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Attitudes and Knowledge About Plagiarism Among University Students: Cross-Sectional Survey at the University of Split, Croatia

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Abstract

Plagiarism is one of the most severe academic integrity issues. This study examined students’ knowledge of and attitudes towards plagiarism, tested their ability to recognize plagiarism, and explored the association of study levels and attendance in courses dealing with referencing rules and plagiarism with students’ attitudes and knowledge. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted at the University of Split, comprising the students of all schools and study levels (n = 388). Overall, results indicate the students were not very familiar with referencing rules and did not perform well on either theoretical questions or practical examples. However, they demonstrated positive attitudes towards plagiarism avoidance as well as towards compliance with academic integrity with respect to the correct use of research publications. Students’ self-reported attendance in courses dealing with referencing rules and plagiarism avoidance was not associated with their knowledge of and attitudes toward plagiarism. These findings are important for a general understanding of students’ attitudes, and the relation of practical and theoretical knowledge of plagiarism. Furthermore, the academic community addresses plagiarism not only as an ethical and regulatory violation but also as a direct consequence of a lack of knowledge, and of academic illiteracy. Study programs should be adjusted and long-term policies developed at all academic levels to promote a positive climate among students towards responsible academic writing.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Assistant Professor Shelly Pranić, for her advice on improving the quality of language in the manuscript.

Funding

AM is funded by the research grant Croatian Science Foundation (“Professionalism in Health Care”), under Grant Agreement No. IP-2014-09-7672. The funder had no role in study design, data collection, and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Department of Forensic Sciences, University of Split, Ruđera Boškovića 33, 21000, Split, Croatia

    Željana Bašić, Ivana Kružić & Ivan Jerković

  2. Department of Research in Biomedicine and Health, University of Split School of Medicine, Šoltanska 2, 21000, Split, Croatia

    Ivan Buljan & Ana Marušić

Authors
  1. Željana Bašić
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  2. Ivana Kružić
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  3. Ivan Jerković
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  4. Ivan Buljan
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  5. Ana Marušić
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ivana Kružić.

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Bašić, Ž., Kružić, I., Jerković, I. et al. Attitudes and Knowledge About Plagiarism Among University Students: Cross-Sectional Survey at the University of Split, Croatia. Sci Eng Ethics 25, 1467–1483 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-018-0073-x

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