Awareness about plagiarism and the effectiveness of library literacy programme towards its deterrence: a perspective of postgraduate resident doctors

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.