An Assessment of the Awareness and Incidence of Plagiarism among Undergraduates in a Nigerian Private University (original) (raw)
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With the development of the Internet and the abundance of sources available to students, plagiarism has become more prevalent and widespread in the academic community. There are now a number of special software recognition programmes which can detect academic misconduct and plagiarism. Many scientific studies have been conducted investigating the possible reasons behind why plagiarism is being employed more readily by students. The afactors and ther system. Research states that there are five elements which can result in undergraduate student's plagiarism. These are known as the five 'S's: Student, Supervisor, Syllabus, System, and Society. Each of these elements affects the stud can lead to academic dishonesty. This research tries to review these studies to consider the reasons that motivate student plagiarism and ultimately to create a framework which empowers decision makers and educators to prevent students plagiarising during their university studies
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The extent of plagiarism has been rising globally and many universities are trying hard to eradicate this practice. The challenge is being exacerbated by the availability of information due to technological advancements such as the Internet. Researchers and students become exposed to too much information but sometimes disregard the copyright and intellectual issues surrounding use of such. This exposure has contributed to the rise in plagiarism. Students at universities have had difficulties in understanding plagiarism and avoiding it. While most effort has been on designing detection tools and punitive measures, there has been little research on why students practice plagiarism particularly in countries such as Zimbabwe. This study aims at finding out the main reasons behind plagiarism. The study was carried out at Bindura University of Science Education, a university in Zimbabwe, Southern Africa. A qualitative approach was taken. Data was gathered through use of Document Analysis ...
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In the academic arena, plagiarism is on the rise. As a consequence, Higher Learning Institutions are putting in place severe punitive measures. Most of these measures are more reactive than preventive because they focus on plagiarism detection and the kinds of punishments to administer to students who plagiarize. In fact, these measures fail to address particular or primary reasons for plagiarism in students’ works. This may be one of the reasons why such measures have done little to reduce the incidents of plagiarism. Using a desktop research pathway, this paper discusses the concept and practices of plagiarism and raises a number of issues which need to be considered in framing measures to address it. Among other workable strategies proposed in this paper include the (i) strengthening of reading and academic writing skills, (ii) institutionalization and dissemination of anti-plagiarism policy and (iii) using technology in detecting plagiarism among students’ work. Keywords: Plagia...
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Although studies on students’ plagiarism continue to attract research attention, there are still lacunas in the literature in terms of adequate interventions to combat the menace in higher educational institutions. This study set out to examine plagiarism behaviour among students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) a leading Ghanaian university. The study employs a quantitative research technique informed by a positivistic orientation. Findings point to the need to treat students’ assignments as a process, not a product. It was concluded that covert and overt techniques are the best interventionist approaches to ascertaining and minimising students’ plagiarism tendencies. The study recommends the need for organizational structures to deal with the ‘menace’ and the pursuit of vigorous plagiarism awareness programmes for students and faculty. A concerted effort and commitment by students and faculty in combating plagiarism at Kwame Nkrumah Universit...
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Plagiarism continues to dominate the academic world as one of its greatest challenges, and the existing literature suggests cross-cultural investigation of this critical issue may help all shareholders who detect, are confronted by and struggle with this issue to address it. Therefore, the present study, drawing upon a cross-cultural investigation using a questionnaire, aimed to investigate the differences between three groups of students, namely, Turkish (n = 106), Georgian (n = 83) and German (n = 72) regarding their tendency to conduct academic theft. It also investigated ways in which to plagiarise and reasons for and awareness of this issue. The results show that lack of time, busy schedules and weak academic writing skills are the most frequent reasons for plagiarism. However, in contrast to previous studies, the role of the Internet was found to be minimal in relation to increasing plagiarism. It is also worth noting that the German participants were found to have a higher level of sensitivity to this academic malpractice and were seen to be much more successful at identifying it. The article concludes with workable suggestions on how to discourage academic theft at universities.
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Plagiarism is a prevalent issue in academic settings that demoralises the integrity of learning and assessment processes. This study aimed to explore students’ perceptions towards plagiarism, their level of plagiarism awareness, the causes of plagiarism, and potential strategies to tackle this issue. Data was collected through surveys and interviews with both students (N = 267) and teachers (N = 4) at a university. The findings indicated that while students acknowledged plagiarism as unethical and detrimental to their learning progress, many lacked a clear understanding of what plagiarism involves. Students’ level of plagiarism awareness did not necessarily develop as they progressed in their academic studies. The causes of plagiarism identified in the study included easy accessibility to online resources, a lack of research writing skills, cultural influences, and perceived time constraints. Teachers emphasized the importance of technical writing training, providing constructive fe...
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The prevalence of plagiarism in university students' academic writing is well documented. Its complex and multifaceted nature has made it difficult to reduce or manage. The literature reveals a lack of significant understanding of plagiarism and related concepts to be due to a poor or an absence of education, and it advocates for extensive and explicit education in what constitutes plagiarism at higher education level. In this review article we explore the literature on undergraduate and postgraduate student perspectives of plagiarism and related concepts in a global context. These perspectives are discussed under the following themes: students' understanding of plagiarism and related literacy practices such as referencing, the reasons contributing to why students plagiarise intentionally or unintentionally, students' understandings and views of the seriousness of plagiarism and students' views on how to curb plagiarism. We believe that through a deeper understanding of students' perspectives of plagiarism, we could start to develop an all-encompassing strategy to deal with plagiarism at university level.