TEACHER’S NOTES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Academic Integrity

Activity Type Introduction

Reading, matching and In this academic integrity worksheet, students learn about the
writing activity key concepts of academic integrity and how to avoid plagiarism
and collusion.

Language Focus Procedure

Key concepts of academic
Give each student a copy of the three-page worksheet.
integrity
Students begin by unscrambling words to reveal important
academic integrity terms.
Aim
To learn about the key Exercise A - Answer key
concepts of academic
integrity and how to a. integrity e. plagiarism
avoid plagiarism and b. quotation f. citation
collusion. c. common knowledge g. collusion
d. paraphrase h. reference

Preparation Next, students match the academic integrity terms to their

definitions.
Make one copy of the
three-page worksheet for
Exercise B - Answer key
each student.
1. f 2. b 3. a 4. c 5. d 6. e 7. g 8. h
Level
Students continue by reading about academic integrity and
Upper-intermediate (B2) plagiarism. The students also compare a plagiarised citation with
citations that adhere to the rules of academic integrity and read
tips on how to paraphrase an idea or sentence borrowed from a
Time source.
30 minutes
Students then read three sentences to determine which are
common knowledge and do not require a citation.

Exercise C - Answer key

1. Common knowledge
2. Not common knowledge
3. Common knowledge

(continued on the next page)

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 TEACHER’S NOTES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Academic Integrity

Activity Type Procedure continued

Reading, matching and After that, students read an excerpt from an authentic text and
writing activity examine five citations to determine whether or not they adhere to
academic integrity rules.

Language Focus Exercise D - Answer key

Key concepts of academic
integrity 1. C
 orrect: Citations are complete and accurate. The original text
is sufficiently paraphrased. Page numbers are only required for
quotes.
Aim
2. C
 orrect: Refer to the explanation in number 1. End of paraphrase
To learn about the key citations have slightly different formatting.
concepts of academic
integrity and how to 3. Incorrect: The citation has noticeable errors, and the original
avoid plagiarism and text has been insufficiently paraphrased.
collusion.
4. C
 orrect: The copied text has been correctly enclosed in quotation
marks, and the citation is correct and includes a page number.
Preparation
Make one copy of the 5. I ncorrect: The original text has been sufficiently paraphrased
three-page worksheet for but a citation is missing.
each student.
In the last exercise, students test some of their knowledge of
academic integrity by indicating whether statements are true or
Level false.
Upper-intermediate (B2) Exercise E - Answer key

1. T
 rue: Under these circumstances, students are likely to submit
Time work that has significant similarities.
30 minutes
2. F
 alse: An acceptable paraphrase needs to be significantly
different from the original text.

3. T
 rue: Ommiting minor details from a citation or reference may
not result in a plagiarism penalty, but in many institutions,
marks may be deducted.

4. F
alse: Again, not considered plagiarism, but can result in a
deduction.

5. F
 alse: In many institutions the acceptable similarity threshold
can be 10% or less.

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 REFERENCED ESSAYS

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Academic Integrity

A. Unscramble the words to reveal key academic integrity terms.

a. itynitreg ......................... e. mpalisrgai .........................

b. nqouiotta ......................... f. ncoiitta .........................

c. ncoomm ekgndoewl ......................... g. ncooilslu .........................

d. epsaarrahp ......................... h. ercenfeer .........................

B. Match the academic integrity terms above to their definitions below.

........ 1. appears in the main text of an essay and points the reader to the references

........ 2. a sentence or phrase that is borrowed, word for word, from a book or article

........ 3. the quality of being honest and doing or knowing what is morally right

........ 4. a fact or an idea that is known by many or most people

........ 5. to express an idea written by an expert in a different way

........ 6. copying an author's ideas and presenting them as your own

........ 7. the act of doing something secretly with other people to deceive or cheat

........ 8. provides the information necessary for readers to locate sources cited in an essay

Academic integrity can be viewed as an ethical code that is universally accepted and followed by
all credible academic institutions. The code serves many purposes, but its primary function is to
discourage and prevent actions such as plagiarism and collusion. Plagiarism and collusion are
considered illegal practices at universities, and they often result in severe punishments, which
can include failing courses, suspension, or even expulsion. Therefore, it is essential students
understand academic integrity and follow its principles. Apart from being ethical, academic
integrity requires students to engage with a subject to a level that results in deeper and more
permanent understanding. It also shows professors or lecturers that students are familiar with
the essential texts of a subject and have become acquainted with key concepts.

Plagiarism example: In the boxed example, the student has copied a sentence from an original
source, quoted in the excerpt below, and has not given any due acknowledgement to the authors.

It is important for businesses to act in an ethical manner because it establishes the levels of
honesty, empathy, and trustworthiness and other virtues by which we hope to identify our
personal behaviour and our public reputation. Furthermore,...

"Ethics consists of the standards of behavior to which we hold ourselves in our personal and
professional lives. It establishes the levels of honesty, empathy, and trustworthiness and other
virtues by which we hope to identify our personal behavior and our public reputation."

From: Byars, S. M., & Stanberry, K. (2018). Business Ethics. OpenStax College. Retrieved from
https: openstax.org/details/books/business-ethics

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 REFERENCED ESSAYS

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Academic Integrity

The example on the previous page can be rectified in a number of ways. The easiest and
simplest way is to enclose the borrowed sentence in quotes and add the author's surname, the
page number, and the year of publication in brackets afterwards.

It is important for businesses to act in an ethical manner because "it establishes the levels
of honesty, empathy, and trustworthiness and other virtues by which we hope to identify our
personal behaviour and our public reputation" (Byars & Stanberry, p. 7, 2018).

With these simple modifications, the student has avoided plagiarising this particular idea. While
using direct quotes is an effective method, it should be used sparingly and only in particular
circumstances. In most cases, students will have to go further by paraphrasing the sentence so
that it is significantly different from the original text as in the example below.

It is beneficial for businesses to act in an ethical manner because a company's public reputation
can be enhanced by setting standards for the behaviour it values. These behaviours should
embody integrity, understanding, and reliability (Byars & Stanberry, p. 7, 2018).

Paraphrasing tips: Paraphrasing is an essential academic skill. There are some specific and
useful paraphrasing techniques students can learn to help with this process. Here are some
examples:

1. Begin by reading the original text a number of times until you fully understand it.

2. Highlight main points and keywords.

3. W
 ithout looking at the original text, rewrite it in your own words, making sure to include all
the important points.

4. R
 eview your paraphrase and compare it to the original to ensure no important points have
been left out, and that it is sufficiently different.

5. R
 ecord details of the original text such as the author and date, so that you can build a
reference list later.

Common knowledge: Students are often unsure which information in their essay needs to be
cited and referenced. The general rule is that if an idea can be classified as 'common knowledge',
a citation and reference are not needed. However, if the idea is one that most students could
not be reasonably expected to already know, a citation should be used.

C. Refer to the common knowledge definition in Exercise B and indicate with a tick or
cross which of the following are common knowledge and which are not.

......... 1. W
 earing a hat, a long sleeved shirt, and applying sunscreen help protect against skin
cancer.

......... 2. The first genetically engineered organism was created in 1973.

......... 3. T
he purpose of school is to impart important knowledge and develop functional
citizens.

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 REFERENCED ESSAYS

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Academic Integrity

D. Read the excerpt from a textbook titled "Business Ethics" by Stephen M. Byars and
Kurt Stanberry and the reference below it. Then, examine the citations below and
indicate with a tick if they are correct or a cross if they are incorrect.

"It would be hard to overstate the influence of ancient Athens on Western civilization. Athenian
achievements in the arts, literature, and government have moulded Western consciousness.
Perennial themes, such as the search for individual identity and each person’s place in the
world, appear in countless novels and Hollywood screenplays. The role of Athenian ethical
theories in philosophy has been profound, and Athenian principles continue to be influential in
contemporary philosophy. Ethics, as a form of applied philosophy, was a major focus among the
leaders of ancient Athens, particularly teachers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They taught
that ethics was not merely what someone did but who someone was."

Byars, S. M., & Stanberry, K. (2018). Business Ethics. OpenStax College. Retrieved from https://
openstax.org/details/books/business-ethics

........ 1. A
 ccording to Byars & Stanberry (2018), the ancient Greeks have had a profound
impact on Western culture.

........ 2. Ancient
 Athenian leaders looked to the teachings of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to
guide their ethics (Byars & Stanberry, 2018).

........ 3. S
 tephen Byars and Kurt Stanberry 2018 assert that Athenian principles continue to
be influential in contemporary philosophy, so the role of Athenian ethical theories in
philosophy has been profound.

........ 4. According to Byars & Stanberry (2018, p.280), Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle "taught
that ethics was not merely what someone did but who someone was."

........ 5. T
 hinking in the West has been shaped by the literary, political, and artistic innovations
of ancient Athens.

Collusion: In most cases, students are required to submit work that is entirely their own and
not submit work that has, either in part or whole, been co-produced with another student.

To avoid collusion, students must not share any of their work with another student, not use any
part of another student's work, not co-write any part of their paper with another student, and
only work collaboratively with other students if explicitly instructed to do so.

E. Now that you are more familiar with academic integrity, indicate whether the
following statements are true or false.

1. It is unacceptable for students to work together while preparing their papers. True / False

2. Changing a couple of keywords in sentences is enough to avoid plagiarism. True / False

3. It is not acceptable to ommit even minor details in citations and references. True / False

4. The formatting requirements for citations and references are flexible. True / False

5. Two students submitting an essay with 30% similarity is generally acceptable. True / False

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