Perceptions of Plagiarism Among Medical and Nursing Students in Erbil, Iraq.

Apply

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

Undergraduate Medical Education; Plagiarism; Medical Students; Nursing Students; Perceptions; Iraq

Frequency of Uterine Malformation among Women in a Restricted Gene Pool Community A retrospective cross-sectional study in La Crete, Canada

Objective: Tis random retrospective cross-sectional study was done to determine the incidence of uterine malformation in 4 groups of women desiring to conceive during their reproductive years, all of them living in La Cr...

Migrating Ingested Foreign Body of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract with Resultant Septic Shock Case report and literature review

Complications due to foreign body ingestion are rare; however, if present, these can cause signifcant morbidity to the patient. An overlooked ingested foreign body could present as an emergency and may prove fatal. We...

EP ID EP34696
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.18295/squmj.2018.18.02.012
Views 324
Downloads 0