Academic Integrity: Causes, Effects, and Preventative Measures

Given their access to a wealth of resources to further their education, people in the academic world are held to a higher degree of ethics. Any kind of dishonesty in this group changes how the person represents the information they have presented and, more crucially, how they are seen as a person. Academic dishonesty may take many different forms, including plagiarism, collusion, falsification, misrepresentation, conspiracy, and cheating. However, plagiarism is the most well-known of them all. I’ll discuss the effects of academic dishonesty and how to prevent it in this essay. In this essay, I’ll talk about academic dishonesty, with a focus on plagiarism, along with its negative effects and prevention strategies.

Academic Integrity
In the academic world, credibility, accomplishment, and character are all closely related. Achievement requires both credibility and character, and both must be present at the same time. The basis for success will crumble in the absence of integrity and credibility. The ethics of academia require that all members of its community follow the laws and norms that are in place.

Any knowledge that someone has shared with others is invalidated by plagiarism. Plagiarism includes a number of unethical behaviors including stealing, cheating, and lying. It is one instance of academic dishonesty that has serious repercussions.

Academic dishonesty’s Effects
Academic dishonesty, in any of its manifestations, damages a person’s reputation and character, as was previously addressed. It restricts a person’s potential to succeed to the fullest extent possible. Plagiarism may result in a variety of frequent penalties, including as discipline, failing a course, and even suspension or expulsion from the school.

For instance, Dr. Rodney Smith, President of The University of The Bahamas (formerly The College of The Bahamas), was discovered to have plagiarized work in 2005. This caused the college enormous embarrassment and, more crucially, jeopardized its reputation as a reputable institution of higher education. Dr. Smith’s dishonesty and lack of integrity had a bad influence on the institution since he was the leader of it (Turnquest, 2014). Later, he was requested to step down from this position while the situation was investigated.

There have been instances when doctoral candidates’ dissertations were rejected because of claims of plagiarism. After years of study to get to where they are, everything of the empire they had constructed fell apart in a single instant. Some students’ graduation dates have been postponed. They could have missed out on career or scholarship possibilities as a result of this. (2017) Bailey

How to Prevent Academic Cheating
Academic fraud may be prevented by:

No Cheating: Unless specified differently, each task must be completed independently. This prohibits glancing at your neighbor’s homework or “googling” exam answers.
Citing your sources is the most critical and significant stage in academic writing. Giving acknowledgment to the source from which you obtained your knowledge is done by citing your sources. It disproves any accusations that you have ever used someone else’s work.
Make use of the writing centers’ Professionals working at a writing center are available, eager, and equipped to help you with your assignments. The may help you stay away from plagiarism and demonstrate how to correctly reference sources.
Paraphrasing, or using your own words to explain something that has previously been published, is one of the easiest methods to prevent plagiarism.
Utilize plagiarism detectors Many websites, including Scribbr, Plagscan, Grammarly, and TurnItIn, examine content for plagiarism. They will examine your work to make sure that you have not plagiarized.
References: In addition to crediting your sources, references help readers identify the books, journals, websites, etc. from where you obtained your knowledge.
Conclusion
Even the smallest act of academic dishonesty, whether deliberate or accidental, may have a significant negative effect. The fundamental ideals of honesty, fairness, and integrity must be at the heart of the academic experience. Since academic dishonesty reduces the value of your past, current, and future work, it is crucial to prevent it. Additionally, it tests your moral integrity and your capacity to do a job using just your own knowledge and abilities.

Academic dishonesty has a detrimental influence not only on the perpetrator but also on the institution they are enrolled in. It is crucial to avoid indulging in any sorts of academic dishonesty. Your reputation, credibility and prosperity all rely on your values. Academic institutions must keep faithful to their norms and ideals in order to sustain their reputation. This involves evicting anybody who goes against these beliefs. Truth and integrity take primacy in academics. It is better to fail honestly with your integrity intact than to win by violating the rules.