Abstract
Background: Plagiarism (Plg) is an unacceptable practice since it affects the integrity of scientific literature. Aim and objectives: To seek students’ knowledge and attitude regarding Plg and solicit suggestions to prevent Plg in our institute. The specific objectives of the study were to ascertain whether students’ knowledge and attitudes about Plg differ by their demographic characteristics and academic years. Methodology: A 32 item questionnaire was given to all the undergraduate (UG) students of the College of Medicine and Dentistry, Jouf University, KSA. The research questions focused on demographic information, knowledge and attitude regarding Plg, and suggestions to curb Plg. Results: A total of 134 UG students filled out the survey. The samples consisted of 97 males and 37 females. Most of the students displayed adequate knowledge regarding Plg in terms of copying words or ideas, quoting references, and copying words without changing the matter. As compared to female students, male students had better awareness regarding meaningful and harmful effects of practicing Plg (p < 0.05). Additionally, our results indicate that as students climb the academic ladder, their awareness on Plg tends to rise. Common reasons for plagiarizing are discussed here together with suggestions to combat Plg. Conclusion: The results of this study can be mainly taken as an eye opener which demonstrates the vital factors pertaining to the level of students’ knowledge about Plg, and to eradicate the problem, there is a need for more discussions and training on this topic for students.
Highlights
IntroductionThe name Plg is derived from the Latin word “plagiarius” meaning “kidnapping”
A total of 134 UG students participated in this study
As compared to the proportion of male students, the percentage of female students responding to this survey was lower as only three batches of female dental students are currently present in this institute as compared to the five batches of male students
Summary
The name Plg is derived from the Latin word “plagiarius” meaning “kidnapping”. It refers to the use of other people’s ideas or words and includes the use of published or unpublished data in the original language or as a translation without acknowledging the author(s) [2]. Plg is neither a new thing nor can it be said to be a problem particular to Saudi universities; rather, it is a main reason for concern to the academic. Aim and objectives: To seek students’ knowledge and attitude regarding Plg and solicit suggestions to prevent Plg in our institute. The specific objectives of the study were to ascertain whether students’ knowledge and attitudes about Plg differ by their demographic characteristics and academic years. The research questions focused on demographic information, knowledge and attitude regarding Plg, and suggestions to curb.
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