Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines academic integrity as “the moral code or ethical policy of academia”. Academic integrity means more than just avoiding academic dishonesty, things like plagiarism, cheating, or copyright infringement etc. According to International Center for Academic integrity (ICAI), “academic integrity is a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage.”
Academic integrity is also defined as “the ethical use of information, thoughts and ideas from which we build original thought to contribute to the academic conversation”. The process of someone accessing peer-reviewed scholarly sources through academic research and sharing what has been learned about a topic in a paper, using their own words, is one example of academic integrity.
Whenever using information from any sources as part of a research paper, it is each researcher’s responsibility to properly cite the works that have been used and to ensure that such use falls within the current guidelines of fair use. The purpose of the fair use exception is to allow the public to use copyrighted works, under certain circumstances, without having to pay royalties or obtain permission.
Fair use supports the limited use of scholarly works if the amount of the work used is reasonable and intended for non-commercial educational use. Generally, the lesser the amount used the more likely it is to be considered fair use. Once again, it is critically important for any researcher to cite their sources whenever using or referencing any materials that are not their own.
Copyright infringement, according to Wikipedia, “is the unauthorized use of copyrighted material in a manner that violates one of the copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works that build upon it.” Therefore, copyright infringement is defined as an unlawful use of someone’s idea or creative work from across a variety of media including, but not limited to, visual art, photography, music and creative works of literature (fiction and nonfiction) without obtaining the original creator’s consensus or permission. Penalties for copyright infringement may include both civil as well as criminal punishment.
Plagiarism, according to Wikipedia, “is the use of another’s language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions" and the representation of them as one's own original work.” Plagiarism simply means using someone else’s work without giving appropriate attribution to the creator. Plagiarism is a violation of academic norms and can negatively affect a student’s record regarding academic integrity.