Design and the Built Environment Doctoral Program Guide: Academic Integrity

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Haney, Jamie Lynn. “Academic Integrity at the Graduate Degree Level: Graduate Student Perspectives on Academic Integrity and Institutional Policies.” ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2022.

Academic integrity research has focused heavily on undergraduate students and indicates that students around the globe are unsure about the concept of academic integrity and the dishonest behaviors that can lead to penalization (Gullifer & Tyson, 2014; Ramzan et al., 2012). The limited literature focused on graduate students indicates they desire additional training on academic integrity to understand and meet institutional expectations (Asim et al., 2015; Atkinson et al., 2016; Bretag et al., 2014; Di Pierro, 2011; East & Donnelly, 2012; Leonard et al., 2015; Thompson et al., 2017). This qualitative phenomenological study examined graduate student perspectives of academic integrity at two large public R-1 institutions in the Midwestern U.S. The study focused on 15 master’s and doctoral level participants that were interviewed via Zoom during Spring and Summer 2022. The study was framed by Kohlberg’s (1973) theory of moral development, Perry’s (1998) theory of intellectual and moral development, and Manning’s (2018) organizational development theory. Results of the study were categorized into six themes: perceptions of academic dishonesty, perceptions of academically dishonest students, perceptions of fairness, perceptions of cultural differences, preparedness to meet expectations, and strategies to prevent academic dishonesty. Specifically, the data illustrated that graduate students typically have a strong understanding of the concept of academic integrity and institutional expectations but would prefer additional guidance and reminders for clarity. Institutions should review academic integrity policies and modify or create interactive methods to educate graduate students on academic integrity. Additionally, institutions should consider employing additional staff to work with students, faculty, and other staff specifically on academic integrity and encourage a culture of ethical academic behaviors.

Cutri, Jennifer, Amar Freya, Yeni Karlina, Sweta Vijaykumar Patel, Mehdi Moharami, Shaoru Zeng, Elham Manzari, and Lynette Pretorius. “Academic Integrity at Doctoral Level : The Influence of the Imposter Phenomenon and Cultural Differences on Academic Writing.” International Journal for Educational Integrity 17, no. 1 (2021): 8–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-021-00074-w.

This conceptual review seeks to reframe the view of academic integrity as something to be enforced to an academic skill that needs to be developed. The authors highlight how practices within academia create an environment where feelings of inadequacy thrive, leading to behaviours of unintentional academic misconduct. Importantly, this review includes practical suggestions to help educators and higher education institutions support doctoral students' academic integrity skills. In particular, the authors highlight the importance of explicit academic integrity instruction, support for the development of academic literacy skills, and changes in supervisory practices that encourage student and supervisor reflexivity. Therefore, this review argues that, through the use of these practical strategies, academia can become a space where a culture of academic integrity can flourish. [Author abstract]