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Academic integrity

Academic integrity is described as a moral code or ethical policy of academia that supports educational values through behaviours such as avoiding cheating, plagiarism and contract cheating[1]. It is also described as covering the maintenance of academic standards and honesty and rigour in research and academic publishing[2].

Key points

  • Academic integrity is described as practised in the majority of educational institutions[3].
  • An honour pledge signed by students before an assignment is described as something that can help increase academic integrity[4].
  • Improvements in information technology are described as creating challenges for academic integrity, especially increased plagiarism and the use of poor-quality sources found on the internet[5].
  • There is currently no consensus about whether generative AI is responsible for a decrease in academic integrity[6].
  • A systematic review describes student motivations for inappropriate AI use as stemming from structural vulnerabilities such as time pressures, ethical ambiguity and institutional policy voids rather than malicious intent[7].

How universities put it into practice

Academic integrity is noted in mission statements and policies[3]. It is also noted in procedures and honour codes[4]. It is also described as being taught in ethics classes and noted in syllabi[4].

Many universities have sections on their websites that define what the term means to that institution[4]. Some universities are described as having moved toward an inclusive approach to inspiring academic integrity by creating Student Honor Councils[8].

Technology and generative AI

Technology is described as having increased opportunities for collaborative writing, which raises issues of proper attribution of authorship[9].

The popularisation of generative AI apps in education is described as prompting global reconsideration of policies and procedures on plagiarism and other breaches of academic integrity[10]. Some scholars claim that generative AI exacerbates academic misconduct[11]. Others argue that using such tools does not automatically constitute a breach of academic integrity[12].

What studies of students report

In one study, 60 Saudi EFL students wrote a timed essay in a computer lab where ChatGPT was allowed[13]. They spent about one third of the writing time using it, mainly for editing and brainstorming, and about one-fifth relied heavily on AI text[13]. Higher copying was linked to weaker integrity beliefs, while more revision and clearer policy awareness were linked to stronger ethical views[13].

In interviews with 30 Health Informatics students in Saudi Arabia, participants described concerns about plagiarism, lack of source transparency and unclear institutional policies[14]. These findings reflect perceptions and self-reported experiences rather than objectively measured outcomes[14].

One review describes the central concern as patterns of cognitive delegation, emotional reliance and reduced self-regulation, which may be associated with academic-integrity risks[15].

Limits and criticisms

In the 1990s, academic dishonesty rates were described as being as bad as, and in some cases worse than, they were in the 1960s[16]. Critics note that teaching and learning are interrupted when faculty, trying to control plagiarism, engage with students as detectives rather than as teachers, advisors or mentors[16]. The focus on controlling plagiarism is also critiqued as unnecessarily legalistic[16].

A systematic review concludes that effective AI integration requires moving beyond detection-focused approaches toward comprehensive pedagogical redesign[7]. A bibliometric and scoping review of quality assurance in generative-AI-mediated education reports that academic integrity shows limited development in that literature[17].

Source-checked: 2026-10-11

Sources

  1. B Lancaster, Thomas (2019). "The emergence of academic ghost writers from India in the international contract cheating industry" . International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management . 18 (3) 99281: 349. doi : 10.1504/IJICBM.2019.099281 . ISSN 1753-0806 . inderscience.com; Clarke, R., & Lancaster, T. (2006). Eliminating the successor to plagiarism: Identifying the usage of contract cheating sites . Paper presented at the Second International Plagiarism Conference, The Sage Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, United Kingdom.; Eaton, S. E. (2018). Contract cheating: A Canadian perspective. Retrieved from http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/bmcblog/2018/07/24/contract-cheating-a-canadian-perspective/ blogs.biomedcentral.com (via Wikipedia: Academic integrity)
  2. C Alison Kirk (1996-11-30), Learning and the marketplace , SIU Press, ISBN 9780809320929 books.google.com (via Wikipedia: Academic integrity)
  3. B Bretag, Tracey; Mahmud, Saadia; Wallace, Margaret; Walker, Ruth; James, Colin; Green, Margaret; East, Julianne; McGowan, Ursula; Patridge, Lee (2011-12-12). "Core elements of exemplary academic integrity policy in Australian higher education" . International Journal for Educational Integrity . 7 (2). doi : 10.21913/IJEI.v7i2.759 . hdl : 1959.13/1064305 . ISSN 1833-2595 . ojs.unisa.edu.au; Eaton, Sarah Elaine (2017). "Comparative Analysis of Institutional Policy Definitions of Plagiarism: A Pan-Canadian University Study" . Interchange . 48 (3): 271– 281. doi : 10.1007/s10780-017-9300-7 . hdl : 1880/106472 . ISSN 0826-4805 . S2CID 254570492 . link.springer.com; Glendinning, I. (2013). Comparison of policies for Academic Integrity in Higher Education across the European Union . Retrieved from http://ketlib.lib.unipi.gr/xmlui/bitstream/handle/ket/814/Comparison%20of%20policies%20for%20Academic%20Integrity%20in%20Higher%20Education%20across%20the%20European%20Union.pdf?sequence=2 ketlib.lib.unipi.gr (via Wikipedia: Academic integrity)
  4. B Tatum, Holly; Schwartz, Beth M. (2017-04-03). "Honor Codes: Evidence Based Strategies for Improving Academic Integrity". Theory into Practice . 56 (2): 129– 135. doi : 10.1080/00405841.2017.1308175 . ISSN 0040-5841 . S2CID 152268649 . doi.org (via Wikipedia: Academic integrity)
  5. C "The Netherlands Code of Conduct for Academic Practice" (PDF) . Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU). 2014. vsnu.nl (via Wikipedia: Academic integrity)
  6. C Generative AI in Higher Education Teaching & Learning: Policy Framework (PDF) (Report). Higher Education Authority. December 2025 . Retrieved 10 May 2026 . hea.ie (via Wikipedia: Academic integrity)
  7. A Abdellatif MS, Alshehri MA, Lamouchi A, Rahmath M, Nemt-Allah MA. Reimagining writing assessment for the AI era: a systematic review on balancing AI support and authentic skill growth. Front Psychol. 2026. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1809174
  8. B Pavela, Gary (Summer 1997), "Applying the Power of Association on Campus: A Model Code of Academic Integrity", Journal of College and University Law (PDF), 24 (1). (via Wikipedia: Academic integrity)
  9. C Tricia Gallant, "Twenty-First Century Forces Shaping Academic Integrity", Academic Integrity in the Twenty-First Century , pp. 65– 78 (via Wikipedia: Academic integrity)
  10. B Kumar, Rahul; Eaton, Sarah Elaine; Mindzak, Michael; Morrison, Ryan (2024). "Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence: An Overview" . Second Handbook of Academic Integrity . Springer International Handbooks of Education. pp. 1583– 1596. doi : 10.1007/978-3-031-54144-5_153 . ISBN 978-3-031-54143-8 . doi.org; Newton, Philip M. (2024). "Guidelines for Creating Online MCQ-Based Exams to Evaluate Higher Order Learning and Reduce Academic Misconduct" . Second Handbook of Academic Integrity . Springer International Handbooks of Education. pp. 269– 285. doi : 10.1007/978-3-031-54144-5_93 . ISBN 978-3-031-54143-8 . doi.org; Perkins, Mike; Roe, Jasper (2024). "Decoding Academic Integrity Policies: A Corpus Linguistics Investigation of AI and Other Technological Threats" . Higher Education Policy . 37 (3): 633– 653. doi : 10.1057/s41307-023-00323-2 . doi.org (via Wikipedia: Academic integrity)
  11. C Abd-Elaal, E.-S., Gamage, S. H. P. W., & Mills, J. E. (2019). Artificial intelligence is a tool for cheating academic integrity AAEE 2019 Annual Conference, https://aaee.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AAEE2019_Annual_Conference_paper_180.pdf aaee.net.au; Young, J. R. (2020, February 12). Are algorithmically generated term papers the next big challenge to academic integrity? EdSurge . https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-02-12-are-algorithmically-generated-term-papers-the-next-big-challenge-to-academic-integrity edsurge.com (via Wikipedia: Academic integrity)
  12. B Eaton, Sarah Elaine (2023). "The Academic Integrity Technological Arms Race and its Impact on Learning, Teaching, and Assessment" . Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology . 48 (2). doi : 10.21432/cjlt28388 . doi.org; Lancaster, T. (2022, September 9). Adapting to artificial intelligence: The future of academic integrity European Network for Academic Integrity (ENAI), https://www.slideshare.net/ThomasLancaster/adapting-to-artificial-intelligence-the-future-of-academic-integrity-european-network-for-academic-integrity slideshare.net (via Wikipedia: Academic integrity)
  13. B Alsadoon R. Perceptions vs. practices: academic integrity and actual ChatGPT use among EFL students. Front Psychol. 2026. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1796737
  14. B Alhur AA, Al-Kahtani NK. Generative Artificial Intelligence in Health Informatics Education: A Qualitative Exploration of Student Engagement, Perceived Educational Implications, and Ethical Considerations. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2026. doi:10.2147/amep.s631797
  15. A He X, Li S, Cha R, Wang L, Shen Y, Wu R, et al.. Artificial intelligence dependency in college students: a critical narrative review. Front Psychol. 2026. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1808268
  16. B "Moral Panic: The Contemporary Context of Academic Integrity", ASHE Higher Education Report (PDF), 33 (5): 1– 143, 2008, doi : 10.1002/aehe.3305 . doi.org (via Wikipedia: Academic integrity)
  17. A López-Acosta DY, Pacheco-Mendoza SR, Alvarado-Jaramillo DJ, Zurita-Flores PR. Quality assurance in generative AI-mediated education: a bibliometric and scoping review. Front Artif Intell. 2026. doi:10.3389/frai.2026.1844517