1.5. Becoming a linguist: Myths and misconceptions about academic integrity

Connor Mark

1. What are morphology and syntax?

1.5. Becoming a linguist: Myths and misconceptions about academic integrity

Connor Mark

While students might have an idea of what falls under academic integrity, some things are not always intuitive and so they may find themselves breaking rules by accident. Some common myths are…

Myths: Using resources

“I only need to cite people that I’m quoting.”

You need to cite any source that has information that you are using. This could be statistics, theoretical information, examples, or examples. When in doubt, cite it. If you are unsure how to cite something properly, ask your instructor or a librarian. By citing, not only are we attributing information to people who have contributed to the field, but we are also keeping track of how information has been developed.

“Artificial Intelligence is allowed because it’s like a spell checker.”

As of now, there is no consensus on the use of AI for assignments. Check the syllabus and ask your instructor before using it. For example, while some instructors may allow you to use AI in specific contexts for specific purposes, you should assume it is not allowed for graded work by default. Writing about a course topic in your own words helps you to recognize what you do or don’t understand, remember the material, and begin to think critically about it. Using AI to help you write runs counter to these goals.

“I can re-use a paper I wrote for another course in this course.”

Submitting the same work to two different courses is considered self-plagiarism in many cases. It is considered an academic offence because you would receive credit twice for doing the work once. It is good to see points of connection between your different courses, but if you re-submit a paper you wrote for another course, your paper will not demonstrate the new material you learned in this course. You also lose the opportunity to go deeper into the topic and to continue to improve your writing skills. In some cases, instructors may allow or even encourage you to build on and develop a project you started for another course or assignment; however, you should also check with your instructor first. You need to be transparent about which work is re-used and which is new.

Myths: Working with classmates

“I can work on assignments with classmates.”

For the most part, assignments are meant to be done alone. Even collaborating and changing up your answers a bit counts as inappropriate collaboration. While you might encounter courses where collaboration on assignments is permitted, this is not the norm. Although working together can help you improve your learning in some cases, instructors also want to make sure you understand and are learning all of the material, not just some of it. Check your course syllabus for your individual course’s policies.

“If my groupmates are not doing the work, I have to carry the group project.”

On the contrary, writing the name of someone who has not contributed sufficiently on a piece of work could be a form of personation and thus a violation of academic integrity. Instead of trying to “carry” a group project, contact the instructor. The purpose of group projects is to learn how to collaborate with others on something larger and to learn from each other, which is facilitated through everyone putting in the work. In addition, it is not fair for your groupmate to get credit for an assignment they did not contribute to.

“I am only responsible for my own part of a group project.”

If you divide up a group project, you are still responsible for all of the parts. You should read over your groupmates’ parts and make sure you understand them and can explain them. If a groupmate plagiarizes, the entire group may be held responsible.

“I can have someone else sign the attendance sheet or write the test for me.”

No. Claiming to be someone else is not permitted, especially when it involves forging a signature. If you have to miss a graded component of the course, contact the instructor as soon as possible to see what can be done. The instructor is likely required to make reasonable accommodations for many kinds of personal or medical emergencies, according to the policies of your university.

The final word

As a rule of thumb, when you are unsure of what is allowed and what is not, refer to the course syllabus, your institution’s academic integrity guidelines, and even your instructor if needed. Instructors would rather help you learn how to cite properly than try to bust you for failing to cite accurately by accident.

Things to do

While we often focus on what not to do, here are some things that you should do:

Read the syllabus

Read the syllabus and your institution’s academic integrity guidelines. There is a lot of information, but learning about them and understanding the general principles of academic integrity will help you. This is especially important if you are a student from another country because academic integrity rules vary around the world.

Pick appropriate groupmates

Form appropriate groups for projects. Put otherwise, recall that students have differing goals in a course. While some students just want to pass, others want an A+. In the event that A+ students and D students are in the same group, there is a greater chance of students accusing others of not pulling their weight or asking their groupmates to do too much work.

Set internal deadlines

Set internal deadlines for group projects. Similarly, by coming up with your own internal deadlines for a group project, you can be assured that everyone will have contributed sufficiently before the deadline is closing in, reducing the chance that people will perceive others as not helping.

Organize your notes

Keep your research notes organized. Clearly label your notes with their sources. Make sure your notes also clearly distinguish which parts are copied word-for-word and which are in your own words, for example, by using quotation marks. In some cases, an annotated bibliography might also be helpful. This applies to writing assignments the most, but keeping track of where you got your information and taking notes on it before you have started writing (or during the writing process) makes it easier to accurately cite sources and understand how theories and other ideas have developed.

Consider a citation manager

Consider using a citation manager. These tools can store all of your citations, allowing you to generate references from them. They can also be used as a database for sources that you have read in the past, allowing you to more quickly find the source of particular information if you need it again in the future.

Key takeaways

There are a variety of reasons to cite things, including your own work.
You must work alone unless you are given permission to work in a group. You should not put anyone’s name on a group assignment if they did not contribute.
If you’re unsure of what’s allowed and what’s not, read the syllabus and assignment instructions. If necessary, ask your instructor as well.