Abstract
Academic misconduct refers to a group of unacceptable behaviours committed by students. Analysis of the evolution of these negative practices is essential to develop effective minimization strategies. This study aimed to assess Portuguese university students’ behaviours related to academic misconduct, evaluating its prevalence and main types, and the reasons for engaging in it. An anonymous online survey was carried out during February and March 2021, the participants being students from several Universities in the North of Portugal. Results indicated that about half of the students have seen (n = 114, 49.4%) or committed (n = 133, 57.6%) academic misconduct. Cheating during tests/exams was the main type of misconduct and seen as a risk worth taking, as 55.4% of the students stated they would cheat if they did not expect to be caught. As for the reasons to engage in practising academic misconduct most students (76.6%) believe that is a natural outcome of the competitive society we live in. The results herein presented are quite alarming, as they point to a high level of academic misconduct, which can later compromise ethical behaviours in the workplace and/or the integrity of the research and publications.
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The authors would like to thank the valuable contributions and suggestions of the anonymous reviewers that have greatly improved this article. Thank you for your time.
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Caldas, I.M., Pereira, M.L., Azevedo, R., Madureira-Carvalho, Á. (2022). Self-Report of Academic Misconduct Practices Among University Students in Portugal. In: Bjelobaba, S., Foltýnek, T., Glendinning, I., Krásničan, V., Dlabolová, D.H. (eds) Academic Integrity: Broadening Practices, Technologies, and the Role of Students. Ethics and Integrity in Educational Contexts, vol 4. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16976-2_13
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