Academic integrity of applicants: curriculum and examination of scientific papers in the context of counteraction to academic plagiarism

Abstract

As you know, the principles of academic culture and integrity in the current state of university education in Ukraine are often simply perceived as an abstract, but necessary for the European integration of education postulate. Codes of ethics and regulations on combating academic plagiarism are created on the basis of recommendations of the Ministry of Education and Science, regulate the activities of employees and students in the context of prevention and detection of falsifications, violations of academic integrity, including academic plagiarism. The establishment of the principles of academic culture and integrity in educational institutions is a necessary prerequisite for building a strong civic culture in society. Expert evaluation of scientific papers, including anti-plagiarism, in our opinion is an important prerequisite for the adequacy of complex scientific topics and objectifies the overall assessment of the quality of presentation of research results, including dissertations,monographs, manuals, articles and abstracts. The aim of the work was to improve measures to combat academic dishonesty and plagiarismbased on the analysis of current legislation, orders and regulations of Danylo Halytskyi Lviv National Medical University, creation and implementation of a new discipline for PhD students to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities. based on the topics of meaningful modules, created taking into account the experience of examination of scientific and educational works. In total for the three-year period (2018-2020) 5992 inspections were carried out and violations of academic integrity were confirmed in 611 works, which was the reason for their rejection. Algorithmic logical functional sequence of anti-plagiarism examination of dissertations and abstracts with analysis of the percentage of uniqueness of the text by the method of shingles with optimized settings was used to conduct the initial examination of dissertations to detect academic plagiarism. Deep search parameters and deep verification by Unichek, Plagiarism Detector Pro v. 1092”, etc. with further maternity check and establishment of the percentage of uniqueness of the text by the freely accessible program “AdvegoPlagiatus”. Based on the analysisof the causes, trends and spread of academic plagiarism in the university community for applicants and graduate students was created and implemented the discipline “Information support, academic integrity and research ethics” which is aimed at gaining analytical competencies, flexible skills “soft skills”. necessary during the planning and implementation of dissertation research and ensuring adequate communication in the scientific community. It consists of three content modules “Academic Integrity and Anti-Plagiarism”, “Scientific Ethics”, “Information Technology and Patent and Literary Support of Research Papers”. Lectures, seminars and topics of independent work are aimed at acquiring analytical competencies, flexible skills “soft skills” needed during the planning and implementation of dissertation research and ensuring adequate communication in the scientific community, the formation of graduate students’ theoretical knowledge and practical skills and skills in compliance with ethical and moral and legal principles in the planning and implementation of scientific research with human participation and with the use of laboratory animals, obtaining by graduate students and applicants knowledge of research activities and acquisition of skills of independent research, features of patent research and preparation of reporting documentation. Postgraduate students acquire knowledge of current legislation on academic integrity and anti-plagiarism; ethical aspects of scientist behavior and communication; research planning, organization and tactics strategies; liability for breach of academic integrity; basics of statistical conclusion, counteraction to conflicts of interest, elimination of risk factors and errors in ensuring academic integrity, which determines the social and professional mobility of research and teaching staff, promotes diversification of higher education, increasing the value of scientific knowledge and professional experience. Prospects for further research are to improve algorithms for detecting academic plagiarism and scientific falsifications, optimizing measures to prevent anddetect manifestations of academic dishonesty.