Academic excellence of students has been the goal of most higher education institutions. It is because of the assumption that those who excel in their academic endeavors will soon become competent professionals, contributing to the advancement of their respective industries and of the societies they are part of. Therefore, colleges and universities in particular exert all efforts in instilling in their students the significance of academic excellence, thus, challenging them to strive for it. It could also be said that the pursuit of academic excellence must be within the framework of “academic integrity,” which “involves all acts upholding ethical values and maintaining a good moral character within the academic environ and context” (Resurreccion, 2012, p. 34). Furthermore, it is through academic integrity that the public maintains its confidence in the protocol of any investigative endeavour and results as well as in the quality of learning offered at various levels of education (Bretag, 2013). Thus, as students deal with their academic undertakings such as answering exams, writing essays, or conducting researches, it is imperative that they remain …show more content…
For instance, Delvin and Gray (2007) included “workload and timing” as contributory to students’ plagiarizing. Common responses from Delvin and Gray’s interviews with their participants include statements such as, “So many assignments in 12 weeks,” “We’re bombarded with work,” and “Assignments all being due at the same time” (p. 9). Park (2003) on the other hand, cited “time management.” He explained that students tend to plagiarize so they can attend not only to their academic duties but also to other things related to their social life and family responsibilities. Furthermore, he noted that “efficiency gain” or getting better grades without spending much time may also prompt students to plagiarize