Academic Integrity Tips and Resources Top tips for maintaining academic integrity (and avoiding misconduct) 1. Start early. Give yourself plenty of time to clarify expectations, research and write (citing all sources properly), and get help, if needed. The longer you wait, the fewer options will be available to you for getting help. 2. Read the instructions carefully. Whether it’s an exam or an assignment, always take the time to read over the instructions and make sure you know what is expected of you. For example, if an exam is open book, make sure you know what resources are permitted. If an assignment is to be done as a group, make sure you understand expectations about how the work is to be divided between group members. 3. Communicate with your instructor (early and often!) If you have questions about an assignment or an exam, ask your instructor as soon as possible. If you have personal circumstances that will make it difficult or impossible for you to submit an assignment on time, or attend an exam, send your instructor a polite, professional email as soon as possible that explains your situation. 4. Carefully note all your sources of information. While researching, it’s best to cite your sources as you go. Even if you aren’t quite sure exactly how to format the citations for your assignment, write down enough information that you know 1) that the words or ideas in your notes are someone else’s, and 2) where to find this source again. For example, you can highlight the information and create a comment with the reference information for that source. You should do this with both paraphrase and quotation. To paraphrase, write down the most important points in your own words. If you do copy and paste any information into a document, leave it formatted differently, so that you remember those aren’t your own words. Either way, note that these words or ideas come from someone else and where to find them. When it’s time to put the assignment together and format everything properly, it will be much easier to put together your reference page and ensure that your in-text citations are accurate. 5. Seek support. Perhaps you’ve already talked to your instructor and you feel as though you understand the assignment, but you aren’t confident in your writing or language skills, or you’re not sure where to find sources or how to reference them correctly. You have several options available to you. For example, you can go to the Writing Centre, the Library, or Tutorial and Academic Coaching services for help. 6. Support others. At NorQuest, we support each other—but that doesn’t mean letting someone copy your assignment or telling them what’s going to be on the test. Supporting classmates with their studies can be okay, but doing work for classmates is never okay (remember the cartwheel example!). Supporting friends and classmates might mean saying no when they ask to collaborate on an individual assignment, and instead suggesting that they go to the tutorial centre for help. It may also require reporting a classmate’s academic misconduct to make sure that the assessment is fair for everyone. Again, if you are unsure about what support is appropriate, contact your instructor.
Academic Integrity Tips and Resources Helpful Links Assignment Calculator This calculator is designed to break down steps to completing writing assignments, and provides guidance on the time required to take these steps. To use the calculator, enter the due date of one of your assignments and the date you predict you will begin to work on the assignment. NorQuest College Library The Library has many helpful resources. Through the Library website, you can chat with a librarian, access tutorials on various topics (including APA citation), and of course, look up the articles and books you need to complete assignments. NorQuest Policy Documents All of NorQuest’s policies are available online, including the Student Judicial Affairs Policy and the Academic Misconduct Procedure. Plagiarism Resource Indiana University has put together a comprehensive online tutorial to help students recognize and avoid plagiarism in their own writing. This free resource includes videos, examples, and opportunities for practice. The Centre for Growth and Harmony The Centre for Growth and Harmony helps people with problems that aren't specifically related to their classes. For example, you could go here for help if you are new to Canada, you're feeling lonely or anxious, you don't have enough money for food, or you're struggling to find childcare. The Writing Centre NorQuest students have online access to writing tutors and librarians who can help you with things like clarifying your ideas, researching your topic, fixing grammatical errors, using proper citation, and becoming a stronger, more confident writer. Tutorial and Academic Coaching Services NorQuest students can access free tutoring and academic coaching services online, without an appointment! This is a great place to go for help when you don’t understand a concept or you’re looking to generally improve your academic skills.
Academic Integrity Tips and Resources Self-Assessment You can go through either or both of these self-assessment exercises before submitting a written assignment. This can help you verify that you are using other people’s work correctly. Colour-coding Go through your assignment and use different colours to highlight • your own words • quotations • paraphrasing and summary of other people's work Is it easy to tell which words and ideas are yours and which words and ideas came from other sources? How much of your assignment is quoted directly from other sources? If you have more than a few quotes, you might want to think about paraphrasing some of them. How much of your assignment is made up of your own words and ideas? Is your voice coming through? Or are you just repeating what other people have said without commenting on those words and ideas or using them to support your own argument? Checklist For each quotation in your assignment, did you… Start with an argument in mind and choose a quote to support it? Introduce the quote or comment on the quote using your own words? Put the quoted phrase inside quotation marks? Include the author(s), year, and page number in parentheses? Include the full reference information in your list of references at the end of your assignment? For each paraphrase or summary in your assignment, did you… Start with an argument in mind and choose sources to support it? Make it clear which ideas belong to which source? Include the author(s) and year in parentheses? Include the full reference information in your list of references at the end of your assignment?