Academic integrity is the cornerstone of credible scholarship and institutional trust. It represents a commitment to ethical academic conduct—honesty, responsibility, fairness, and respect in learning, teaching, and research. This category defines key terms used by educators, policy makers, and student conduct officers to promote accountability and ensure fair evaluation of academic work.
As education shifts toward online delivery, AI integration, and global classrooms, academic integrity policies have become more complex and critical. Institutions must not only detect violations but also foster a culture of integrity through proactive education, transparent processes, and technology-enabled safeguards.
Mastering this terminology supports the development of robust academic policies, clear communication with students, and compliance with accreditation and quality standards.
Using someone else’s words, ideas, or research without proper attribution, presenting them as original work.
Gaining unfair academic advantage through dishonest means during assignments, assessments, or evaluations.
A set of institutional principles or agreements that define acceptable academic behavior and uphold ethical standards.
Any act that violates academic integrity guidelines, including plagiarism, falsification, contract cheating, or collusion.
A digital plagiarism detection tool widely used to compare student submissions against databases of academic content.
An assessment monitored in-person or online to prevent dishonest practices and uphold exam integrity
The emergence of generative AI, contract cheating services, and remote learning platforms has prompted institutions to rethink traditional integrity frameworks. Rather than relying solely on punishment, modern strategies include academic integrity training, honor pledges, and technological safeguards like plagiarism checkers and AI detectors.
Institutions are embedding integrity education into onboarding, curriculum, and advising to create a culture of ethical learning. With data-informed alerts, LMS integrations, and evolving codes of conduct, terminology like “Academic Misconduct” and “Proctored Exam” now spans both policy and technology.
Maintaining academic integrity is no longer limited to exams—it encompasses student engagement, digital literacy, and responsible innovation.