Academic Integrity Resources

Academic Integrity Defined

What is a Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy?

Under “Student Obligations,” the ASU Student Academic Integrity Policy lists violations in detail. These violations fall into five broad areas that include but are not limited to:

1. Cheating on an academic evaluation or assignment
2. Plagiarizing
3. Academic deceit, such as fabricating data or information
4. Aiding Academic Integrity Policy violations and inappropriately collaborating
5. Falsifying academic records

Please see ASU’s Student Academic Integrity Policy for further information, including ASU’s definition of plagiarism.
 

What is Not a Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy?

Not all inappropriate behavior in the academic setting is an Academic Integrity Policy violation.
 

Student Code of Conduct

Violations of the ASU Student Code of Conduct, other than the provision concerning academic dishonesty, are more generally considered inappropriate behavior. Student Life/Student Judicial Affairs reviews and sanctions these matters. If a student violates both the academic integrity provision and additional provisions of the Student Code of Conduct, both the college and Student Life/Student Judicial Affairs will review the matter. Each independently makes determinations concerning violations and appropriate sanctions.

Research

For graduate students and undergraduates involved in research, there can be overlapping areas between Academic Integrity Policy violations, responsible conduct of research, and research misconduct. Faculty members, colleges, and the provost respond to Academic Integrity Policy violations using the ASU Student Academic Integrity Policy.

If a student is working on a federally funded research project, some academic integrity violations may also be considered misconduct in research. Misconduct is defined as:

“Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and other practices that seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted within the academic community for proposing, conducting, or reporting research. Instances of honest error and honest differences in interpretations or judgments of data are not considered misconduct.” (ASU RSP 004: Definitions)

At ASU, the Office of the Associate Vice President of Research handles misconduct in research. A student who violates both ASU’s Misconduct in Research Policy and Student Academic Integrity Policy will be reviewed by both the college and the Office of the Associate Vice President of Research. Each independently makes determinations concerning violations and appropriate sanctions.

In addition, some actions might be considered violations of the norms of responsible conduct of research, but not be considered either Academic Integrity Policy violations or misconduct in research. Many of these incidents fall into the general category of “collaborator disputes.” For example, if a doctoral graduate of ASU continued a line of research begun at ASU in a new lab and the ASU mentor objected, the matter would likely be addressed as a collaborator dispute, rather than as an Academic Integrity Policy violation or misconduct in research. Many conflicts over appropriate authorship credit on publications also fall into this area.