Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

Abstract

The essay describes the phenomenon of academic integrity. In particular, it highlights and explains the values of academic integrity. In addition, it also outlines the importance of academic honesty in the academic institution. Issues, which lead to academic dishonesty, are covered and the solutions to academic dishonesty are given. Generally, the students are encouraged to remain academically honest to improve their academic research. This will be done through careful consideration of the rules and regulations concerning academic integrity.

Introduction

Academic honesty can be defined as presenting academic work without plagiarism, cheating, lying, falsifying and receiving unauthorized help from any person. Academic dishonesty refers to helping other individuals complete their work. Academic honesty (integrity) means the students' work is original and sincere. Only the allowed assistance should be permitted and the rules and guidelines of the institution should be adhered to. The intellectual property, ideas, the words and scholarship of others used in the students' work should be correctly acknowledged (Gallant, 2008).

Academic integrity is important in the students' academic knowledge. Students are academically evaluated; hence, it is very critical that the academic records remain consistent and accurate. It is very important to note that the integrity of students' shown at the university level will reflect their professional integrity once they complete the course work. It has been noted that, academic integrity involves all the individuals of the academic community. The academic community includes the following; students, staff and the faculty (Lathrop and Foss, 2005).

In this modern era, there is a sequence being set by college and high school students; the sequence is moving from academic integrity to academic dishonesty. The internet is the biggest contributor to academic dishonesty as there is readily and easily available information; there is useful information readily accessible on the internet. Students can cheat by copying and pasting the information to the word document and presenting it as their original work. Most students know that since the information is readily and easily available, they can cheat and they will not be caught. Nevertheless, some applications have been designed to detect where one gets the information from and the exact paper the information the ideas were borrowed from (Macfarlane, 2009).

Values of Academic Integrity

Academic integrity affects five significant values, which include sincerity, trust, justice, reverence and responsibility. These guiding values guide academic communities in academic integrity (Smith, 2008).

Sincerity is clear in how the faculty and the staff exhibit integrity and honesty in the institution. The staff and the entire faculty need to set a good example for students to follow. The academic community should search for truth and knowledge by using intellectual and individual honesty in research, learning and teaching (Anderman and Murdock, 2007).

Trust is the value that looks at the overall trust that exists in the learning institution. In addition, specific tendencies that exhibit the presence or absence of trust are taken into consideration. Academic communities should promote joint trust and encourage the free exchange of ideas. This is to enable all the students learning at the institution to achieve their highest potential (Smith, 2008).

Justice determines if the students in the institution are being treated equally. Specific attributes that exhibit the presence or absence of equality are checked. The setting where the issues of fairness are discussed in the institution is also evaluated. This value establishes clear standards, procedures and practices of students, the staff and faculty. The fairness of the interaction of students is also looked at (Anderman and Murdock, 2007).

The students, faculty and the staff to one another should demonstrate reverence; ways of showing respect should be explained. The academic community should recognize participatory learning process. The opinions and ideas should come from a wide range and be honored (Smith, 2008).

In the academic community, students should understand their responsibility for honest academic research. The students should have a responsibility to take action if there is academic dishonesty. The academic community should advocate for personal accountability in case of academic dishonesty (Gallant, 2008).

Ways that Compromises Academic integrity

When writing an academic research, other people's work should be recognized and acknowledged. This will show professionalism of the work by being honest and trustworthy. Therefore, plagiarism, collusion, fabrication, recycling and other forms of cheating (Smith, 2008) compromise academic integrity.

Plagiarism is using someone's ideas either intentional or unintentional for your own benefit. Research that has used someone's work without recognizing the author is not original. Some students commit plagiarism due to poor or incorrect referencing (Gallant, 2008).

Collusion on the other hand, is presenting an individual work that has been done by unauthorized collaboration. Most of the students when given an individual research to do independently they commit collusion by doing it with other unauthorized people. Therefore, collusion is presenting work that has not been independently done (Smith, 2008).

There are other forms of cheating where an individual allows his work to be copied by someone else. A student allows the research that he/she did to be copied by another student and present it as the original work (Lathrop and Foss, 2005).

Fabrication is the representation of data and observation as original and genuine when it is not. This involves using other people's data without acknowledgement. This breeches academic integrity if other people's data and observation are used without recognizing and acknowledging them (Macfarlane,