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Article
Publication date: 9 April 2021

Asad Khan, Joanna Richardson and Muhammad Izhar

Awareness about plagiarism is essential for the evasion of intellectual mendacity, inculcation of academic integrity and assurance of quality research. Maintaining high standards…

Abstract

Purpose

Awareness about plagiarism is essential for the evasion of intellectual mendacity, inculcation of academic integrity and assurance of quality research. Maintaining high standards regarding academic integrity is a major challenge for higher education and research organizations. In Pakistan, resident doctors are required to submit a dissertation to the College of Physicians and Surgeons. The purpose of this study is to examine this cohort’s awareness of plagiarism and to determine the effectiveness of the library literacy (IL) programme towards the prevention of plagiarism.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the quantitative approach, a cross-sectional survey method was used. A convenience sample of postgraduate resident doctors was randomly recruited from two hospitals in Peshawar, Pakistan. Questionnaires were used for data collection. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analyses.

Findings

The findings revealed that while resident doctors were aware of the concept of plagiarism, there were variations in their definition of the term. That said, they perceived plagiarism as an unethical practice and supported the implementation of anti-plagiarism policies. However, the respondents’ knowledge was not strong regarding citation styles, specific anti-plagiarism policies and plagiarism penalties. Likewise, this cohort was unfamiliar with library IL activities and their role in the prevention of plagiarism. Finally, collaboration was absent among key stakeholders, e.g. resident doctors, research supervisors and librarians, to deter plagiarism.

Research limitations/implications

This study recommends collaboration among the key stakeholders to ensure the delivery of consistent messages and to reinforce the importance of plagiarism prevention. As this study was limited to two hospitals, similar research could be undertaken using a larger sample of resident doctors. It would also be useful to survey the librarians providing support for this cohort.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to examine the effectiveness of hospital library IL programmes in the prevention of plagiarism among resident doctors in Pakistan. The findings are applicable to other health libraries worldwide that wish to address the challenge of plagiarism among health researchers in general.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. 70 no. 8/9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 October 2022

Faiqa Mansoor, Kanwal Ameen and Alia Arshad

The role of academic libraries in dissemination of information and facilitating research of academic community is well-established world over. However, a significant role of…

Abstract

Purpose

The role of academic libraries in dissemination of information and facilitating research of academic community is well-established world over. However, a significant role of libraries in ensuring fair use of information to promote an ethical research culture at the higher education institutes is also flourishing. This study aims to explore the perceived causes of unethical use of literature by university scholars and deterrents to plagiarism in universities of Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

The design of the study was qualitative, and interviews were conducted on nine university library heads in Pakistan who were officially administrating anti-plagiarism (Turnitin) software service at their universities and were providing “similarity index certification” of PhD and MPhil research work through the software. They were purposively selected for the interviews because of their direct interaction with the researchers and faculty on matters of information searching as well as its ethical use. The study is based on PhD thesis work of the first author.

Findings

The findings of the study depicted that conceptual unawareness of plagiarism, lack of information skills, socio-cultural factors and weak policies were the prime reasons for unethical research practices among graduate scholars. Participants were positive that a role of university library in combating plagiarism through provision of anti-plagiarism software and guidance could prove more beneficial for both the researchers and libraries.

Originality/value

Multiple studies have been conducted, in and out of south Asian region, to gather the views of the students and faculty on the matters of academic misconduct. However, no study was found presenting the views of the other stakeholders in promotion of academic integrity. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is first of its kind in South Asian context and provided observation-based views of a group of university library heads who are also administrating anti-plagiarism service in their universities on the causes and deterrents to plagiarism.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2007

Anna Marie Johnson, Sarah Jent and Latisha Reynolds

The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper introduces and annotates periodical articles, monographs, and exhibition catalogues examining library instruction and information literacy.

Findings

The paper provides information about each source, discusses the characteristics of current scholarship, and describes sources that contain unique scholarly contributions and quality reproductions.

Originality/value

The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 35 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 November 2011

Angelica Risquez, Michele O'Dwyer and Ann Ledwith

This paper seeks to explore the relationship between entrepreneurship students' ethical views on plagiarism, their self reported engagement in plagiarism and their participation…

2596

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to explore the relationship between entrepreneurship students' ethical views on plagiarism, their self reported engagement in plagiarism and their participation in an online plagiarism prevention tutorial.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a questionnaire administered to 434 undergraduate university entrepreneurship students, combining self‐reported data with behavioural measures.

Findings

The results illustrate that more than one online plagiarism prevention tutorial is required to change self‐reported views relating to engagement in plagiarism, perception of peer participation in plagiarism and students' ethical views. However, it should be noted that even such a small intervention demonstrates an observable difference in students' capacity to recognise a case of verbatim plagiarism as an academic breach in practice.

Research limitations/implications

The research demonstrates that educators should focus on good educational design, educating students regarding plagiarism prevention while making use of technology enhanced learning, instead of considering e‐learning choices as a quick solution to plagiarism.

Originality/value

The paper focuses on an emerging aspect of plagiarism education, that is, the use of technology enhanced learning. While acknowledging the potential of technology enhanced learning in plagiarism prevention the paper notes that plagiarism prevention should be embedded in the curriculum rather than addressed in an ad‐hoc manner.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 53 no. 8/9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 August 2010

Debbie Wheeler and David Anderson

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the modern information society on attitudes and approaches to the prevention of plagiarism and to examine a less…

3180

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the modern information society on attitudes and approaches to the prevention of plagiarism and to examine a less punitive, more educative model.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken is a literature review of plagiarism in contemporary society followed by a case study of the education department of a tertiary‐level college in the United Arab Emirates.

Findings

The authors advocate a move towards a less punitive, more educative approach which takes into account all the relevant contextual factors. A call is made for a truly institutional response to a shared concern, with comprehensive and appropriate policies and guidelines which focus on prevention, the development of student skills, and the proactive involvement of all relevant stakeholders.

Practical implications

This approach could inform the policies and practices of institutions who wish to systematically deal with plagiarism in other contemporary contexts.

Originality/value

This paper could be of value to policy makers and administrators in tertiary institutions, particularly in English as a second language contexts, who recognise the limitations of traditional approaches to plagiarism and wish to establish more effective practices.

Details

Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, vol. 3 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-7983

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 February 2011

Nancy Snyder Gibson and Christina Chester‐Fangman

The paper aims to discuss the ways in which librarians of different types are addressing the issue of plagiarism at the institutional and pedagogical levels.

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Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to discuss the ways in which librarians of different types are addressing the issue of plagiarism at the institutional and pedagogical levels.

Design/methodology/approach

A 25‐question non‐quantitative online survey was conducted regarding: the institutional role of librarians in plagiarism prevention; the collaborations among librarians and instructors in helping students understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it; and the interactions among librarians and students involved in combating plagiarism.

Findings

More than 90 percent of the 610 respondents report that they have assisted students with citing sources. Over 70 percent have instructed students about plagiarism in class. Approximately a quarter have collaborated with other departments regarding plagiarism, conducted or attended workshops on plagiarism, worked with instructors to redesign assignments, or helped faculty with tracking possible instances of student plagiarism.

Research limitations/implications

This paper reports on a survey which is not statistically valid. The results of this survey, however, can shed light on the librarian's role to date in combating plagiarism and suggest future directions.

Practical implications

This survey reports what librarians are doing to address plagiarism at all levels, and it reflects what is being practiced in the field.

Originality/value

While many librarians have written about plagiarism strategies, this national survey focuses on the work of librarians at the institutional and pedagogical levels.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 39 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 November 2011

Ahmed Patel, Kaveh Bakhtiyari and Mona Taghavi

This paper aims to focus on plagiarism and the consequences of anti‐plagiarism services such as Turnitin.com, iThenticate, and PlagiarismDetect.com in detecting the most recent…

3042

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on plagiarism and the consequences of anti‐plagiarism services such as Turnitin.com, iThenticate, and PlagiarismDetect.com in detecting the most recent cheatings in academic and other writings.

Design/methodology/approach

The most important approach is plagiarism prevention and finding proper solutions for detecting more complex kinds of plagiarism through natural language processing and artificial intelligence self‐learning techniques.

Findings

The research shows that most of the anti‐plagiarism services can be cracked through different methods and artificial intelligence techniques can help to improve the performance of the detection procedure.

Research limitations/implications

Accessing entire data and plagiarism algorithms is not possible completely, so comparing is just based on the outputs from detection services. They may produce different results on the same inputs.

Practical implications

Academic papers and web pages are increasing over time, and it is very difficult to capture and compare documents with all available data on the network in an up to date manner.

Originality/value

As many students and researchers use the plagiarism techniques (e.g. PDF locking, ghost‐writers, dot replacement, online translators, previous works, fake bibliography) to cheat in academic writing, this paper is intended to prevent plagiarism and find suitable solutions for detecting more complex kinds of plagiarism. This should also be of grave concern to teachers and librarians to provide up to date/standard anti‐plagiarism services. The paper proposes some new solutions to overcome these problems and to create more resilient and intelligent future systems.

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2006

John Maxymuk

This article aims to introduce the numerous library web sites devoted to the issue of plagiarism.

4174

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to introduce the numerous library web sites devoted to the issue of plagiarism.

Design/methodology/approach

Surveys several web sites devoted to the issue of plagiarism and compares them against each other. The author notes the intended audience and approach in each site.

Findings

Many web sites examining the issue of plagiarism have been developed and are maintained by libraries. The topic of plagiarism has clearly entered the purview of librarians.

Originality/value

Even though all web sites examined were created by libraries, not all sites are equal. Some clearly state what plagiarism is, while others provide tutorials as the method of instruction. As such, this survey provides many options from which to choose so that one can determine which approach is appropriate for their own institution to use.

Details

The Bottom Line, vol. 19 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0888-045X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2007

Malcolm Smith, Noorlaila Ghazali and Siti Fatimah Noor Minhad

The purpose of this study is to examine undergraduate accounting students' perceptions of factors contributing to plagiarism activities.

5846

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine undergraduate accounting students' perceptions of factors contributing to plagiarism activities.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey methods were used to investigate the prominence of different factors, and any differences associated with student characteristics.

Findings

The results suggested that factors contributing to plagiarism include lack of awareness, lack of understanding, lack of competence, and personal attitudes. No evidence was found to support the suggestion that either pressure or the availability of internet facilities had increased the incidence of plagiarism. The study provided evidence that a significant proportion of Malaysian undergraduate accounting students in the study had engaged in plagiarism activities to a limited degree; the observed profile was consistent with the incidence of plagiarism activities being associated with academically weaker, male students with a negative attitude to their studies.

Originality/value

The findings have significant implications for educators if they are to improve the detection and punishment of plagiarism activity, and educate potential perpetrators.

Details

Asian Review of Accounting, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1321-7348

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 December 2022

Joel Nakitare and Fredrick Otike

Plagiarism has been on the rise, mainly because of increased access to the internet and digital sources. To combat the threat of plagiarism, various universities have implemented…

Abstract

Purpose

Plagiarism has been on the rise, mainly because of increased access to the internet and digital sources. To combat the threat of plagiarism, various universities have implemented countermeasures such as capacity building, anti-plagiarism policies and the purchase of anti-plagiarism software. In Kenya, there appears to be a lack of cohesion among universities in combating plagiarism, a situation that threatens teaching, learning and research if not addressed adequately. This paper aims to review and identify anti-plagiarism practices in Kenyan universities; it further proposed various best practices and policy actions that ought to be adopted to win the fight and the misperception of plagiarism.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a mixed-method approach by surveying the librarians and interviewing the graduate school directors or deans to establish the strength and challenges in implementing plagiarism measures in the universities in Kenya. Before collecting data, the researcher checked the reliability of the tools by pretesting and readjusting the tools based on input from the participants.

Findings

This study established that most universities in Kenya appreciate the fact that plagiarism negatively affects the quality of teaching, learning and research. However, despite the fact that there is goodwill in the effort to combat plagiarism, there were no unified mechanisms, strategies and implementation policies in solving plagiarism issues among universities in Kenya. Different universities have adopted different strategies in terms of policy, software and capacity. Further, it was noted that the well-established/funded universities had clear stipulated mechanisms as opposed to the ill-funded universities with limited funding and budget.

Practical implications

This research provides an opportunity for universities to make an informed choice about the policies, required capacity and software to tackle plagiarism. The findings from the study will be used to improve the quality of academic writing and standardize procedures on plagiarism by proposing policy actions needed to maximize the benefits of the investments in this venture. This study recommends a collaborations approach among universities in the fight against plagiarism. Because the Kenya Library and Information Services Consortium already supports many university cooperation, they ought to take the initiative in formulating policy, choosing the appropriate software to use and developing the necessary ability in the battle against plagiarism.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first effort to evaluate the anti-plagiarism strategies being applied in different universities in Kenya. This study demonstrates the gaps and variations in university strategies in combating academic plagiarism. The findings can be applied to improve academic communication and indeed the quality of research output at other universities in Kenya and beyond.

Details

Digital Library Perspectives, vol. 39 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5816

Keywords

1 – 10 of 207