Unintended Plagiarism Amongst International Students in Western Universities

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In recent years, many western universities have experienced a notable increase of plagiarism and other behaviors that fall under the umbrella of academic dishonesty amongst students at various levels. Concurrently, higher-educational institutions have also seen a large rise in the enrollment of international students with extremely diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. A growing body of research has connected higher rates of plagiarism, in western universities during this time period, to international students in particular. This article reviews the current literature in this area, with a focus on the most common factors that put international students in western universities at a higher risk for unintended plagiarism than their counterpart domestic peers. The results showcase a complex myriad of factors that put international students at risk, such as new cultural, financial, or time stresses; underdeveloped language skills; the inability to self-advocate; and cultural differences in both schooling systems and viewing sources. Considering these factors, several practical implementations are recommended for institutions of higher education, with the aim of lessening international students’ risk factors of unintentional plagiarism, while simultaneously building academic confidence and community.