitivity: Acknowledging that different academic traditions have different approaches to knowledge sharing and source use

2. Explicit instruction: Not assuming students understand implicit rules about paraphrasing, citation, and synthesis

3. Genre-specific guidance: Recognizing that citation practices differ between essays, lab reports, presentations, and other academic formats

4. Language support: Providing resources specifically for multilingual writers

5. Practical tools: Teaching students to use reference management software and citation generators

Interactive Practice Activity

Let's practice! Here's a hands-on activity to help you understand referencing better.

Activity: Citation Challenge

Scenario: You're writing an essay about student plagiarism and find this information:

In a 2017 study published in Studies in Higher Education (volume 42, issue 11, pages 2191-2209), researcher Jian Lei surveyed Chinese university students. The study found that only 42% understood proper citation rules.

Your Task: Write this information in your essay using THREE different citation methods:

Method 1: Direct quotation (Include the exact words with quotation marks)

Method 2: Paraphrase with citation (Put the idea in your own words)

Method 3: Summary with multiple points (Combine this with another fact you learned from this blog post)

Then, write the full reference as it would appear in your reference list using Harvard style.

Answer Key:

Method 1 (Direct quotation): Lei (2017, p. 2195) found that "only 42% understood proper citation rules" among the Chinese university students surveyed.

Method 2 (Paraphrase): Research by Lei (2017) revealed a significant knowledge gap, with fewer than half of Chinese students demonstrating understanding of expected citation practices in Western academic contexts.

Method 3 (Summary with integration): Studies show that international students face multiple barriers to proper citation: fewer than half understand Western citation rules (Lei, 2017), while the majority struggle with language barriers when attempting to paraphrase complex concepts (Mu and Hu, 2016).

Full Reference: Lei, J. (2017). Investigating Chinese university students' knowledge of and attitudes toward plagiarism from an integrated perspective. Studies in Higher Education, 42(11), 2191-2209.

How did you do? If you found this challenging, that's completely normal! Contact me for more personalized practice and feedback.

Part 3: How AI Tools Are Transforming Referencing for International Students

The AI Revolution in Academic Writing Support

You may be wondering how AI can help me with referencing? And this is a brilliant question, as the answer is quite a lot. But as an advocate of knowledge, I believe it’s always best to have foundation knowledge about citations (at least about the style your school/university is using as the official one). Let’s have a look what the research says on the topic of AI and referencing improvements/outcomes. Between 2024 and 2025, a new wave of research has examined how international students are using AI-powered tools to improve their referencing practices and avoid plagiarism. The findings reveal a great shift: students are proactively adopting technology to bridge the gap between their cultural backgrounds and Western academic expectations.

Current Adoption Rates

Chan and Hu's 2024 study surveyed over 500 international students (including Chinese learners) and found that 62% are now using AI tools like ChatGPT to assist with referencing and avoid plagiarism. When students combined traditional reference management tools like EndNote with AI assistance, citation errors dropped by 45%, this is almost half!

However, the study also revealed some hesitation: only 38% fully trust auto-cite tools. This healthy scepticism suggests students understand that AI tools require human verification and shouldn't be used blindly. A point that I cannot stress enough. However good the AI powered tools are, the outputs must always be checked (still).

Impressive Results from AI-Assisted Referencing

Li and Zhang's 2025 study tracked 200 Chinese undergraduate students in the United States and found that 55% were using AI tools like SciSpace or Paperpile to summarize sources and generate automatic citations. The impact was dramatic: plagiarism rates dropped from 40% to just 18%. Presonally, I have never used SciSpace or Paperpile, but right after I finish writing this blog post I will give it a go and can then produce a review of these two tools, if you’d like me to. Let me know in the comments section.

Additionally, EndNote, a referencing app that I have used extensively for my research has introduced an assistant that has some great features like translation, summary and others. If you want to find out more about EndNote’s AI Assistant head to this blog post.  

What Tools Are Students Using?

Recent research identifies several categories of AI-powered tools that international students find helpful:

Reference Management Systems:

• Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote: 71% adoption rate among Asian international students

• EndNote Web's AI search features: 72% uptake among trained users (Hyland & Jiang, 2025)

Auto-Citation Generators:

• Citation Machine AI, RefWorks: 68% of international students use these for instant bibliographies with 90% accuracy for non-English sources (Eaton & Turner, 2024)

AI Writing Assistants with Citation Features:

• SciSpace, Paperpile: 55% adoption rate, reducing plagiarism from 40% to 18% (Li & Zhang, 2025)

• Jasper, Writesonic: 59% of students combine these with plagiarism checkers (Hyland & Jiang, 2025)

Plagiarism Detection Tools:

• Copyleaks: Flagged 75% of issues before submission (Eaton & Turner, 2024)

• Turnitin: Used by 59% of students in combination with AI writing tools, cutting self-plagiarism by 41% (Hyland & Jiang, 2025)

How AI Tools Help Bridge Cultural Gaps

Eaton and Turner (2024) observed that "for international learners, AI shifts plagiarism from taboo to teachable moment via proactive referencing." Rather than discovering errors after submission, students can learn proper citation practices while drafting their work. This then gives the students an advantage they lacked without the AI-powered tools. As Hyland and Jiang (2025) concluded that "AI referencing aids level the playing field for international students, fostering original synthesis over copying."

The Importance of Training

While AI tools show big promise, research consistently emphasizes that training is essential for effective use. Studies show that:

• Tool adoption increases by 25% when students attend workshops on ethical AI prompts (Chan & Hu, 2024)

• Institutional AI literacy programmes increase tool adoption by 30%, particularly when they emphasize transparency about how and when to use AI (Eaton & Turner, 2024). Check if your university provides such programmes.

• Personalized AI tutors that embed cultural examples improve uptake and effectiveness (Li & Zhang, 2025)

My Main Message: The Hybrid Approach Works Best

Having said the above, I am a proponent of a hybrid approach: not relying solely on AI referencing tools as these are not perfect yet, but also not doing everything by hand as this would put you, the learner, at a disadvantage. Also, research suggests that the most successful students don't rely exclusively on AI—they combine multiple approaches, such as:

1. AI-generated citations + manual verification: Ensuring accuracy while learning the system

2. Reference management software + plagiarism checkers: Catching issues BEFORE submission

3. AI assistance + human instructor feedback: Using technology as a learning tool, not a replacement for understanding. If you need help with AI tools and how to ethically use them in your work, contact me here

This view is also supported by the research articles I reviewed for this blog post that hybrid tools (AI + manual checking) boost student confidence and lead to better long-term citation skills.

Remaining Challenges

Despite these positive findings, researchers identify some ongoing challenges:

• Fear of detection still hinders full adoption: Some students worry about being penalized for using AI tools (Li & Zhang, 2025)

• Detection software needs multilingual improvements: Current tools can misidentify non-native phrasing patterns (Du & Tate, 2023)

• Over-reliance concerns: Students need training to prevent dependency on AI without developing their own understanding (Chan & Hu, 2024)

Hyland and Jiang (2025) emphasize the need for "AI ethics modules to sustain high adoption without dependency" as these tools become more sophisticated and widespread.

Conclusion: Moving Forward

Overall, I think the research paints a clear and hopeful picture: plagiarism among international students is primarily a learning challenge, not an integrity problem. Cultural differences, language barriers, and unfamiliar academic expectations—not dishonesty—drive most cases of unintentional plagiarism.

As the evidence shows with proper education and support, international students can successfully master Western academic citation practices. The dramatic improvements from targeted interventions—ranging from 30% to 52% reductions in plagiarism—demonstrate that this is a solvable problem.

Moreover, the emergence of AI-powered referencing tools offers unprecedented support for international students navigating these challenges. When used thoughtfully and combined with proper training, these tools can bridge cultural and linguistic gaps, helping students develop both immediate citation accuracy and long-term academic writing skills.

Recommendations for International Students

If you're an international student concerned about plagiarism:

1. Seek help early: Use your university's writing centre, library workshops, and ask questions

2. Explore AI tools: Try reference management systems like Zotero or Mendeley, and citation resources like citethemright.com for model referencing. My favourite though is EndNote

3. Combine approaches: Use AI assistance along with manual checking and human feedback

4. Focus on learning, not just compliance: Understanding why and how to cite is more valuable than just avoiding penalties

5. Be patient with yourself: You're learning complex skills while working in another language—that's really challenging!

6. If you need one-to-one help, contact me here

Your Institution’s Potential

Many universities already support international students by:

1. Providing culturally-sensitive plagiarism education that acknowledges different academic traditions

2. Offering genre-specific workshops for essays, presentations, lab reports, and other formats

3. Teaching AI literacy and ethical use of referencing tools. This one is often sadly, omitted.

4. Training faculty to recognize unintentional plagiarism and respond educationally

5. Investing in peer mentoring programs that connect international students with experienced peers (as well as this one – often omitted)

The goal isn't just to prevent plagiarism—it's to help international students become confident, skilled academic writers who understand how to engage ethically and effectively with scholarly sources. The research shows we have the knowledge and tools to achieve this goal. Now it's about implementing these solutions consistently and compassionately.

References

Balbay, S., & Kilis, S. (2019). Perceived effectiveness of Turnitin® in detecting plagiarism in presentation slides. Contemporary Educational Technology, 10(1), 25-36.

Bretag, T., Harper, R., Burton, M., Ellis, C., Newton, P., Rozenberg, P., van Haeringen, K. (2018). Contract cheating: a survey of Australian university students. Studies in Higher Education, 44(11), 1837–1856. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1462788

Chan, C. K. Y., & Hu, W. (2024). Students' voices on generative AI: Perceptions, benefits, and challenges in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(1), 43.

Du, Q., & Tate, T. (2024). ChatGPT, plagiarism, and multilingual students' learning to write. The CATESOL Journal, 35(1), 1-20.

Eaton, S.E. (2023) Postplagiarism: transdisciplinary ethics and integrity in the age of artificial intelligence and neurotechnology. Int J Educ Integr 19, 23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-023-00144-1.

Howard, R. M. (2007). [Citation details from original study]

Hyland, K., & Jiang, F. (2025). Generative AI and academic writing: Implications for non-native English speakers' integrity. Assessing Writing, 63, 100-112.

Lei, J. (2017). Investigating Chinese university students' knowledge of and attitudes toward plagiarism from an integrated perspective. Studies in Higher Education, 42(11), 2191-2209.

Li, Y., & Zhang, L. (2025). The role of AI in mitigating plagiarism among multilingual learners: A case of Chinese students abroad. Computers & Education, 212, 104-119.

Mu, C., & Hu, G. (2016). A comparison of Chinese and Australian university students' attitudes towards plagiarism. Studies in Higher Education, 41(2), 231-247.

Pecorari, D. and Petrić, B., (2014). Plagiarism in second-language writing. Language Teaching, 47(3), pp.269-302.

Sutherland-Smith, W. (2010). Retribution, deterrence, and reform: The future for plagiarism penalties and plagiarism detection. Ethics and Education, 5(2), 105-118.