Perceptions of Academic Staff on Causes of Plagiarism in Project Writing Among Undergraduate in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

Despite knowledge and awareness of plagiarism among undergraduates through the teaching of related compulsory university course for all students as well as teaching of research methodology in various field in Nigeria universities, final year students sill found plagiarized while writing their research work. It was based on the above, that this study was design to explore the perception of the academic in Southwest Nigeria on the causes of plagiarism among final year undergraduates while writing their research project. The study makes use of descriptive survey research design of expo factor type where eighteen universities were selected with a total sample of 1,800. Data were collected through questionnaire and analysed using both the descriptive and quantitative analysis. The findings indicated among others that laziness, lack of knowledge about plagiarism, lack of experience among students in producing source-based writing and lack of adequate skill to write final year project were some of the perceived causes of plagiarism in project writing. Moreso, incompetent graduate, injustices in grading student's projects were some of the effect of plagiarism. Similarly, awareness campaign and theuse of plagiarism checker among others were some of the perceived measured that can be adopted in solving the menace of plagiarism among students.