Maintaining Academic Integrity in the Digital Age

Video credit: Maintaining Academic Integrity in the Digital Age – posted by The Digital Tattoo Project on YouTube

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How are academic integrity and digital citizenship related?
- We look for information online for our academic tasks so they are related.
- I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because of the responsibilities we have?
- Do they even relate?
You’re right! We now conduct research on the internet for our academic work and it is important for us to know how to cite the sources appropriately, no matter if they are academic journals, online news articles or websites. We also have to bear in mind that we should evaluate the credibility of the online materials we use. These all contribute to being a responsible digital citizen.
That’s true! As students, you are responsible for selecting credible sources, citing them appropriately to produce academic work of your own. Similarly, as digital citizens, part of your responsibilities is to use digital content appropriately and respect intellectual property rights.
Of course they do! Being digitally literate means that you are using online resources appropriately - from selecting sources to utilizing the information, and this contributes to academic integrity and digital citizenship. As university students and digital citizens, you are expected to use online resources responsibly no matter in academic context or daily life.
How do you usually approach academic research online?
- I just Google the topic.
- I'll start with the library search engine.
- I use tools such as ChatGPT.
This is a great starting point, especially when you're unfamiliar with the material, but it's vital to keep in mind that the general Google search does not curate their index with academics in mind. You need to be absolutely sure that the material you cite is scholarly and worthwhile, or you're taking away from your academic credibility. For extra help developing online research skills, the University of Toronto provides some great tips.
This is especially useful if you already know something about the topic or have an idea where you're headed. Remember the usefulness of general search engines for more diverse perspectives. For extra help developing online research skills, the University of Toronto provides some great tips.
GenAI tools like ChatGPT may be useful for brainstorming ideas but they are not reliable for locating accurate information. There might also be issues related to academic integrity, copyright and privacy if you use these tools in your assignments. Check our tutorial for more information about using GenAI tools in academics.
Do you evaluate your sources when conducting research online?
- Yes, of course!
- No, why bother?
- I'm not really sure how.
Good stuff! It's important - as you know - not to parrot incorrect information, especially in a scholarly context. Academic honesty is key for establishing a good digital, and scholarly, reputation The University of Oregon's libraries also have some helpful tips for evaluating sources.
It's vital to make sure the information you disseminate is correct, especially as academics! Part of research is citing the sources you've evaluated. Universities - including UBC have strict codes of conduct around academic integrity, as it is key for establishing a good digital, and scholarly, reputation.
It's never too late to learn! The University of Oregon's libraries have some helpful tips for evaluating sources.

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With the internet, looking for information online has become an indispensable part of our research process for academic tasks. However, it is important to remember that digital content, just like physical content, needs to be correctly cited and attributed to the appropriate author(s). The use and careful citation of content found through online sources are expected from university students to not only maintain academic integrity, but also to become responsible digital citizens.

According to the B.C. Post-Secondary Digital Literacy Framework under the B.C. provincial Digital Learning Strategy, undergraduate students are expected to be able to:

“identify, differentiate, and appropriately use different types of online information, including scholarly information, information from general web searches” (p.28), and
“understand and follow academic integrity guidelines, including citing sources and avoiding plagiarism in digital learning spaces” (p.26).

As digital citizens, individuals should be able to “mindfully choose online content that is consumed” (p.28), “use content appropriately based on its source, and understand and respect intellectual property rights” (p. 26). This highlights the importance of appropriately selecting, using and citing online sources, no matter as a university student and as an internet user.

The recent development of Generative AI (GenAI) tools has also posed concerns about upholding academic integrity and responsible digital citizenship in this new age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI text generators such as ChatGPT and Gemini can produce well-structured, human-like written text with nearly perfect grammar. They can also provide detailed responses to a wide range of inquiries. From literature to daily tips, historical events to scientific research, these tools seem to know everything. However, the credibility of AI-generated text is also challenged as GenAI tools lack the ability to fact-check the information in their responses and has been known to hallucinate citations. For example, ChatGPT made up a false case for a lawyer in his legal research that was brought to the court, revealing the unreliable nature of using AI tools to conduct research. What’s more, the responses generated are also subject to copyright infringement, as GenAI tools use public content for training without seeking the original creator’s consent.

All these incidents point to the responsible use of digital content in academic research and the digital realm. Along with creating appropriate citations for online sources used, students should ensure the accuracy of the online information included in their own work, no matter from their own research or AI generators. This is key to maintaining academic integrity and responsible digital citizenship.

Discuss

The Digital Tattoo Project encourages critical discussion on topics surrounding digital citizenship and online identity. There are no correct answers and every person will view these topics from a different perspective. Be sure to complete the previous sections before answering the questions.

How has the digital age impacted research in academic contexts?
How does copyright influence how you use online information?
In what ways do you think Gen AI tools have impacted online research for academic work?

Maintaining Academic Integrity in the Digital Age

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