Academic Integrity Policies Research Articles

Systematic Review: Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants: Risk Factors, Outcomes, and Risk ReductionStrategies.

To review all literature on the nonmedical use (NMU) and diversion of prescription stimulants to better understand the characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of NMU and to review risk-reduction strategies. We systematically searched PubMed, PsycINFO, and SCOPUS from inception to May 2018 for studies containing empirical data about NMU and diversion of prescription stimulants. Additional references identified by the authors were also assessed for inclusion. A total of 111 studies met inclusion criteria. NMU and diversion of stimulants are highly prevalent; self-reported rates among population samples range from 2.1% to 58.7% and from 0.7% to 80.0%, respectively. A variety of terms are used to describe NMU, and most studies have examined college students. Although most NMU is oral, non-oral NMU also occurs. The majority of NMU is associated with no, or minor, medical effects; however, adverse medical outcomes, including death, occur in some individuals, particularly when administered by non-oral routes. Although academic and occupational performance enhancement are the most commonly cited motivations, there is little evidence that academic performance is improved by NMU in individuals without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. NMU of stimulants is a significant public health problem, especially in college students, but variations in the terms used to describe NMU and inconsistencies in the available data limit a better understanding of this problem. Further research is needed to develop methods to detect NMU, identify individuals at greatest risk, study routes of administration, and devise educational and other interventions to help reduce occurrence of NMU. Colleges should consider including NMU in academic integrity policies.

Rationality and Students’ Misconduct at University: Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications

We investigate the determinants of students’ misconduct at university. Using a sample of 310 surveyed students, we find that students are more likely to cheat when they have previous misconduct records, when they perceive academic integrity policy as being poorly enforced, and when they perceive that instructor tolerance toward misconduct incidents is high. Moreover, misconduct behavior tends to increase with students’ seniority and the perceived level of course difficulty. Surprisingly, students’ motivations toward reading, writing, and learning do not seem to have a valuable impact on the likelihood of their misconduct. Our findings have important policy implications that relate to the university culture of academic integrity, instructors’ tolerance vis-à-vis students’ misconduct behavior, and the effectiveness of punitive actions.

Academic Honesty, Linguistic Dishonesty: Analyzing the Readability and Translation of Academic Integrity and Honesty Policies at U.S. Postsecondary Institutions

A large body of research has indicated international students in the United States (U.S.) and abroad experience difficulties understanding what academic integrity is and how to avoid academic misconduct (Bista To Improve The Academy, 30(1), 159–172 2011; Brown & Howell, 2001; Gullifer and Tyson Studies in Higher Education, 39(7), 1202-1218 2014). While most studies focus on academic misconduct and academic corruption in research ethics (Macfarlane et al. Studies in Higher Education, 39(2), 339-358 2014), this study analyzes the length, English-language readability, and translation of academic integrity policies of 453 four-year U.S. institutions of higher education. Findings indicate average academic integrity policies are over 2000 words long, are written above the 16th-grade reading level, and are very rarely translated into a language other than English (0.06% of the sample). In addition, no institutions published their academic integrity policies in full on their institutional international student website, possibly rendering the policy difficult to locate on the institution’s website for international students. Implications for research, policy, and practice are addressed.

Academic integrity policies of Baltic state-financed universities in online public spaces

Academic integrity determines the trust that society has in the quality of education and the results of scientific research. More broadly, it influences honesty, respect for ethical principles, and the fair behaviour of society members. Accordingly, higher education institutions should have clear, transparent and well-communicated policies to defend academic integrity among all stakeholders. Taking into account the worldwide dependence on digital technologies, online communication channels should be also used for this purpose. Using qualitative content analysis, this paper aims to investigate how academic integrity is framed by Latvian and Lithuanian state-financed universities in online public spaces in relation to the criteria of an exemplary academic integrity policy. Given the limited content of publicly available university documents, the research findings indicated a poor correspondence to the mentioned criteria.

A Case Study in Updating Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures

AbstractThis chapter discusses how a change model was used to create an updated academic integrity plan. A detailed account provides valuable information for any community college wanting to effectively implement such a plan.

Punishment or Policy Change: A Case of Plagiarism in a Dissertation

This article examines a case of plagiarism in a dissertation, which was found after the doctoral degree had been awarded. Plagiarism detection is discussed in relation to the methodology, which included manual analysis, Google searches, and originality reports from Turnitin. Questions on the role of the dissertation committee, processes used to complete the dissertation, and consequences of plagiarism are addressed, as well as factors influencing a decision to report the case. Procedures for reporting plagiarism allegations and those the university used to investigate are included. Because this case illustrates that revoking a degree is not necessarily a sanction when plagiarism is proven, the article delves into legal issues surrounding policies for adjudicating allegations of academic misconduct and revoking degrees. Plagiarism prevention strategies are provided to illustrate the joint responsibility of a university, faculty, and students to prevent cases such as this one from ever happening. Universities are prompted to examine and uphold existing academic integrity and plagiarism policies and to develop appropriate policies for dealing with plagiarism if they do not exist.

Addressing student plagiarism from the library learning commons

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to conceptualize principled plagiarism education in library learning commons.Design/methodology/approachThe synthesis of literature from library and information science, writing studies, and study skills illuminates academic cultures of speech reporting, causes of undergraduate student cheating behaviors and blunders in source use and attribution, and recommended best teaching practices.FindingsLibrary learning commons are particularly well positioned to address student plagiarism as student-centric spaces with the potential to foster prosocial behaviors among students. Learning commons’ partner literatures reveal understandings of academic citation practices as multiple and fluid, tacit, ideological and skillful information literacies. Best practices for plagiarism education are developmental approaches aimed at socializing students into academic cultures of knowledge construction. These approaches to plagiarism education may preclude teaching academic integrity policy or participating in the enforcement of those codes of conduct.Research limitations/implicationsNo survey of programs or their effectiveness was done for this paper. The effectiveness of the approach conceptualized here merits further study.Originality/valueContributions to fostering academic integrity support student success and the integrity of degrees and institutional reputation more broadly. This paper provides a model for interdisciplinary learning commons’ research.

It takes all of us working towards Academic Integrity

The rise of plagiarism is often related to the shift from an analogue to a digital society. Due to the availability of information which makes it possible to discover quickly lots of information on specific subjects it is easy for learners to take information from another source. This fact shows that Academic Integrity is a challenge for those who are concerned with quality of education and research. Academic Integrity can be difficult to measure. There is also a risk that Academic Integrity is being taken for granted. The process of defining what Academic Integrity is and being both visible and practical in demonstrating its impact can do much to reconfirm its importance. There is work to be done and guidance needed. Examples and clear definitions with plans for execution are needed now.These examples and definitions are already present in the academic community. The challenge is to give this community the confidence to share their best practices with their peer institutions. For learners, the importance of Academic Integrity goes beyond a set of rules with which to understand black and white behaviour; Academic Integrity Policy is the rock which helps to understand what to do in grey situations. The temptation and ease with which learners can take short sighted decisions can be better combatted with a more thorough understanding of the long term impact for themselves, their academic work, career and society more widely.But how to start the conversation with learners about integrity and what do we say? How can we prepare learners for an academic life?

From Policies to Principles: The Effects of Campus Climate on Academic Integrity, a Mixed Methods Study

This mixed methods study examines how college students’ perceptions and experiences affect their understanding of academic integrity. Using qualitative and quantitative responses from the Personal and Social Responsibility Institutional Inventory (PSRI), both quantitative and qualitative results demonstrate that while campuses may see a reduction in overall levels of cheating when punitive academic integrity policies are present, students may develop higher levels of personal and academic integrity through the use of more holistic and community-focused practices.

Academic Doping: Institutional Policies Regarding Nonmedical use of Prescription Stimulants in U.S. Higher Education

Academic integrity policies at 200 institutions of higher education (IHE’s) were examined for the presence of academic prohibitions against the nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) or any other cognitive enhancing drug (CED). Researchers used online search tools to locate policy handbooks in a stratified random sample of IHE’s drawn from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) database, searching for NMUPS/CED use as violations of either academic integrity or alcohol and other drug (AOD) policies. Of 191 academic integrity policies found online, NMUPS/CED prohibitions were present in only one. However, NMUPS was addressed in all but two of the 200 IHE AOD policies, often with language referencing IHE adherence to federal or state law. NMUPS/CED prohibitions are predominantly absent in IHE academic integrity policies, raising questions about whether colleges and universities are concerned about the use of enhancement drugs as a form of cheating. Implications for fairness, health promotion, and future research are discussed.

Who’s Taking the Accounting Class? Leveraging Professional Skepticism While Teaching Accounting Online

The shortage of academically qualified accounting professors makes this a relevant time to increase the use of online tools for content delivery, assignment completion and assessment. Accounting students employed as teaching assistants (TA) can develop professional skills including skepticism, problem solving, analysis, organization and electronic documentation, while in academia. Certified Public Accountants (CPA) and educators are held accountable to high ethical standards through a code of conduct and academic integrity policies. This teaching case incorporates ethical decision making from an experience in an online virtual classroom where power differentials and analysis of student activity require research in a learning experience.

Honor Codes: Evidence Based Strategies for Improving Academic Integrity

Although there is evidence of cheating at all levels of education, institutions often do not implement or design integrity policies, such as honor codes, to prevent and adjudicate academic dishonesty. Further, faculty members rarely discuss academic integrity expectations or policies with their students. When cheating does occur, faculty members often ignore it or do not penalize students. In this article, we discuss the predictors of cheating and how honor codes can provide the structure needed to reduce both the perception and prevalence of cheating. We include a discussion of honor codes and their effectiveness. We provide evidence-based strategies to administrators and faculty to improve academic integrity across campus and in the classroom.

A study on academic integrity in dental education

The topic of academic integrity is an important public concern that has emerged in higher education. Recent surveys at U.S. and Canadian dental schools revealed that cheating and plagiarism were significant problems in dental schools. In addition, some schools stated that cheating had increased compared to a decade ago. Various institutional rituals have been implemented to enhance the academic integrity environment of U. S. and Canadian dental schools. Furthermore, the application of honor code which is dealing with ethical issues has been reported to improve the attitudes and behaviors of students. Since there have been no reported studies regarding ethics curricula in Korean dental schools, further studies should be needed to assess academic integrity policies, violations, and the results of the measures in Korean dental schools. Additionally, the challenge to provide professional ethics curricula for dental students must be conducted with respect and humanity for our students and thus, students will be more likely to respond positively to expectations in terms of ethical behaviors. Therefore, the outcome is clearly and undoubtedly link to better care for patients.

Community College Academic Integrity Lessons That Put Research into Practice

Academic integrity is an educational issue requiring an educational response from all stakeholders, including faculty, students, librarians, learning support staff, and administrators. This article posits that an educational response at Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) advances progress toward an integrated academic integrity strategy at the college. As a library professor at SCCC, I collaborated with an Australian university professor to encapsulate academic integrity research in creating ready-to-use classroom materials. Research studies documented that students want academic integrity instruction at the course and assignment level. Though this article focuses on academic integrity in the community college, research from the broader higher education sector informed the development and course-level implementation of these lessons. The concise lessons provide faculty activities to engage students about ethical decision-making, academic integrity practices, and academic integrity policies.

Student plagiarism in higher education in Vietnam: an empirical study

ABSTRACTThis paper assesses and compares the prevalence of plagiarism across different student and assignment characteristics at a university in Vietnam, using the similarity index reported by the text-matching software Turnitin as a proxy measure of plagiarism on a sample of 681 student papers. The findings present a level of match higher than reported in earlier studies at universities outside of Vietnam, with an average similarity index of 29.06%. Controlling for the gender and major of the students, the extent of plagiarism is implied to be negatively correlated with the students’ academic performances and with the likelihood of being caught, and positively correlated with the length of the assignments. Thus, this study, relying on actual text-matching data rather than self-reported surveys, provides the first empirical test of two theoretical plagiarism models proposed in the literature. The explanatory factors confirmed by this study illustrate the potential benefits of the use of software tools to detect plagiarism and can help refine academic integrity policy formulations for universities.

A theory of change for student-led academic integrity

Breaches in academic integrity are a pervasive and enduring international concern to the overall quality of higher education. Despite students being the group most affected by academic integrity policies, organisational culture is such that students tend to be passive recipients of change initiatives, rather than the drivers. To deliver a paradigm change, a theory of change framework was designed, implemented and applied to explore the viability of a student-led academic integrity society. To achieve this, a national research project involving three stages of data collection (surveys, interviews and focus groups) was conducted to obtain the perspectives of students and student representatives. The key outcome of the project has been the recent launch of an academic integrity student society, a novel initiative outside the United States of America. The theory of change framework presented here seeks to offer guidance to other institutions contemplating the viability of student-led change to academic integrity and the establishment of academic integrity student societies, in particular.

Paint me a picture: translating academic integrity policies and regulations into visual content for an online course

In 2012, and 2014 Libraries and Learning Services from the University of Auckland created two online courses to introduce students to the concept of academic integrity and its associated values and expectations. The challenge was to introduce the somewhat dry subject matter to a diverse group of students in an engaging way and to avoid large tracts of text that were difficult to comprehend. Initial research undertaken by the development team suggested that visually representing bodies of text was an effective way of communicating with the target audience. Dual coding theory, multimodal instructional design and cognitive load theories provided a framework for the learning design approach taken by the design team who ultimately selected Richard Mayer’s (2001) Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning as a basis for designing the two courses. This paper outlines how the two courses were designed in accordance principles outlined in Mayer’s theory and how the design team integrated seven of Mayer’s twelve principles to create dynamic, visual and aural elements such as animations, narrations and text to engage learners in a more meaningful learning process.

Leeds Beckett University’s Holistic, Institutional Approach to Academic Integrity

This opinion piece argues that universities need to take a more holistic institutional approach to academic integrity. It outlines how Leeds Beckett University has attempted to do this through the development of academic integrity policies and practice which aims to ensure fairness and consistency across our University.

Dental Student Academic Integrity in U.S. Dental Schools: Current Status and Recommendations for Enhancement

Cheating incidents in 2006-07 led U.S. dental schools to heighten their efforts to enhance the environment of academic integrity in their institutions. The aims of this study were to document the measures being used by U.S. dental schools to discourage student cheating, determine the current incidence of reported cheating, and make recommendations for enhancing a culture of integrity in dental education. In late 2014-early 2015, an online survey was distributed to academic deans of all 61 accredited U.S. dental schools that had four classes of dental students enrolled; 50 (82%) responded. Among measures used, 98% of respondents reported having policy statements regarding student academic integrity, 92% had an Honor Code, 96% provided student orientation to integrity policies, and most used proctoring of final exams (91%) and tests (93%). Regarding disciplinary processes, 27% reported their faculty members only rarely reported suspected cheating (though required in 76% of the schools), and 40% disseminated anonymous results of disciplinary hearings. A smaller number of schools (n=36) responded to the question about student cheating than to other questions; those results suggested that reported cheating had increased almost threefold since 1998. The authors recommend that schools add cheating case scenarios to professional ethics curricula; disseminate outcomes of cheating enforcement actions; have students sign a statement attesting to compliance with academic integrity policies at every testing activity; add curricular content on correct writing techniques to avoid plagiarism; require faculty to distribute retired test items; acquire examination-authoring software programs to enable faculty to generate new multiple-choice items and different versions of the same multiple-choice tests; avoid take-home exams when assessing independent student knowledge; and utilize student assessment methods directly relevant to clinical practice.

Teaching research integrity in higher education: policy and strategy

Recently published research suggested that university academics have qualitatively disparate views on some key aspects of teaching research integrity within the broader construct of academic integrity and surprisingly ambiguous views on others. In the light of this variation, we have reviewed the research and academic integrity policies of our institutions, and the relevant international literature, with respect to six areas of interest in order to understand how policy and strategy elements relate to, and may need to adapt to, the diversity of viewpoints that university colleagues may hold about them. We develop some generic recommendations that may help our institutions, and others, adapt to the diverse perspectives of academic colleagues about research and academic integrity and how it could be taught.