Why do we Need an Academic Integrity?

Abstract

Producing a paper under tight deadlines is considered a rite of passage for many college students. Ask any college student and they will inevitably share a good-natured story about how they wrote a paper at the eleventh hour. Student’s who major in humanities are required to produce a lot of papers in their college career. There are two important aspects of being a humanities student. You are required to produce APA style papers and you are to adhere to strict guidelines about academic integrity.

All students who major in social sciences are required to follow a standard format of writing that is governed by the American Psychological Association. This writing style allows for uniformity and create a clear outline for faculties to easily reference essential elements of the paper. The most important rule for students to learn about APA style writing is the elements. This includes title page, abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, references and appendices. One of the important rules of APA is to properly cite the sources. It shows respect to the original author and allow students to expand on their ideas. Not citing a paraphrase is one of the common pitfalls for students. When using the ideas from an author, the student must cite their source. Another typical APA mistake is when students forget to reference in text citations. References allow for the editor to find the original source of the quote. Citing sources plays an important role in academic integrity.

Plagiarism has always been a major problem in the world of academia. Colleges around the nation instill a zero-tolerance policy the first day a student begins their education. Students can avoid academic dishonesty by producing original work, properly acknowledging the work of another author’s ideas and checking your work for possible plagiarism using a tool like Turnitin. Producing original work helps student’s refine their writing skills that will help them in the long run. Citing your work properly shows respect to the author and allows for a reliable way to reference data. The best way to ensure all your hard work is by using a plagiarism check took to ensure that the match percentage is low or meets the acceptable percentage required by your institution.

Choosing to obtain higher education is a demanding process that requires a lot of discipline and personal sacrifice. Learning a new format of writing while refining your writing skills is a rigorous yet rewarding process. Following academic integrity is not just an academic requirement but it refines ones personal morals and values. It is not doubt a student will experience some form of existential crisis during their educational career however knowing that you achieved a goal that was once an impossible feat personal value to an individual that they can be proud of for the rest of their lives.

References

1. Last Name, F. M. (Year). Article Title. Journal Title, Pages From - To.
2. Last Name, F. M. (Year). Book Title. City Name: Publisher Name

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