Level of awareness among veterinary students of GADVASU towards plagiarism: a case study

Abstract

Purpose Plagiarism is wrecking the academic spheres all around the world. The internet is accused for causing exponential increase in plagiarism. This paper aims to examine the prevalence of plagiarism among veterinary students and assess the impact of the internet on their plagiarism practices, so that the corrective measures can be suggested to ensure the originality of academic and research work. Design/methodology/approach A survey of undergraduate and postgraduate students of veterinary science was conducted at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana using questionnaire as data collection tool. The responses of total 147 students have been analysed using percentage calculations and mean values. The t-test has been applied using SPSS-16 to find the significance of difference in the plagiarism practiced by students using the internet and print sources of information. Findings Results revealed the prevalence of plagiarism among both groups of students. There was no significant difference in the frequency level of plagiarism among UG and PG students using both the internet and print sources of information, advocating that the internet has not influenced the plagiarism frequency of students. Originality/value This is the first known attempt to examine the plagiarism habits of veterinary students.

Readymade Solutions and Students’ Appetite for Plagiarism as Challenges for Online Learning

“…Law, Ting, and Jerome [25] show that upon the completion of a course in academic writing students used fewer unethical quoting strategies. Additionally, Singh [26] highlights the usefulness of scientific writing workshops. Strittmatter and Bratton [27] emphasize the role of "Plagiarism and Ethics Awareness Training" or simply PEAT in educating students on how to quote sources, on how to adequately attribute ideas, and avoid theft of other people's ideas.…”

“…Teachers should (re)assume the whole responsibility of the educational process. The requests they formulate for their students must be properly formulated and clearly explained [26,27]. Merging theoretical concepts and practical applications, as it is specific for every individual subject matter, leads to a better understanding and application of the rules by which plagiarism can be avoided, show Powell and Singh [35].…”

“…Löfström, Huotari, and Kupila [37] indicate that the introduction of text verification software changes, for the best, both teachers' and students' opinions on plagiarism and academic writing (there are also negative changes that are related to the erosion of trust). Singh [26] believes that the implementation of software and the obligation to check texts for plagiarism is a fundamental requirement for assuring the originality of the content of students' papers.…”

“…Capitalizing on existing skills is more efficient than encouraging the reluctance to use the Internet. Additionally, Singh [26] points out that there are no significant differences in the frequency of plagiarism between the students who use the Internet and those who use printed sources. Accordingly, the practice of plagiarizing is not necessarily connected to the ease of access to the resources which are available online.…”

Perceptions of students and researchers of food technology towards plagiarism

“…In the age of Information communication technology, the internet and electronic resources are the major sources of research and academic activities. The readily available content through internet, paving the way for growth of plagiarism in academic communities 4 . Plagiarism is an often reported research misconduct and academic dishonesty in the academic and research systems.…”