Navigating academic integrity: The role of digital information literacy in preventing plagiarism

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of awareness, digital information literacy skills, and digital information literacy behaviors on students’ propensity to engage in academic plagiarism amid increasing use of digital technology. A quantitative approach was employed using survey data collected through questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to analyze the relationships among awareness, literacy skills, literacy behaviors, and plagiarism tendencies. The findings reveal that awareness and digital information literacy skills have a significant negative effect on plagiarism behavior, indicating their role in reducing academic misconduct. In contrast, digital information literacy behavior has a positive and significant effect on plagiarism (β = 0.135), suggesting that frequent engagement with digital information sources may increase the risk of plagiarism when not accompanied by sufficient ethical understanding. The use of paraphrasing tools and ease of access to digital content may further obscure plagiarism practices. The results emphasize the need for higher education institutions to strengthen digital information literacy programs by integrating technical competencies with ethical awareness, particularly in copyright understanding and citation practices. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the paradoxical role of digital information literacy behavior in increasing plagiarism risk, thereby underscoring the importance of balancing technical skills with ethical competencies in digital learning environments.