Table 1.
Factor structure of the Attitudes Toward Plagiarism questionnaire with factor loadings
| Factors |
Items |
Factor loadings* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I |
II |
III |
||
| Positive attitude toward plagiarism(α = 0.83)† |
||||
| 1. Sometimes one cannot avoid using other people's words without citing the source, because there are only so many ways to describe something. |
0.78 |
|||
| 2. It is justified to use previous descriptions of a method, because the method itself remains the same. |
0.66 |
|||
| 3. Self-plagiarism is not punishable because it is not harmful (one cannot steal from oneself). |
0.62 |
|||
| 4. Plagiarized parts of a paper may be ignored if the paper is of great scientific value. |
0.59 |
|||
| 5. Self-plagiarism should not be punishable in the same way as plagiarism is. |
0.53 |
|||
| 6. Young researchers who are just learning the ropes should receive milder punishment for plagiarism. |
0.53 |
|||
| 7. If one cannot write well in a foreign language (eg, English), it is justified to copy parts of a similar paper already published in that language. |
0.53 |
|||
| 8. I could not write a scientific paper without plagiarizing. |
0.44 |
|||
| 9. Short deadlines give me the right to plagiarize a bit. |
0.41 |
-0.38 |
||
| 10. When I do not know what to write, I translate a part of a paper from a foreign language. |
0.38 |
|||
| 11. It is justified to use one's own previously published work without providing citation in order to complete the current work. |
0.38 |
|||
| 12. If a colleague of mine allows me to copy from her/his paper, I'm NOT doing anything bad, because I have his/her permission. |
0.36 |
|||
|
Negative attitude toward plagiarism(α = 0.79)† |
||||
| 13. Plagiarists do not belong in the scientific community. |
0.70 |
|||
| 14. The names of the authors who plagiarize should be disclosed to the scientific community. |
0.69 |
|||
| 15. In times of moral and ethical decline, it is important to discuss issues like plagiarism and self-plagiarism. |
0.68 |
|||
| 16. Plagiarizing is as bad as stealing an exam. |
0.62 |
|||
| 17. Plagiarism impoverishes the investigative spirit. |
0.60 |
|||
| 18. A plagiarized paper does no harm science. |
-0.53 |
|||
| 19. Since plagiarism is taking other people's words rather than tangible assets; it should NOT be considered as a serious offense. |
0.37 |
-0.47 |
||
|
Subjective norms toward plagiarism(α = 0.85)† |
||||
| 20. Authors say they do NOT plagiarize, when in fact they do. |
-0.76 |
|||
| 21. Those who say they have never plagiarized are lying. |
-0.65 |
|||
| 22. Sometimes I'm tempted to plagiarize, because everyone else is doing it (students, researchers, physicians). |
-0.59 |
|||
| 23. I keep plagiarizing because I haven't been caught yet. |
-0.53 |
|||
| 24. I work (study) in a plagiarism-free environment. |
0.52 |
|||
| 25. Plagiarism is not a big deal. |
-0.39 |
-0.47 |
||
| 26. Sometimes I copy a sentence or two just to become inspired for further writing. |
0.33 |
-0.45 |
||
| 27. I don’t feel guilty for copying verbatim a sentence or two from my previous papers. |
-0.42 |
|||
| 28. Plagiarism is justified if I currently have more important obligations or tasks to do. |
-0.41 |
|||
| 29. Sometimes, it is necessary to plagiarize. | 0.36 | -0.38 | ||
* Factor loadings value for factors I, II, III. Only values >0.30, which are considered satisfactory, are noted.
† Cronbach α value.