Many undergrads have access to valuable sources like library databases and journals. Unfortunately, using them can be confusing and a lot of student do not learn how to perform research. In their frustration, they may turn to copying from somewhere. A similar problem is a student's inability to judge an Internet source. Quality control is limited over the Internet, so inaccuracies and misinformation can sometimes reflect in the individual's writing. Getting information from unreliable sources can sometimes be seen as plagiarism.
Students are under a great deal of pressure to excel in school. Unfortunately, getting good grades often becomes more important than actually learning the material. The desire to please family members, get a scholarship or make it into graduate school all contribute to this stress. The entire purpose of college is for learning. When evaluations become the priority, it nullifies the students' education by causing them to learn nothing. Another source of pressure is poor time-management. Some students do not know how to organize their time and find themselves scrambling at the last minute.
Plagiarism does not always have to be intentional. A lot of the time, a student may simply misunderstand how to go about writing, researching or citing. Often, students may mix up plagiarism and paraphrasing. This tends to happen when a student reads something that is too technical. If he cannot understand the material, then he obviously cannot paraphrase it. Note-taking can also cause plagiarism. Some people may alternate between paraphrasing or directly quoting when they write down information. When it comes time to do an assignment, they may not be able to distinguish between the summaries and direct quotes. Students can also be confused about how to cite sources, a classic cause of accidental plagiarism. Different writing styles have different guidelines, which can cause a mix-up. People may also have difficulty distinguishing common knowledge from material that requires attribution.
To some students, obtaining the best marks becomes paramount. In turn, they adopt the mentality of "the ends justify the means." They may consider academic dishonesty acceptable because it helps them achieve their goals. In addition, students today often take their education for granted. They see it as a paid trip to a lucrative career, rather than a valuable learning experience.