A Study on the Undergraduates’ Citation Use Awareness in Korean Academic Writing

Ryu, SeonSuk

Korean Journal of General Education 2019;13(4):403-430.
Published online August 30, 2019.

SeonSuk Ryu

외국인 유학생의 학문적 글쓰기에서의 인용에 대한 인식 연구

유선숙

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perception of citations among foreign undergraduates. The citation is a very frequently used function in academic writing. However, foreign undergraduates often lack experience in academic writing and are unable to speak quotations smoothly because of their low level of Korean. In order to be more persuasive by citing appropriate references, while complying with the writing ethics, education on citations is necessary. So, in this study, a survey on their perceptions of quotations was conducted on 57 foreign students attending domestic universities. As a result, 44.8% of the respondents had learned about citations, and 88.7% recognized that citations were essential in academic writing. In reality, however, 74.4% of learners said they had experience with plagiarism. The most common method of plagiarism was that I have made a copy of what is written on the Internet. They also cited mainly when writing reports or presentations, and cited them to provide grounds for their arguments. 71.9% of the respondents said they needed education on citations, which was very high, and wanted to learn the exact form of citations. This study argued that citations should be educated more repeatedly and systematically.

Key Words: Korean language liberal arts education, undergraduates from foreign countries, Academic Writing, citation, Learners’ Awareness analysis