Perception of plagiarism among undergraduate students in Greek Universities

Résumé 0

Purpose - The aim of the research is to discover, mainly, the opinions and perceptions of undergraduate students in Greek Universities regarding plagiarism. Design/methodology/approach - This research attempts to discover not only the opinions and perceptions but also the proposals of undergraduate students in Greek Universities regarding plagiarism. The research method that was used for the survey is quantitative, with the use of questionnaires. A total of 467 questionnaires were collected by students from all Greek Universities and the majority of the scientific fields. This research is an attempt to collect data regarding the students' perceptions of the essence and concept of plagiarism, their opinions about the factors that lead students to plagiarize or to plagiarism and the consequences that the Universities where they study impose. In addition, through the questionnaire, students had the opportunity to express their proposals about the methods they think are appropriate for plagiarism to be prevented effectively. The main objective of this research is to portray the extent of the problem of plagiarism in Greek Universities. Additionally, it aims to contribute to the problem’s solution and create the necessary policies and mixture of methods that will lead to the required education for students to avoid plagiarism. Findings – The research revealed various valuable findings. It is worth pointing out that the vast majority of the undergraduate students replied that they knew the term plagiarism (98,3%). On the other hand, below half the student population said they had not been trained in academic writing and, consequently, how to avoid plagiarism. Originality/value - The paper presents Greek Universities' undergraduate students' perceptions of plagiarism. Remarkably, the collected data outcome is from all Greek Universities.