Abstract

LOPEZ-GIL, Karen Shirley  and  FERNANDEZ-LOPEZ, María Cristina. Social representations about plagiarism in academic writing among university students. Íkala [online]. 2019, vol.24, n.1, pp.119-134. ISSN 0123-3432.  https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.ikala.v24n01a06.

The purpose of the research was to identify the social representations that university students have about plagiarism in academic writing. A mixed research approach was proposed, with a cross-sectional descriptive design. The data collection instruments were an online survey applied to 414 students, and two discussion groups, with eight participants each. The content analysis technique was used, with the support of Atlas.Ti 8.0 software. The results were grouped into four categories: knowledge about plagiarism, attitudes towards plagiarism, interaction with the academic context and practices of information use. On knowledge, it was found that students identify the concept of plagiarism and its main characteristics. Regarding attitudes, students conceive plagiarism as an inadequate and dishonest practice that should be avoided and that generates fear and blockages in writing. About interaction, the university demands a greater rigor in the use of information than secondary education, but offers few guidelines. To avoid plagiarism, in their writing practices, students use paraphrasing and attribute authorship based on the indication of the links of the web pages consulted. Although the participants recognize plagiarism as an incorrect action, they affirm that they do not have the necessary competences to avoid it in their academic texts.

Keywords : plagiarism; academic writing; university; social representations; digital sources of information..

        · abstract in Spanish | French     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )