Academic Integrity Research Guide

• What is academic integrity and why is it important to you and your colleagues?
• Why do people say cheating and plagiarism is increasing?
• Are there cultural differences in what is viewed as plagiarism?
• Is the problem generational, is technology to blame, is it the emphasis put on grades, or are teachers just too lax?
• Who is responsible in creating a culture of academic integrity at an institution?
• What does it matter if the only person hurt when I cheat is me and I'm willing to take the risk?

Explore the sample resources compiled below for answers to these and other questions about academic integrity. Many more resources are available at your Moraine Valley library.

Moraine Valley Code of Conduct and Other Examples of Academic Integrity Codes

• Code of Student Conduct at Moraine Valley Community College describes the qualities and behaviors expected of students.
• Code of Academic Integrity of Cornell University is an example of guidelines expected of students in Universities.
• Academic Integrity at Princeton provides definitions and examples of plagiarism from Princeton University. The page "Acknowledging Your Sources" describes the reasons acknowledging sources benefits your work. The site also offers guidelines for appropriate collaboration on assignments and projects. This is an excellent resource.

Books and Video Regarding Academic Integrity Subjects

• Mawdsley, Ralph D. Academic misconduct : cheating and plagiarism Topeka, Kans. : National Organization on Legal Problems of Education, 1994.
• Harris, Robert A. The Plagiarism Handbook : Strategies For Preventing, Detecting, And Dealing With Plagiarism Los Angeles, CA : Pyrczak Publishing, c2001
• Peloso, Jennifer, ed. Intellectual Property Bronx, N.Y. : H.W. Wilson Co., 2003
• Cheating Education subject search results in our library catalog.
• Plagiarism subject search results in our library catalog.

Articles Regarding Academic Integrity Subjects

Some articles require your library login name and password when accessing from off campus.  Remember to click on the full text link to read the article.

• "Survey reveals strong views on academic dishonesty issues" - this article in The Ring by Patty Pitts points out, "...academic misconduct devalues the educational experience and the university's degrees." And that students faculty and administration all have a role.
• "Honesty is a forgotten policy" - by Melanie Turner in The Modesto Bee, suggests that students in college today may believe cheating is appropriate.
• "What We are Learning About Academic Integrity" - thoughtful discussion between a university administrator and two professors on the challenges of maintaining academic integrity in the electronic age.
• "Truth or Consequences" - Barbara Moore a university counselor shares her experience in counseling students caught cheating and plagiarizing, to explore why we cheat.
• "Toward a Culture of Academic Integrity" - Donald McCabe and Drinana Patrick in Chronicle of Higher Education, discuss steps colleges and universities utilize to create a "culture of academic integrity."
• "Got Cheaters? Ask New Questions" - Dustin Goot in Wired News suggests that teachers should take more responsibility by creating assignments that are hard to plagiarize.
• "Is Honor Up for Grabs? Education Isn't About Surveillance" - Robert S. Boynton writes in a Washington Post article that, "An honor code is not a surveillance mechanism, but a tradition that demands and expects the kind of self-scrutiny that a true scholar practices."
• "Helping Students Avoid Plagiarism" - in this article by Stephen Wilhoit in College Teaching why students plagiarize and how teachers can help them avoid plagiarism is discussed.
• "Student Online Plagiarism: How Do We Respond?" - in this article in College Teaching, Patrick Scanlon, a communications professor reviews the quantitative studies of student plagiarism over the last forty years, methods used to combat cyber-plagiarism and "argues that faculty should act as educators, rather than as detectives."

• "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Plagiarism Buster!" - in this Newsweek article, a college professor gives his views on student papers and plagiarism.

Internet Resources Regarding Academic Integrity

• "A Statement on Plagiarism" - from Capital Community College, provides a definition of plagiarism and examples of proper and improper paraphrasing and citation.
• "Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It"  - from Writing Tutorial Services at Indiana University, describes what plagiarism is and how to write and cite to avoid plagiarism. It also discusses the proper use of internet sources such as pictures in your papers.
• "Plagiarism" - from Northern Lights College Provides definitions, examples and tips on avoiding plagiarism. It also gives some examples of the plagiarism by famous writers and their consequences.
• "Don't Do This" - quiz on Academic Integrity from University of Southern California quiz will test your academic integrity knowledge.
• Quiz 7: Authorship & Plagiarism - try this quiz from the Spring Hill College Library's Information Literacy Tutorial.
• Moraine Valley library's research guide to properly Citing Sources - provides links to several guides for MLA, APA, and other styles.  It also includes some bibliography composers that create your citation after you fill in the appropriate source information in the online forms.

Librarians and other Library staff will gladly assist you in using the many sources for literary criticism. Do not hesitate to ask them for assistance at any point in your search.

 This Research Guide was created on 07/26/04 by Lee Semmerling and updated 12/13/2005 .