Integrity 101: Nursing Convocation

A Scriptural Basis for Academic IntegrityRendering to Caesar what is Caesar’s

“Owe no man anything except to love…”

Individual giftedness (I Cor. 12)

Self-judgment (“If we judge ourselves, we will not come into judgment…”)

“Thou shalt not steal” (obviously)

Scholarly Integrity: Some CharacteristicsGenerosity: Respectful treatment of others’

workHonesty: Accurate representation of others’

thoughts and your own findingsGratitude: Giving all possible credit to othersIndustriousness: Willingness to work hard to

find the truth and share it effectivelyHumility: Accurate estimation of your own

contributionsRemember: We work (study, research, and

write) for God, not for ourselves.

Academic Integrity at LUAvoid these things:CheatingFalsificationPlagiarism

Note: If you make it a point to be academically honest, you won’t have any of these issues.

Cheating: Some Definitions“Referring to information not specifically

condoned by the instructor. Receiving information from a fellow student. Stealing, buying, selling or transmitting a copy of

any examination.” (Liberty Way)

“A form of dishonesty in which a student attempts to give the appearance of a level of knowledge or skills that the student has not obtained” (Graduate Catalog, 2008-09, pp. 32).

Falsification: Some Definitions“Unauthorized signing of another person's name

to an official form or document. Unauthorized modification, copying, or production

of a University document.” (Liberty Way)

“Invent[ing] or distort[ing] the origin or content of information used as authority” (Graduate Catalog, 2008-09, p. 33). This includes misrepresenting a source’s ideas

or arguments.This includes falsely reporting research results.This includes deliberate suppression or

distortion of information sources.

Plagiarism: Some Definitions“Omitting quotation marks or other

conventional markings around material quoted from any printed source.

“Paraphrasing a specific passage from a specific source without properly referencing the source.

“Replicating another student's work or parts thereof and submitting it as an original.” (Liberty Way)

A form of “intellectual theft” (Graduate Catalog, 2008-09, p. 32).

Plagiarism: Three Places It OccursQuotations

DIRECT transcriptions of others’ languageRequire quotation marks, parenthetical citations,

and bibliographic entryParaphrases

Rewording others’ languageRequire parenthetical citations and bibliographic

entrySummaries

Rehearsing or referring to others’ ideas or findings (require parenthetical citations and bibliographic entries)

When NOT To CiteWhen you come up with an idea entirely on your own.When you do primary research and want to report the

results of your study.When you have a thought that grows out of—but is

different from—what you talked about in class.When, conversing with others, you come to a

realization you had not had previously.When the fact you refer to is common knowledge:

If your sources all assume something is true or well known, then you can too (e.g., “Projection and displacement are common phenomena in the counseling profession”).

If your next-door neighbor, spouse, and child all know something, then it’s common knowledge (e.g., “Sesame Street is a children’s television show”).

When You Research…Take good notes:

Write down sources’ bibliographic data.Write down quotations EXACTLY (with page

numbers).Read carefully so that you have an accurate

understanding of others’ work.Try to learn as much as you can from each

source.When you get an idea, write it down and mark it

as your own.Finish your research before you begin writing.

When You Write…Close your web browser, and avoid the

temptation to cut and paste.Write your citations and bibliography AS

YOU GO—not at the end.Don’t be afraid to work hard to get it right:

Be clear.Be organized.Make transitions between others’ thoughts and

your own clear and obvious.Revise through as many drafts as necessary.

Some ResourcesYour professorsThe LU Graduate Writing Center (

www.liberty.edu/graduatewritingcenter)Plagiarism web resourcesAPA formatting helpWriting-related web links

Dr. Emily Heady (eheady@liberty.edu • 592-3713 )

Concluding ThoughtsRemember:If we really believe we are working for God’s

glory, we will take our scholarly labor seriously:We’ll remember the larger spiritual context in

which we learn and work.We’ll do our very best to get it right.We’ll seek truth at all costs.If we need help, we’ll be humble enough to ask.

There is no difference between the work you do for God and the work you do for your classes!