Authorial Identity: Effect of an Online Educational Experience on Nursing Students' Beliefs and Attitudes about Authorship

Background: Considering the importance of attending to plagiarism in academic settings and hence, the scarcity and inconclusiveness of studies conducted in the university context, the current study set out to evaluate an online educational experience for nursing students to avoid unintentional plagiarism. Aim of the study: evaluate the impact of an online educational experience on nursing students' beliefs and attitudes about authorship. Materials and method: A quasi-experimental (one group pre-posttest) research design was used in this study. Settings: The study was conducted at the Nursing Education Department, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University. Subjects: A convenience sampling of 50 students affiliated with educational strategies in nursing courses during the first semester of the academic year (2019-2020). Tools of data collection: One tool used by the researcher for data collection Part I: students’ socio-demographic data such as the students’ age, marital status, gender, attending educational programs about plagiarism.  Part II:  The Student Authorship Questionnaire (SAQ). The SAQ was established to evaluate student beliefs and attitudes about authorial identity in academic writing. Results: The results showed that there has been an improvement in students’ all authorial identity attitude and belief subscale and thus, the student's overall attitude of authorial identity mean score with the statistically significant difference pre and after attending online educational experience. Also, the results of this study displayed that nearly all of them have a positive attitude and belief about authorial identity.  Conclusion: The study finding concluded that there has been an improvement in students’ all authorial identity attitude and belief subscale. Also, the results of this study displayed that nearly all of them have a positive attitude and belief about authorial identity. Hence, the aim of the study was achieved, and also the hypothesis was proved and there's an effect of an online educational experience on nursing students' beliefs and attitudes about authorship, authorial identity, and how to avoid unintentional plagiarism Recommendation: Based on the current study finding, it can be recommended that by using the SAQ model of authorial identity, teachers can transcend the traditional conventions of academic writing and authorship and train the students who to possess their unique authorial texts and assignment