INTEGRITY JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Integrity Research Journals
ISSN: 2636-5995
Model: Open Access/Peer Reviewed
DOI: 10.31248/IJET
Start Year: 2016
Email: ijet@integrityresjournals.org
Cyberethics compliance and attitude towards plagiarism among postgraduate students in universities in Southwestern Nigeria
https://doi.org/10.31248/IJET2025.239 | Article Number: DA5ECFA71 | Vol.9 (3) - October 2025
Received Date: 08 August 2025 | Accepted Date: 30 September 2025 | Published Date: 30 October 2025
Author: Olumayowa HEPHYANG
Keywords: plagiarism, Academic attitude, cyberethics, master’s students, postgraduate students
Plagiarism poses a significant ethical challenge in higher education, undermining academic integrity and the quality of scholarly contributions. This study investigated cyberethics compliance as a factor influencing postgraduate students’ attitudes towards plagiarism in universities in southwestern Nigeria. A correlational survey design was employed, with 346 postgraduate students randomly selected from six universities. Data were collected through a validated questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation to test the relationship between variables. Results showed that while students reported high compliance with cyberethics, they also demonstrated a generally negative attitude towards plagiarism, reflecting increasing awareness and rejection of academic dishonesty. However, the analysis found no significant relationship between cyberethics compliance and attitudes towards plagiarism. These findings highlight that factors beyond cyberethics may shape students’ perspectives on plagiarism and point to a broader cultural and institutional shift towards valuing originality in academic work. The study contributes to existing scholarship by showing that postgraduate students’ rejection of plagiarism is not solely dependent on their level of cyberethics compliance but may be influenced by institutional norms, awareness campaigns, and personal academic values. It recommends that universities strengthen and enforce policies on plagiarism, adopt plagiarism detection tools, and promote mentorship and supervisory guidance to reinforce ethical research practices and foster a culture of academic honesty.
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