Improving knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the nursing faculty members and postgraduate students towards plagiarism in academic writing

Abstract

Background and aim: Plagiarism is the use of concepts, words, manuscript and data without acknowledgment of the original source. It has become a worldwide problem, and a contentious matter in university education and research. The study aimed to improve knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the nursing faculty members and postgraduate students towards plagiarism in academic writing.

Methods: A quasi-experimental (pre-post) design. Setting: The study was accomplished at the Nursing Faculty in Mansoura University. Sample: Convenient sample was used included 195 participants (100 nursing faculty members and 95 postgraduate students) of all nursing specialties who attended and completed the educational & training workshop. Tools: A structured Interviewing Schedule, Attitudes toward Plagiarism Scale and Plagiarism Scenario-Based Questionnaire.

Results: The average score of the participants' knowledge and their practical scenario-solving scores about plagiarism were significantly increased after the training workshop compared to their levels before it. In addition, the average scores of the positive attitude, subjective norms and total attitudes score towards plagiarism were significantly decreased, while the average score of the negative attitude significantly increased after the training workshop in comparison to before it. Moreover, there was a statistically significant positive, moderate correlation between the participants’ knowledge score about plagiarism and their practical scenario-solving scores (r = 0.346, p ≤ .001). In addition, there was a significant positive mild correlation between the total knowledge score and the negative attitude of the studied sample towards plagiarism (r = 0.254, p ≤ .001).

Conclusions: It was evident that there was a statistically significant improvement in knowledge and skills of the nursing faculty members and postgraduate students with a significant change in their attitudes towards plagiarism after implementation of the workshop. Recommendations: Providing continuing educational and training programs for the newly faculty members and researchers to improve their scientific writing skills, and research ethics and for highlighting plagiarism and its consequences.