Investigating First-Year University Student Plagiarism: Fostering a Culture of Academic Integrity

Abstract

Plagiarism has long been a challenge for higher education institutions. Despite extensive research on plagiarism, researchers have conducted limited investigations into first-year students at Canadian universities. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating plagiarism among first-year students at a western Canadian university. Using plagiarism cases from first-year students provided by the Academic Integrity Committee (AIC) at the university where this study took place, this study analyzes the types and prevalence of plagiarism incidents to understand trends and causes. The study further provides recommendations for effective pedagogical and institutional strategies to prevent plagiarism. The following three questions guided the study: What types of plagiarism do first-year students commit? Why do first-year students commit plagiarism? How can universities and instructors prevent plagiarism? This study is devoted to fostering a culture of academic integrity and reducing plagiarism, especially among English-as-an-additional-language (EAL) students in the post-secondary environment in British Columbia.