Abstract
The phenomenological case study aimed to unearth the reasons that influence
university students to plagiarize assignments.67 participants were selected for semistructured interviews, from the Faculty of Education of a public university, located
in Karachi, Pakistan. The obtained data were analyzed through thematic analysis.
Findings uncovered that most participants lacked a deep understanding of different
types of academic plagiarism and practical skills to evade it. Prevalent sources of
information for preparing assignments included websites, research papers, e-books,
and project reports, without verifying quality. The most common reasons that have
influenced research students to plagiarize assignments included weak language and
academic writing skills, easy access to online resources, conventional assignments,
inadequate digital literacy, short time-frame, and challenge to balance personal,
professional, and academic life. Thus, plagiarism is a conscious act coupled with
indirect pressures. It is recommended to promote the culture of academic honesty
among learners. In this regard, courses on preventing plagiarism, digital literacy,
academic reading, and research writing should be integrated as a pre-requisite
for a postgraduate research degree. It is also proposed to help learners embrace
conscious networking skills and ownership of learning. Furthermore, contextual
information literacy and plagiarism frameworks should be introduced.
Munir Moosa Sadruddin. (2021) Exploring the Causes of Plagiarism among Post Graduate Research Students- A Phenomenological Case Study Approach, Journal of Education and Educational Development, Volume 8, Issue 2.
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