What is academic integrity?

Academic integrity includes EXPECTATIONS that you MUST follow in your writing. But academic integrity can also be thought of as a MINDSET.

What do we mean by MINDSET?

Academic integrity means that you understand your learning in the broader context of human knowledge.

One way to do that is to give credit to the ideas and words of another, showing respect for the work of all those who have contributed to the field in which you study.

Employing academic integrity also means that you increase the credibility of your own work.

So, what are the EXPECTATIONS?

To complete your work with academic integrity means to give credit to the words and ideas of the authors you study.

You do this when you CITE the author of an article or book that you have read for your paper, discussion post, or other assignment.

Of course, you may also cite a video in which someone is interviewed, a presentation such as this, or any other intellectually derived work.

You give credit for direct quotations, the ideas of others that you use to build an argument, or parts of a work that you PARAPHRASE.

To PARAPHRASE is to restate a written passage in your own words.

You note the source in your writing, and list the source on a reference page, in a format using a set of consistent rules known as a STYLE.

Different universities, fields, or disciplines use different styles.

You may have heard of these styles...

• APA
• MLA
• Harvard
• Chicago

Because you are studying in the social sciences, your program uses American Psychological Association (APA) style.

Think of it this way: The STYLE is HOW you give credit.

Your program has the tools you need to learn the HOW of APA style.

But, keep in mind that expectations about HOW you give credit may also vary depending on the level of the course.

A first-term course may only require that you acknowledge your sources in a more informal way...

... While an upper-level course may require that you employ APA style with a high degree of accuracy.

To explore APA style further, look to the following areas:

• The writing center
• The library
• Course materials

Remember, the most important thing is to give credit for the ideas and work of others. That's the MINDSET of academic integrity.