Set up for failure? the impact of assignment complexity on plagiarism by South African postgraduate students

Abstract: Students are more likely to resort to plagiarism in assignments that are complex, especially when certain factors out of their control are present. This article reports on a study that investigated how postgraduate students’ reliance on different types of plagiarism is different between a less complex essay (Bloom’s Level 4) and a more complex essay (Bloom’s Level 6). The essays of 128 students at a comprehensive university in South Africa were coded for six types plagiarism, which were identified in literature. The first pertinent finding was that students furnished fewer citations in a more complex essay. Secondly, copying substantial SAIMS 2017: Competitive stream Page 2 portions of text with limited alteration (a type of plagiarism) remained prevalent between the two essays. Faculty need to ensure that students are adequately prepared in terms of paraphrasing and academic writing to be able to complete more complex essays