Plagiarism Awareness and Practices Engagement: Evidence from Adeleke University Basic Medical Sciences Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Plagiarism is of great concern in diverse fields of human endeavour, including the basic medical sciences, especially with many trained undergraduates [after degree completion] venturing into academics where they need to publish. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between plagiarism awareness level and plagiarism practices engagement level by basic medical sciences undergraduates while also knowing plagiarism types and reasons for plagiarism. The study covered all the basic medical sciences undergraduates of a foremost private institution in South-West Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire. Purposive sampling was applied to the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, with all five academic departments investigated. Then, the total enumeration technique was employed because the target group was manageable and had well-defined characteristics. In all, 296 usable copies of the questionnaire were found worthy of being analysed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics such as frequency count, percentage, mean and standard deviation scores were employed. Inferential statistics - Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was also adopted. The study’s result showed that the students know about all the listed plagiarism types and they mostly cited the pressure to turn in written assignments/works, followed by timely access to information to meet deadlines and then the deadline to turn in group work as reasons for plagiarism. Further, there was a significant relationship and positive correlation between the plagiarism awareness level and plagiarism practices engagement level of the students.