Cultural attitudes towards plagiarism

JELT

This article is part of a larger report of research which explored and compared Australian and Indonesian university students' attitudes toward plagiarism, understanding of plagiarism, and understanding of university policy on plagiarism. It focuses on whether or not Australian and Indonesian students differed in their understanding of the notion of plagiarism and its various forms. Data of the Australian and Indonesian subjects' understanding of plagiarism were gained using a questionnaire and focus group interviews. The results showed that the Australian students were more knowledgeable of the notion of plagiarism and its various forms than the Indonesian students. The differences may be attributed to the academic context of the study. The Indonesian students were not familiar with the Western norm in academic writing, the norm which is regularly practiced in the Australian context. This study strongly recommends that the Indonesian students' awareness of plagiarism be increased in order to avoid plagiarism.

Writers and researchers studying the problem of plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty among non-native speaking international students in the US, UK and Australia have proposed numerous causes, including stress (financial pressure, deadlines, family problems), alienation (culture shock, lack of group/family support, isolation), accepted practices and sense of commitment regarding friends, assignments that include cultural knowledge of the host country, and fear of failure. But in regards to plagiarism in the specific context of academic writing, important differences in ideology and language exist that create the conditions in which it flourishes. These differences are in the following areas: 1. Teaching and Learning Styles 2. Concepts of Authorship and Academic Integrity 3. Language and the Creation of Meaning This paper explores each of these differences in order to establish whether Western ethical standards regarding plagiarism should be applied to the actions of non-native English speaking students.

2020

The increase in plagiarism cases among university students is a great concern for educators and policy makers within the federal and private universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Research suggests that students' attitudes toward academic integrity are characteristically more tolerant than the policies already in place in most universities. This assertion can hypothetically intensify the situation that most universities in the UAE are experiencing. Moreover, the presence of a very diverse student body leaves space for validation of the hypothesis, that concepts of plagiarism or academic integrity are seen differently in different cultures; nevertheless, very little research has been carried out to empirically validate such hypothesis. Moreover, current research in this area has usually been conducted in western universities, in western countries and has been focused in a comparison between international and domestic students or native and non-native speakers of English language. As yet, no studies have directly analysed culturally diverse students' attitudes toward plagiarism in their first year of study in a western university in the UAE. This study aimed to measure the students' level of understanding to what plagiarism is. One survey and one quiz were given to 67 students, the data from the surveys was tested against several hypothesis and some descriptive analysis was conducted. The results reveal that students understand the main concepts beyond plagiarism but confuse its application.

Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 2011

While a sizable body of research on plagiarism has been conducted in institutions of higher education, only a small portion of it has involved international students from mainly non-Confucian backgrounds. This is rather surprising given the large number of students in Australia from Southeast Asia. This study has sought to contribute to redressing this imbalance by looking at Indonesian students' understanding of the notion of plagiarism and the challenges it presents to them. We argue in this study that plagiarism is a culturally-based concept which sometimes disadvantages students from non-Western educational traditions, as is evident in the case of Indonesian students. A series of focus group interviews comprising Indonesian postgraduate students was organised to explore their perception of the issue and to seek their views on how it could be addressed in their country and at Australian universities. Students' professional backgrounds and disciplines formed the basis for dividing the sample into five groups. Data analysis yielded interesting results. The impact of cultural values and educational backgrounds on whether students engage in plagiaristic behaviours was corroborated by the findings. The influence of religious teachings emerged as a reason preventing students from critiquing "accepted knowledge" and discouraging creative and analytical thinking which, according to the participants, lead to plagiarism. Students complained about an alarming rate of confusion and insecurity resulting from the inconsistencies in the understanding of plagiarism and the implementation of plagiarism policy by teaching and administrative staff. The implications of the findings for students and Australian universities in designing policies and academic support for students are discussed.

2006

Concern about plagiarism by students from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) has grown apace with the increased numbers of international students attending western institutions. We present an exploration of student attitudes, perceptions and understandings of intellectual property, particularly plagiarism and copyright, and explore potential differences between NESB and ESB (English speaking background) students.

International journal of management in education, 2017

Higher education has greatly expanded and many transnational campuses have been established. The vast amount of educational material available online and the ease of sharing it electronically appear to have facilitated an increase in student plagiarism. Plagiarism may undermine the learning process of students and the quality of education that an institution provides. A survey was conducted at two Australian university campuses in Singapore to investigate transnational students' views on plagiarism. It was found that many students, while fully aware of obvious cases of plagiarism, would disagree with more complex cases, such as collusion and reuse of one's own work or of a friend's work. This suggests that current strategies for preventing plagiarism are not entirely effective. It is recommended that educative interventions such as induction and follow-up courses on plagiarism be provided to students and staff to ensure that academic integrity is maintained within the transnational education environment.

Journal of University Teaching Learning Practice, 2005

Despite a growing body of evidence, the common causal factors of plagiarism among international students are still widely seen to be poor language skills or a lack of academic integrity on the part of the students. This research uses the experiences of a particular cohort of students to explore these assumptions. It investigates and compares the notion of academic integrity and the understanding of plagiarism of both Indian postgraduate students who are currently studying in Australia and students currently studying at Indian universities. Postgraduate international students from India have studied in English at an undergraduate level in India and have a clear understanding of academic integrity in their own context. However their undergraduate experience occurs in a culturally different context to that of the Australian university system and they face the challenge of learning new academic conventions. This paper argues that students coming from different educational cultures require proper and explicit induction into the principles and philosophy behind many western academic conventions as different conventions of scholarship in the Australian education system can create unique difficulties for them. To accuse international students in general of a lack of integrity because they plagiarise or to blame only their lack of language skills for plagiarising seems to be arguable. Rather, the impact of transition from a different university culture without explicit academic skills orientation and instruction needs to be addressed. The paper also points towards the paradox of punishment in western universities where international students have to prove their integrity and innocence regarding the ethical principles of a new and foreign culture. L a n

2019

Are there cross-cultural differences in plagiarism? Is it helpful—let alone fair—to try to generalize attitudes toward plagiarism across cultures? Is this issue of relevance for learning institutions like law schools? And how do these issues intersect with the legal profession? My perspectives on these issues stem from 25 years of legal practice handling complex commercial disputes combined with over 20 years as a law school professor, first as an adjunct professor and now as a part of the legal writing department. The two perspectives—the practicing attorney view and the academic view—are not identical. This article addresses whether there are cross-cultural differences in plagiarism, as well as the different attitudes that prevail in the academic and professional worlds in five stages. Parts I, II, and III address differences that exist in views of plagiarism in the West as opposed to Asia, and Part IV addresses the response to those views, arguing that they are unfair and inaccur...

International Journal for Educational Integrity, 2012

This study examined the understanding, perceived seriousness, and prevalence rates of different forms of plagiarism among Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Masters students studying at universities in Iran where their courses were taught in English. A survey questionnaire was used. The results indicated that plagiarism was pervasive among the students, and that they had an inadequate understanding of different forms of plagiarism. Second, prevalence rates of plagiarism were negatively correlated with both perceived seriousness and understanding of plagiarism at significant levels. Third, perceived seriousness of plagiarism was a predictor of prevalence rates of plagiarism among Iranian EFL Masters students. Finally, no significant relationship was found between the understanding of plagiarism and the respondents' years of study implying that the recognition of various forms of plagiarism remains a challenging task for the students during their whole academic lives. The...

Ethics & Behavior, 2015

This study examines Chinese undergraduates’ perceptions of plagiarism in English academic writing in relation to their disciplinary background (i.e., hard vs. soft disciplines), academic enculturation (i.e., length of study in university), and gender. Drawing on data collected from 270 students at two universities in China, it finds clear discipline-based differences in participants’ knowledge of plagiarism and perceptions about its causes; an enculturational effect on perceived acceptability of and condemnatory attitudes toward plagiarism, with senior students being less harsh than their junior counterparts; and complex interactions among disciplinary background, length of study, and gender. Furthermore, it reveals conceptions of (il)legitimate intertextuality (i.e., textual borrowing) differing from those prevalent in Anglo American academia and clearly punitive stances on perceived plagiarism. These results suggest the need to take an educative rather than punitive approach to source use in English academic writing.