Iranian University EFL learners’ Perceptions of Plagiarism Detection Tools: Effectiveness and Use

The present study attempted to shed light on the status of plagiarism detection tools (PDT) in the Iranian EFL context. It tried to survey the Iranian EFL university students’ perceptions of the use and effectiveness of such tools. To this end, the data were collected through a 17-item researcher-made questionnaire, with close and open-ended items, designed to gather information on the foreign language departments’ policies for plagiarism detection and the effectiveness of the tools if used by EFL learners and their instructors. Respondent-driven sampling was used to sample the hard-to-reach target population during the Covid outbreak. Two hundred and eighteen Iranian EFL students filled the questionnaire. The results indicated that the effectiveness and use of tools are at a moderate level. The findings also highlighted that half of the respondents believed PDTs could be utilized to drop the rate of plagiarism as well as the probability of failing the courses. The results also revealed that specific course context and its requirements have an impact on the students’ implementation of the PDTs. The study found that while the respondents’ perception of the tools’ effectiveness and use is independent of their gender, it is positively correlated with their academic degree and age.