Knowledge and Attitude of Saudi Students towards Plagiarism—A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

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: < 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.

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