Cheating and plagiarism in higher education institutions (HEIs): A literature review

Abstract

Cheating and plagiarism have become serious problems in higher education institutions (HEIs). It affects educational quality as well as the reputation of higher education. The purpose of this study is to identify the most prevalent types of cheating and plagiarism, as well as the elements that contribute to cheating and plagiarism, and to present solutions to this recurring problem. This paper systematically reviews 45 articles published from 2018, to 2022, aligned with the PRISMA guidelines in the selection, filtering, and reporting of the papers. This review shows that factors such as increased pressure on students, poor academic integrity awareness, lack of up-to-date academic honor codes, and the unethical application of AI tools are prime contributing factors to cheating and plagiarism in HEIs. In a broader sense, all these factors are classified as individual, social, cultural, institutional, and technological factors that are responsible for this problem. This problem can be reduced by establishing ethical and moral development tutorials as well as formulating up-to-date honor codes considering AI tools. Furthermore, higher education institutions must develop anti-plagiarism detection software in order to detect plagiarism and aid students in improving academic writing and paraphrasing approaches. The findings of this systematic literature review provide useful insights for educators and policymakers to solve the complicated issue of cheating and plagiarism in higher education institutions.