Elizabeth Van Wie Davis: On Plagiarism

Elizabeth Van Wie Davis is an internationally-respected academic whose decades-long career has led her and her family around the world. She is the author of four published books, with a fifth in the works, and has advised United States government officials on matters regarding Asia. She also works in academic administration as Director and Professor at the Colorado School of Mines, as well as the Vice Dean at a Colorado School of Mines strategic partner.

As an administrator, Elizabeth Van Wie Davis has fielded plagiarism problems with students. Often, she says, student plagiarism presented teachable moments. In the era of copy and paste, students must understand the need to cite their sources and realize the issues in gambling with plagiarism.

Dr. Davis has also handled matters of faculty plagiarism, which she says must be addressed delicately. Faculty face pressures to publish works, and this expectation leads to occasional instances of plagiarism, many of which can be resolved by making necessary adjustments to avoid serious charges. Other instances, unfortunately, can be more problematic.

Elizabeth Van Wie Davis is an author with four published books and a fifth in the works. Her published titles include: “China and the Law of the Sea Convention: Follow the Sea,” “Chinese Perspectives on Sino-American Relations,” “Islam, Oil and Geopolitics” and “Ruling, Resources and Religion in China.”