Academic Integrity: Home

The International Center for Academic Integrity defines academic integrity as a commitment to honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage. 

By embracing these fundamental values, instructors, students, staff, and administrators create effective scholarly communities where integrity is a touchstone. Without them, the work of teachers, learners, and researchers loses value and credibility. More than merely abstract principles, the fundamental values serve to inform and improve ethical decision-making capacities and behavior. They enable academic communities to translate ideals into action.

Scholarly communities flourish when community members “live” the fundamental values. To do this, these communities must invoke them, regularly inviting staff, students, faculty, and administrators to consider and discuss the role of ethical values and their ability to inform and improve various aspects of life on and off campus. When a society's institutions are infused with integrity, they create a stronger civic culture as a whole.

(From: The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International license)

1. Engage in academic research, not just a Google search. The goal of academic research is to explore various perspectives and gain knowledge about a topic rather than finding the 'correct' answer. Instead of using Google to search for your assignment question, consider using the NU Library to research the topics related to the assignment prompt. Academic integrity requires conducting academic research, not relying solely on Google, to explore and learn about a topic, and then sharing the acquired knowledge. Remember to use encyclopedias & dictionaries available in the library and online to research background information on your topic.

2. Select credible sources. When working on academic assignments, it's essential to choose sources and evidence that are more credible than what you might use in your everyday life. These sources should be verifiable, accurate, objective, and authoritative. To maintain academic integrity, it's essential to select and use sources from highly reputable authors supported by credible evidence.

3. Use evidence that matters. When you're making a point in your academic work, make sure to back it up with relevant, timely, and appropriate evidence from a credible source. This is a key part of maintaining academic integrity. Remember, using evidence that doesn't directly support your claims, is outdated, or provides biased or inaccurate information is not in line with academic integrity.

4. Cite evidence and sources. When including evidence from sources in your paper, make sure to integrate it properly and cite it accordingly. Academic integrity means giving credit to the original contributors of theories, ideas, or words and using their work as a basis for your own contributions to the discussion or topic.

5. Be original in your academic work. In academic writing, it's important to incorporate the ideas and research of others. But it's not enough to just restate their views. Academic integrity means integrating the information from others while also contributing your own original and scholarly insights and perspectives to the discussion. This is a key principle of academic integrity.

6. Avoid plagiarism. Direct cheating is clearly against academic integrity, but plagiarism can take various forms and doesn't always involve intentional cheating. Upholding academic integrity means being vigilant to prevent all types of plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional. While technology offers broader access to education, it also threatens academic integrity. Remember that the internet is filled with numerous sites that provide false or unverified search results, as well as sites that sell unoriginal work.

(Based on: What Is Academic Integrity, and How Can I Achieve It? by The University of Arizona)

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When you plagiarize, you present someone else’s work as your own, whether it's intentional or not. This includes using quotes, paraphrasing, summarizing, or copying material without giving credit to the original sources. If you plagiarize, you are not following proper referencing guidelines and are engaging in academic dishonesty.

Source: NEIU Libraries (2020) What is academic honesty?

NU students are expected to abide by the standards of intellectual integrity that govern the broader academic community.

The following recommendations are made for students (from the NU Student Code of Conduct, § 6. Responsibility of Students to Maintain Academic Conduct, p. 14):

1. be honest at all times;
2. act fairly toward others. Do not seek an unfair advantage over other students by cheating or otherwise;
3. take group as well as individual responsibility for honorable behavior. Collectively, as well as individually, make every effort to prevent and avoid academic misconduct, and report acts of misconduct that you witness;
4. unless permitted by the instructor, do not work with others on graded coursework, including in class and take-home tests, papers, or homework assignments. When an instructor specifically informs you that you may collaborate on work required for a course, the extent of the collaboration must not exceed the limits set by the instructor;
5. know what plagiarism is and take steps to avoid it. When using the words or ideas of another, even if paraphrased in your own words, you must cite your source. Students who are confused about whether a particular act constitutes plagiarism should consult the instructor who gave the assignment;
6. know the rules – ignorance is no defense. Those who violate campus rules regarding academic misconduct are subject to disciplinary sanctions, including dismissal.