A peculiar practice of academic writing: Epidemic writing in the Turkish graduate education

Abstract

Abstract The function of academy depends on wide practices of institutionalization. Academy is not only responsible to instruct, but also it has to train generations that will take over its own institutionalism. Academic writing is the foremost tool of academy’s own reproduction. The problem of this study is academic writing. Academic writing in Turkish graduate education, the culture of academic writing, and the research on the academic writing are unproductive as opposed its abroad counterparts. What is the current situation of culture of academic writing? What are the issues of academic writing among candidate scholars and what can be done to improve the situation? This study tasks itself to produce research-based answers to these questions. In this respect, this “retrospective study” examines, through plagiarism detection software (Turnitin), 600 graduate theses, written in the field of education between the years of 2007–2015. Findings of the study point serious concerns with regard to academic writing in the Turkish graduate education. It has been found that 34.5% the examined theses include plagiarism and the originality of theses has been found to be 28.7%. The study concludes by providing possible explanations to the situation and offers some ideas and mechanisms to improve the situation.