IndexChallengeSolutionResultsThe Higher Education Commission in Pakistan is an autonomous body established in 2002 under the Government of Pakistan, whose role is to provide policies, guidelines and criteria for member universities, giving both universities and its programs are appropriately accredited. The HEC is also responsible for quality assurance of Pakistan's higher education, the aim of which is to produce high-quality graduates who are in line with international standards. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayChallengeAs part of their services, HEC provides access to digital databases and ICT resources for teaching and research to universities in Pakistan. By providing access to these resources, the HEC inadvertently created an environment in which the “copy and paste” culture could thrive. It was therefore essential to monitor plagiarism and, where possible, verify the textual similarities of theses and assignments published by teachers, scholars and university staff. To address the problem of plagiarism in universities and research and development organisations, the HEC has formed a committee of eminent educators and researchers in Pakistan to develop guidelines for higher education institutions. The prepared guidelines, in the form of HEC's Plagiarism Policy, were approved by the Commission and were circulated among public and private sector universities in September 2007 for implementation. SolutionHEC consulted its IT department to procure a specific tool to detect copied content in theses and research papers. iThenticate, the Turnitin product for researchers, was acquired by HEC in 2007 and 10 major universities were given individual accounts to monitor all research assignments. However, as the project progressed, it was clear that all participating universities could benefit from such software to develop university-level writing skills. To combat plagiarism among universities associated with this level, HEC has adopted a two-way approach: implementation of plagiarism policy and use of Turnitin. HEC invested in 60 Turnitin licenses, initially distributing them to public sector universities, followed shortly thereafter by private sector universities. The HEC has recognized the importance of developing awareness of the issue of academic integrity and identifying possible cases of plagiarism itself. They conducted a series of orientation sessions across the country on the new plagiarism policy used in conjunction with Turnitin and organized video conferences with institutions when requested. Institutional representatives were given space to further improve the implementation of their policy and the use of Turnitin specific to their institution. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Results The impact of HEC's investment in Turnitin is very exciting. For starters, usage levels have increased year over year. Utilization among HEC member institutions as a whole is above average compared to other institutions in the region. A recent study shows that institutions using Turnitin for Originality reduce levels of unoriginal writing by an average of 33%, with some institutions reporting an 85% reduction. Therefore, the wider the use of Turnitin, the greater the reduction will be. This result is no more evident than for HEC. When HEC first implemented the use of Turnitin along with the new anti-plagiarism policy in 30%!