My definition of academic integrity is that students should achieve good grades through hard work, instead of trying to take some short cuts. Some short cuts include: copying from other people’s assignments, with or without agreement, copying the answers of exams and quizzes from other students, or perhaps trying to let other students do the academic works on behalf of themselves and getting the credit.
Academic integrity, research ethics, and ethical practices in the professional world are all closely related. They just apply to different groups of people. While academic integrity applies to students, research ethics apply to scholars, and ethical business practices apply to professionals. Research ethic is about properly acknowledging the intellectual works of other people, and make proper credits when borrowing their ideas in any form. Ethical practices in the business world has a broader meaning, but the same set of basic principles apply.
Academic integrity and a strong sense of professional ethics are very important goals for undergraduate studies, because these ethics teach students the value about intellectual works. Students who have learned these ethics will show more respect for the works of others. They will be inspired to create their own original works, instead of repeating what people have already done.
