The Impact and Importance of the University Library in Teaching Good Research Practices: A Case Study of the “Dissertation Seminars” Course at IG/UNICAMP

Abstract

Introduction: The growing importance of teaching good research practices at universities reflects the challenge of maintaining academic integrity in the face of unethical behaviors such as plagiarism and data fabrication. Objective: To discuss how education on research ethics contributes to building a responsible academic community, based on the experience of the Seminar course at the Institute of Geosciences at UNICAMP, offered since 2021. Methodology: The methodology of this work is based on an experimental research approach with a case study, including the active participation of the Cesar Lattes Central Library, which, alongside the instructor, develops theoretical and practical lessons on topics such as plagiarism, research ethics, correct citation, and the use of textual similarity verification tools, such as Turnitin. The course uses a hybrid format, with both remote and in-person activities, along with continuous student monitoring. Results: The results indicate a significant reduction in the textual similarity rates of submitted papers, demonstrating the effectiveness of the adopted methodology. The collaboration between faculty and libraries, as well as the use of technology, contributed to promoting originality and improving the quality of research. In the first submission, similarity rates ranged from 15% to 56%, dropping to between 1% and 7% throughout the semester. Conclusion: The inclusion of good research practices in the academic curriculum is essential for the development of future researchers committed to scientific integrity, and this methodology can be expanded to other courses at the university.