Cheating and plagiarism in higher education institutions (HEIs): A literature review

In short

Cheating and plagiarism, their common forms and their causes, are examined through a systematic literature review. The authors report pressure on students, weak integrity awareness and outdated honour codes among the factors, and suggest remedies.

What it looked at

A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines of 45 articles published between 2018 and 2022 on cheating and plagiarism at higher education institutions. Factors were grouped as individual, social, cultural, institutional and technological.

What it means for teaching

May help in checking an honour code or integrity education against the factors the review lists.

Limits

The review covers only the 45 articles it selected from that period. No further limits are stated.

Cited 69 times by other papers, as counted by OpenAlex in November 2026. A count measures attention, not quality.