Chapter 10: Academic Integrity 101¶
“In research, your name travels with your work. What you publish is not just yours—it’s your reputation.”
Why This Chapter Matters¶
Academic research is built on trust—trust that your ideas are yours, your citations are accurate, and your results are real.
But when you're new to research, it’s easy to cross a line without realizing it. Maybe you reused part of a school paper. Maybe you paraphrased a paper too closely. Maybe you submitted the same draft to two venues without knowing the rules.
This chapter is here to make those boundaries crystal clear—so you can protect your work, your credibility, and your future opportunities.
Conceptual Breakdown¶
🔹 What Is Academic Integrity in Research?
It means:
- Giving proper credit to the ideas, words, and results of others
- Being honest about what is new, reused, or replicated
- Following the submission and review rules of each journal or conference
- Reporting your methods, data, and results transparently
Academic misconduct isn't always malicious. But ignorance is not an excuse.
🔹 Plagiarism: The Obvious and the Subtle
| Type | What It Looks Like |
|---|---|
| Direct plagiarism | Copy-pasting sentences or paragraphs without citation |
| Paraphrasing plagiarism | Rewriting someone’s ideas without giving credit |
| Self-plagiarism | Reusing your own previous work without disclosure |
| Source misrepresentation | Citing a paper without actually using or understanding it |
✅ Rule of thumb: If the idea, method, or phrasing is not yours—cite it.
🔹 What is Self-Plagiarism?
This surprises many students. If you wrote something before—can’t you reuse it?
Not always.
You must disclose when:
- Reusing paragraphs from a prior class paper
- Submitting the same work to two journals/conferences
- Publishing multiple papers using the same dataset or results
📌 Journals and conferences expect original work, not recycled drafts.
🔹 Double Submissions and Duplicate Publications
Most venues follow a strict rule:
“Do not submit your paper to more than one venue at the same time.”
Why?
- It wastes reviewer time
- It creates confusion over publication rights
- It can get you banned from submitting in the future
Some exceptions exist (e.g., a workshop version → journal version), but always disclose.
🔹 Publisher Policies: ACM and IEEE Examples
| Publisher | Key Policy Highlights |
|---|---|
| ACM | Requires originality, prohibits duplicate submissions, investigates plagiarism |
| IEEE | Strict on self-plagiarism, uses plagiarism-detection software, may retract papers |
✅ Visit the publisher’s website and read their Author Ethics page before submitting.
Self-Check Questions¶
- Are you citing ideas—even if you’re not quoting them directly?
- Are you reusing any material from your previous work? If yes, are you disclosing it?
- Have you read the submission policy of your target venue?
Try This Exercise¶
Integrity Audit Prompt
Choose one of your current or past writing drafts. Ask:
- Did I copy or closely paraphrase any source?
- Did I cite every paper I used—even if indirectly?
- Am I planning to submit this to multiple venues?
- Have I reused results, graphs, or methods from another project?
If yes to any of these, write a disclosure note and ask your advisor what’s acceptable in your case.
Researcher’s Compass¶
You can build a strong academic reputation from your first paper onward—if you lead with transparency and respect.
- Don’t underestimate how seriously journals and universities treat misconduct.
- Don’t fear citations—they build your credibility, not weaken it.
- And don’t hesitate to ask when you’re unsure.
Integrity is not just about rules. It’s about honoring the work of others while building your own.