Academic integrity is a fundamental value of higher education institutions and is a recognised priority in institutional learning and teaching strategies. Plagiarism is an ongoing problem in the HE sector and factors contributing to this complex phenomenon may differentially impact students at different academic levels of study, but this is under-researched. This study aimed to address the identified gap through an investigation of differences in behaviour and attitudes towards plagiarism between undergraduate (UG) and post-graduate taught (PGT) level. Using an inter-subjective, pragmatic and mixed-methods approach, (i) analysis of senate data on levels of plagiarism cases, (ii) an online survey with UG (n= 18) and PGT (n = 32) students and (iii) focus groups with students (n=4) and staff (n=7) were analysed.
This paper will present key findings from quantitative analyses of (i) senate data, where statistically significant differences were observed between demographic sub-categories, and (ii) online survey data, where a statistically significant difference was observed between UG and PGT students with respect to academic writing workshops to prevent plagiarism. It will further outline findings from qualitative thematic analyses of open survey questions and focus group discussions. Nine common themes between students and staff, and four unique themes for students and staff respectively were identified. Particular areas of concern surrounded (i) student transitions, and (ii) institutional barriers. The paper will finish with an overview of the key recommendation from this work: an eight-point, multi-factorial approach to address the problem of plagiarism, and key implications for educators.

Authors:
Carolyn Loveridge, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Kimberly Davis, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Nathalie Tasler, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Carolyn Loveridge is currently a Lecturer of Life Sciences at the Univeristy of Glasgow, United Kingdom. Her current scholarship interests are in academic conduct and integrity; assessment and feedback; and curriculum design and development.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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