16th September, 2022
What is academic integrity, and how can I avoid academic dishonesty?
Forget gold, platinum, or rare earth minerals. The most occasional resource in the world is integrity. Academic integrity is no different from any other work, as it implies an absolute degree of truthful and transparent conduct.
People cheat because cheating works, and you can use it to get ahead in life. However, over time, academia suffers as a whole as the standards drop and every degree or paper starts coming with an asterisk.
Believe me when I say that you will not want people to start taking your credentials with a pinch of salt.
So, how can you avoid integrity issues while attending any part of academic life?
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the capital sin of academia. Plagiarism represents taking other people’s ideas, without mentioning that they are not your own.
And the tragedy of plagiarism is that it is rather easy to avoid. There used to be this common piece of wisdom: if you steal from one person, you are a plagiarist. But if you steal from everyone, you are just doing research.
And that is the whole point. For example, let’s say that you have to write a paper on birds from the Amazon rainforest. Your teachers aren’t under the illusion that you will personally go to study those birds.
It is assumed that you will use other people’s work, and that is not plagiarism. Students’ integrity will come into question only when you copy paste entire sections of text without using quotation marks or crediting your source.
Every teacher since we were little kept telling us: “say it in your own words.” It may seem trivial, but it is not. You have to read a text, “chew” it around inside your head and then describe it again. You cannot go through this process without understanding it first. You can’t explain something without understanding.
Nowadays we have software that automatically checks for plagiarism, and I guarantee that it won’t detect yours if you put things in your own words.
Buying papers
Essay writing websites have become a popular industry among students. As their name suggests, they are online platforms where you can buy essays and all other types of academic papers.
Many students choose to buy papers and turn them in as being theirs. This behavior is unethical, given that the student in question is not contributing any intellectual work.
Yet, many do choose to buy papers, given the increased traffic and interest regarding these sites.
So, if you were to go to Mercurynews and try to find a good essay site, would that be unethical?
The answer depends on how you intend to use the work. There is nothing wrong with buying paper. The problems stem when you attempt to pass them as being written by you.
Still, you can order an essay, and use it as an example. Your teachers do not care which source you use, as long as the information is correct and you avoid plagiarism.
Some people have never written an academic paper. These people can go to an essay site, and use that work as an example and a guideline. They look not only at the information but the general layout of the article and the structure of the arguments.
Cheating during tests
In a way, cheating is live plagiarism. You are attempting to copy the work of another person, without going through the trouble of memorizing and understanding for yourself. More modern methods of cheating involve wireless Bluetooth headsets or simply using your phone to cheat.
This is usually heavily punished with an automatic failing grade. Sometimes, it is better to simply get a bad grade, than ruin your reputation in the eyes of your teachers.
Being the person aiding the cheating
It takes two to tango, but it also takes two to cheat. It can be very hard to cheat on a test without the approval of the person from whom you are copying answers. Sure, one can argue that the greater blame stands with the person copying, but many teachers will punish both people.
The person with the answers is most likely trying to help a colleague, but that view is short-sighted. Bad behavior seldom changes on its own. Usually, the way it works, is that we do something bad, and then correct ourselves to avoid the resulting pain or negative consequences.
As a result, by helping someone cheat off your paper, you are not helping them. You are just aiding and encouraging unhealthy and bad behavior. Not studying for tests is bad for the student, and his/her future customers, patients, or business partners. That degree has to mean something.
Identity fraud
If you want to avoid academic dishonesty, stay away from identity fraud. In a normal classroom, the teacher knows you by sight, especially if you are usually talkative.
However, not all tests are like that. For example, national testing in many countries is held in different buildings with students from all across town. Online tests are also easy to confuse.
Many students hire others to take tests for them in exchange for money, especially if the test is online and requires no webcam feed. However, if you get caught, your academic credentials will be ruined.
Listen carefully
This wasn’t the case every time, but nowadays, almost every test spends the first 10 minutes explaining the rules carefully and clearly. If it is an important test, the proctors will take you through every step of the way, every requirement, even specifying the type of pen or pencil that they expect.
Not all situations that compromise student integrity are intentional. If you do not pay attention, it is possible to break rules unknowingly.
Conclusion
Moralism never works on young people. Explaining integrity issues as a breach of trust and academic standards will not do much, especially when it can save them from failing grades.
Instead, we can look at the simple pragmatism of the situation. If you cheat and get caught, your credibility will be forever compromised. From that moment on, every paper that you put forward will be under question.
Politicians all over the world were smeared in the media because someone discovered that they plagiarized their papers or speeches.
The risk is too high for such a short-term gain. It is better to get a bad grade and come back better-prepared afterward.
