Academic integrity is a moral code and an ethical policy in schools, colleges, and universities. It means being honest in learning, teaching, and research. It includes not doing cheating, plagiarism, or contract cheating.^[1][2][3] It also means following academic standards and being honest in research and academic publishing.^[4]

The term became popular through the work of Rutgers University professor Donald McCabe, who is sometimes called the “grandfather of academic integrity”.^[5] Other researchers in this field include Tracey Bretag, Cath Ellis, Sarah Elaine Eaton, Thomas Lancaster, Tomáš Foltýnek, and Tricia Bertram Gallant.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

In the late 1700s in the United States, academic integrity was linked to the academic honor code. Students were expected to be honest and follow shared rules.^[11]

In the late 1800s, universities changed. They focused more on teaching and research. Because of this, academic integrity also changed. It became more about protecting the institution, not only the individual.^[12]

By about 1970, many universities in the United States had honor codes.^[13] New information technology created new challenges. It became easier to copy text, which can increase plagiarism.^[14]

The growth of generative artificial intelligence has changed how people think about academic integrity.^[15] Some people say AI tools make cheating easier.^[16] Others say using AI tools is not always wrong.^[17]

Academic integrity is part of the rules of many schools and universities. It is often written in policies and honor codes.^[18] Some schools ask students to sign an honor pledge. This may help reduce cheating.^[19]

Most schools have academic integrity policies. These explain what is not allowed, such as plagiarism or contract cheating. In the past, many policies focused on punishment. Today, some schools also try to help students learn and improve their writing.^[20]

There is no single definition of academic integrity. Different countries may understand it in different ways.^[21]