Plagiarism under a Magnifying-Glass

Abstract

This-paper embodies the-findings from a-small-part, of a-larger-study on-plagiarism, at-the-School of Engineering (SOE). The-study is a-cross-sectional-survey, conducted in-an-institutional-setting. 15 senior academic-members of staff (N=15), from SOE were-invited to-complete a-questionnaire. The-questioner was pre-tested, to-ensure its-validity and reliability. A trial-survey (pre-testing) was conducted, according to ISO 20252:2006 (E). The-Statistical-Package for Social-Sciences (SPSS-17, version 22)-computer software program was-used, to-compute the-Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, which demonstrated high-inter-item consistency, and, therefore, reliability (Cronbach’s a=0.803). Descriptive-statistics was-used, to-analyze, both; qualitative and quantitative-data. The-main-findings of the-study, revealed that, the-majority (60%) of the-respondents alleged, that plagiarism was-never-mentioned or explained, to-them, at-any-level; Overwhelming-majority, (90%) agreed that plagiarism is unfair to-the-original-author and to-the-colleagues; The-vast-majority, (90%) also-claimed that they never plagiarized, while 10% confessed that they-did-it one or two-times, in-the-past; majority (70%) also- agreed, that plagiarism is unfair to-oneself; and 60% agreed, it-is-unfair to-the-university. The-analysis of the- plagiarism, from the-faculty-perspective, was-balanced, by-the rigorous-coverage, of the-following-issues: Historical background; Plagiarism’ extent; Quantification, for-plagiarism; Consequences of plagiarism: Retraction of publications, with selected global-illustrative-examples; Publishing-process: main-actors and their- roles, in-dealing with-plagiarism; Combating plagiarism, including detection and punishment; and Plagiarism, as just a-tiny-fraction of scientific-misconduct; among others. This-study also-provides few-recommendations, on how to-improve the-current-situation, in-the absence of official-institutional Plagiarism-Policy. The-findings, alongside-with the-theoretical coverage, will, expectantly, make a-contribution (in its-small-way), toward the- body of knowledge, on-the subject.