"The ultimate academic sin": Students' awareness and perceptions of plagiarism.

This article focuses on students' perceptions and awareness of plagiarism at two Jamaican universities, highlighting challenges in recognizing and addressing academic dishonesty. The study, based on a survey of 160 undergraduate and graduate students, found that while most participants viewed plagiarism as serious—especially copying entire sources—they often failed to identify paraphrasing plagiarism and did not consider some forms, such as collaborating on individual work, as severe. Reasons for plagiarism included easy access to internet sources, heavy workloads, lack of understanding of citation conventions, and perceived leniency in consequences. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive academic literacy programs, authentic assessment design, and a multi-stakeholder approach involving education, training, policy enforcement, and cultural change to promote academic integrity within Jamaican higher education institutions.