Internal and external factors of plagiarism: Evidence from Chinese public sector universities.

AIMS: This study explores the effects of internal and external factors that encourage plagiarism from the perspective of students.

METHODS: We collected student data from five public sector universities in Anhui Province, China, by randomly distributing survey questionnaires to 250 students, 176 of which were usable. We analyzed the collected quantitative data through multiple regression analysis.

RESULTS: Our research results demonstrate that external and internal factors have a great influence on plagiarism. The control behavior and teaching factors have a significant positive impact on plagiarism, while information technology does not have a considerable impact on plagiarism. Among the external factors, a significant positive correlation exists between external stress, pride, and plagiarism; however, no significant relationship exists between academic skills and plagiarism.

CONCLUSION: The article concludes that grade level and enrollment status (full-time or part-time) are inversely correlated to plagiarism, which proves that the higher the academic level, the less the plagiarism behaviors occurs. This concept may be due to the fact that the higher the academic level, the stronger the plagiarism constraints might be, which in turn leads to a drastic decrease in plagiarism. Moreover, a negative relationship emerges between enrollment status (full-time or part-time) and plagiarism because part-time students who are committed to an employment are less likely to give their full attention to their studies.