Why Read This White Paper?

In this third white paper by UNIwise Oliver Kjoller and Rasmus Blok shed light on the growing issue of academic misconduct, particularly plagiarism, in educational institutions. By way of a meta-analysis of 37 research papers, the most common reasons why students deliberately engage in plagiarism are being identified and ranked.

The research categorises plagiarists into two main groups:

1. Reactive Plagiarisers: These students resort to plagiarism due to:
   1. Poor time management
   2. Temptation and easy access to online resources
   3. Academic difficulties
2. Proactive Plagiarisers: This group actively seeks to gain advantages through:
   1. Lack of deterrence (low risk of getting caught)
   2. Efficiency gain (better grades with less effort)

It is suggested that different strategies are needed to combat these two types of plagiarism. For reactive plagiarisers, institutions should focus on improving students’ time management skills and providing academic support. For proactive plagiarisers, stricter penalties and more thorough plagiarism detection methods are recommended.

This research comes at a crucial time when academic integrity is facing new challenges in the digital age. As educational institutions grapple with maintaining academic standards, this study provides valuable insights for developing more effective anti-plagiarism strategies.