Perceptions of Plagiarism Among Medical and Nursing Students in Erbil, Iraq.
Journal Title: Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal - Year 2018, Vol 18, Issue 2
Abstract
Objectives: The rapidly rising incidence of plagiarism among students at universities throughout the world requires attention. This study aimed to determine the extent to which medical and nursing students in Erbil, Iraq, plagiarise, their knowledge, understanding and perceptions of plagiarism and the underlying factors that may lead them to plagiarise. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out between January and June 2017 among a sample of 400 undergraduate medical and nursing students at Hawler Medical University in Erbil. Plagiarism-related data were collected through a specially designed self-administered questionnaire. Results: In total, 280 (70%) medical students and 120 (30%) nursing students were included in the study. The reported prevalence of plagiarism was 54.3%, with a slightly higher prevalence among male students compared to female students (54.9% versus 53.8%; P = 0.820) and medical students compared to nursing students (58.9% versus 43.3%; (P = 0.004). Alarmingly, 34.8% of the students did not know what plagiarism was, and only 28% were aware of the legal consequences of plagiarism. Reported reasons for plagiarising included laziness and the ease with which others’ work could be plagiarised, confusion, cultural reasons and pressure to meet deadlines. Conclusion: There was a lack of understanding of plagiarism and its legal ramifications among undergraduate medical and nursing students in Erbil. The findings of this study indicate that there is an urgent need to increase students’ understanding of plagiarism and its consequences so as to reduce the incidence of this type of academic misconduct.
Authors and Affiliations
Kameran H. Ismail
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP34696
- DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.18295/squmj.2018.18.02.012
- Views 346
- Downloads 0
Silent Epidemic of Depression in Women in the Middle East and North Africa Region Emerging tribulation or fallacy?
As the world is being gripped by economic depression, international psychological epidemiologists have amassed evidence to suggest that psychological depression and its variants are becoming leading contributors to the...
2nd National Public Health Symposium Food and Nutrition for a Healthy Planet Oman Public Health Society, 18 October 2014
Distribution of arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) genotypes among Omanis
Objective: to determine the genotypes of arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT2) among 127 unrelated apparently healthy Omanis. Method: Identify the most common known polymorphisms of NAT*2 gene namely, G191A, C282T, C341T...
Compliance with the National Palestinian Infection Prevention and Control Protocol at Governmental Paediatric Hospitals in Gaza Governorates
Objectives: Nosocomial infections are a signifcant burden for both patients and the healthcare system. For this reason, infection prevention and control (IPC) practices are extremely important. Te Palestinian Ministry...
Laparoscopic Repair of Traumatic Intraperitoneal Bladder Rupture
Intraperitoneal rupture of the bladder is an uncommon condition that is usually caused by pelvic fractures. Tis is a true surgical emergency managed conventionally by open laparotomy with single or double layer repair....