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Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of University Teachers Regarding Plagiarism in Bangladesh

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Abstract

The main aim of this paper is to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of university teachers regarding plagiarism in Bangladesh. An online questionnaire consisted of 20 knowledge questions, 23 attitude items, and 18 practice questions was created using Google Forms. The link to the questionnaire was sent via email to university teachers. The total correct answers for knowledge and practice questions, and the total attitude score were converted to percentile scores and categorized accordingly as poor (< mean – 1 SD), average (mean ± 1 SD), and good (> mean + 1 SD). Bivariate analyses were conducted to compare the total knowledge, attitude and practice scores based on demographic and academic variables. Multiple linear regressions were used to identify the association between knowledge, attitude and practice scores, and other covariates. The findings revealed an average level of knowledge, attitude and practice regarding plagiarism among the majority of university teachers. The knowledge, attitude and practice scores were significantly higher for teachers who attended academic writing workshops compared to those who did not attend such events. Demographic and academic variables did not impact knowledge and attitude scores. However, the number of papers published in the last two years and their indexing in Web of Science (WoS) or Scopus significantly impacted attitude and knowledge scores. The multiple regression analyses showed that the practice score was significantly associated with age, highest education, and knowledge.

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Data Availability

The dataset for this study is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This research was funded by the Centennial Research Grant, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information Science and Library Management, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    S.M. Zabed Ahmed, Md. Roknuzzaman & Mohammad Sharif Ul Islam

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  1. S.M. Zabed Ahmed
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  2. Md. Roknuzzaman
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  3. Mohammad Sharif Ul Islam
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study design, questionnaire development and data collection. Mohammad Sharif Ul Islam wrote the introduction section of the study, providing a clear overview of the research topic, its significance and objectives. Md. Roknuzzaman reviewed the literature, conducted an in-depth analysis of relevant sources, and added references. S.M. Zabed Ahmed led the data analysis and generated meaningful insights. All authors actively participated in manuscript preparation and provided feedback on earlier versions. The submitted manuscript has been read and approved by all authors.

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Correspondence to S.M. Zabed Ahmed.

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Ahmed, S., Roknuzzaman, M. & Sharif Ul Islam, M. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of University Teachers Regarding Plagiarism in Bangladesh. J Acad Ethics (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-023-09483-7

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