Do you know that as per research conducted by Dr. Donald McCabe, about 95 percent of students cheat in their academics? This calls for effective measures that need to be taken by the teachers to deal with these cheaters.
The Internet is the culprit behind the increased academic dishonesty. Nowadays students have access to unlimited information. So, they can freely use it to serve any purpose they want. The sad part is that the educators are not even surprised by this fact.
Although to value those loyal 5 percent of students who do not cheat in their assessments, teachers now use online plagiarism-checking software. Finally!
This software is extremely helpful, but, it is prone to committing mistakes. And, due to these mistakes, innocent students can be charged as guilty of cheating accidentally.
To make your paper plagiarism-free and maintain your academic integrity, we have put together some expert bits of advice. Read below to get acquainted and become the apple of your teacher’s eyes.
Wait A Minute, What Is Academic Integrity?
While academic integrity must be addressed in honor codes, it is vital to recognize its meaning and support it at all levels, from crystal clear instruction to formative feedback to final results. The term “academic integrity” in sum refers to the ethical policy or the moral code of academia.
It is a commitment to responsibility, fairness, honesty, courage, respect, and trust. So, you see, it is more than a simple policy to stick up for your institution. Academic integrity is a code of conduct to be enacted throughout a peer’s learning experience in the institution with a life-long dedication to learning.
Now that you are well aware of what the term means, it is high time to acknowledge the tips to maintain good academic standards.
6 Tips To Maintain Your Academic Integrity
Understand Plagiarism:
Now that you have understood what academic integrity means, the first step is to maintain it by addressing the most common issue i.e. “Plagiarism”. It is an act of taking liberties with another person’s ideas, words, data, images, or any other work without their consent, or proper attribution. It can be intentional (sharing your work with your friend) as well as unintentional (using other’s work without giving any due credit). But it is always a serious abuse of academic integrity.
To understand plagiarism more effectively, you have to recognize what constitutes it, and its forms. Only then you will be able to steer clear of this nuisance. Below we have compiled a list of some of its specific forms that you must avoid at all costs.
- Submitting someone’s work under your name.
- Copying words and ideas from a source so much that it constitutes most of your work.
- Duplicate someone else’s ideas without giving them due credit.
- Not putting up quotation marks in a quotation.
- Providing false information about the source of any quotation.
- Paraphrasing words but keeping the essence of the sentence without giving credit.
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Take Good Notes:
If you take notes improperly, accidental plagiarism can result as a consequence. It is easy to forget where the notes came from, whether you had copied the exact words, paraphrased them, or written your own interpretation. If the source of the information is not indicated clearly in your notes, then you might overlook common knowledge, direct quotes, or even paraphrases when you utilize your notes to write your paper. Any of these slip-ups will end up making your paper have unintentional plagiarism. We have gathered some tips below to help you take good notes.
- Put Source Information In Your Notes: We advise you to place source information on the reverse side of a note card to help you remember it later.
- Put Quotation Marks Around Direct Quotes: If you copy word-to-word from the source, then it is better to use quotation marks or highlighters on those quotes. By doing so, you will easily identify them when you work on your paper.
- It Is Better To Copy Sources Original Words: It is best to jot down your source’s exact words in your notes. So, when you are doing your paper, you can paraphrase them easily. In this manner, you will eliminate the chances of plagiarizing accidentally.
Cite Accurately:
Citation styles are the formats and the rules for referencing your sources in your assignment. These styles might differ as per your institution, discipline, or journal. You have to follow the exact citation style that is relevant to your research. The key is to be accurate and consistent with your referencing style throughout your paper. You might need to utilize endnotes, footnotes, quotation marks, or any other methods to point to when you are borrowing or directly quoting from any source.
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Seek Feedback:
You must take advice and feedback from your professors if you want to improve your research skills and avoid errors or misconduct. By doing so, you will become aware of your weaknesses as well as strengths. You can seek feedback from your reviewers, supervisors, mentors, and peers on your methods, writing, design, and even analytics. To achieve maximum benefits, you have to be open to constructive criticism, revise your work, and acknowledge your mistakes openly.
Respect Copyright:
A copyright is a legitimate right that affords protection to the authentic work of publishers, authors, or even creators from any reproduction or unauthorized use. Copyright can be applied to both unpublished as well as published works, such as software, articles, music, books, videos, or images.
You must respect the copyright while you research and seek a license or permission if you want to adapt or use someone else’s work. Moreover, you also need to avoid violating or infringing copyright.
Expand Your Knowledge:
Getting an education is a part of developing your knowledge and learning relevant skills in your field of study. It is the key to maintaining your academic integrity because it allows you to conduct research with confidence and competence.
You have to educate yourself on the practices as well as principles of academic integrity. Stay updated on the latest developments and trends in your discipline. Participate in courses, trainings, seminars, or workshops related to academic integrity. And, never stop seeking guidance from experts whenever you are in doubt.
Wrapping It All Up:
The best way to maintain academic integrity is to understand plagiarism. By following the above-given tips, we are sure that you will keep your distance from this problematic element. And, as a consequence, you will maintain your academic integrity efficiently. To make things easier for you to process, here is a quick recap for you:
- Avoid plagiarism at all costs, whether intentional or unintentional.
- Take proper notes and use accurate citation styles.
- Seek constructive criticism and respect the copyright.
- And whatever you do, just don’t ever stop expanding your knowledge.
