Plagiarism in the Japanese universities: Truly a cultural matter?

Although plagiarism is considered among western academic circles as one of the worst “crimes” a student can commit, many scholars suggest that these attitudes do not apply to students from areas outside this sphere. They believe that in many countries, plagiarism is considered culturally acceptable. As such, ESL or EFL instructors in charge of students from these places must be sensitive to their backgrounds. Japan is often believed to be one of...