You may have noticed tips and quotes related to academic integrity appear online and on digital screens around campus earlier this month. “There was lots of engagement on Twitter and Facebook,” said Natalie McLaughlin, communications coordinator at WSU.
The month of May featured Academic Integrity Week – an awareness-raising campaign developed by the Education of Academic Integrity working party. It is one of several strategies planned to educate the students and staff on WSU’s commitment to ethical learning.
So, what is academic integrity? It means sticking to ethics in different aspects of your academic work. As a student or staff member, you need to be transparent and honest when sitting for exams or doing assessments. Especially when it comes to citations, this means including your colleagues who were part of the team while doing some research or discussion.
Why is it so important? It is important because referencing means you are really acknowledging other people’s ideas and work, which is a valuable asset. Ideas can be valuable property that cannot randomly be used without the author’s permission. So, keeping all these in mind you need to mention authors name and details while you are working on your assignments. Footnotes, endnotes, in-text citations, bibliographies and reference lists are the tools that you can use to acknowledge the true author.
It might be difficult in the beginning but you will get the hang of it in time, and you have to be aware of its importance. Proper referencing can help you substantiate your argument and research – this will definitely lead to good grades.
Why else is academic integrity so important? Whatever knowledge you gain in your classes is often fundamental knowledge required for your future career. To be the best you can be, you need to be able to do things with transparency and honesty. You can’t just copy someone else’s work and reach your goal, as there is no shortcut to success. Therefore, it is essential to properly reference your work.
The university’s reputation also depends on your reputation, which includes hard-working students and staffs. The university takes plagiarism very seriously, which includes the purchase of assignments from other students or agencies or helping friends with their online tests.
The mantra of preparation, planning, and consistency can help you graduate with flying colours. Knowing that you have received higher standards of learning on campus will greatly enhance your professional standing and future career options.
Know more about integrity via Student Honour Code:
https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/academic_integrity
Author: Divya Bhusal
