Academic Integrity Faculty Guide
Academic Integrity & Plagiarism Prevention Guide
This guide provides practical strategies for maintaining academic integrity at Vector Technology Institute (VTI). Although VTI does not currently subscribe to Turnitin or other paid plagiarism-detection systems, faculty and students can use effective free tools and instructional strategies to uphold academic honesty—especially in an era where AI-generated writing is increasingly prevalent.
What is Academic Integrity?
Academic integrity means producing original work, properly crediting sources, and demonstrating honest scholarship. Violations may include:
- Plagiarism (copying without citation)
- Improper paraphrasing
- Fabricated references
- Unauthorized collaboration
- AI misuse (submitting AI-generated content as original work)
Understanding Plagiarism in the AI Era
AI tools such as ChatGPT can generate fluent academic writing. However, submitting AI-generated text without disclosure may violate institutional integrity policies. Additionally, AI tools may:
- Invent false citations (“hallucinated” references)
- Produce paraphrased but uncited content
- Replicate common phrasing from training data
- Mask weak subject understanding
Because AI detection tools are unreliable and often produce false positives, prevention through assignment design is more effective than detection alone.
Free Tools for Identifying Possible Plagiarism
While no free tool guarantees accuracy, the following resources may assist faculty in preliminary checks:
- Google Search: Paste suspicious phrases in quotation marks to locate exact matches online.
- Google Scholar: Check whether passages appear in published research.
- DupliChecker: Free limited plagiarism scanning.
- SmallSEOTools Plagiarism Checker: Free scanning tool for comparison checks.
- Quetext (Free Tier): Limited free plagiarism reports.
Important: These tools should not be used as sole evidence of misconduct. They are screening tools only.
AI Detection Tools (Use with Caution)
AI detection tools are not fully reliable and may falsely flag human writing. If used, they should support—not replace—academic judgment.
These tools should never be used as automatic proof of misconduct.
Prevention Strategies (Most Effective Approach)
1. Redesign Assignments
- Require topic proposals before full paper submission
- Include annotated bibliographies
- Require draft submissions
- Include reflection paragraphs
- Use personalized or local case studies
2. Require Process Documentation
- Research logs
- Source summaries
- Outline submissions
- In-class writing checkpoints
3. Oral Verification
Ask students to briefly explain their arguments or sources in discussion. Students who authored their work can usually explain it clearly.
4. Teach Proper Citation (APA 7)
Provide citation instruction early. Many plagiarism issues stem from poor paraphrasing skills rather than intentional misconduct.
Recommended Faculty Policy Language (AI Use)
Faculty may include the following syllabus statement:
Students may use AI tools for brainstorming or editing support; however, submitting AI-generated content as original work without disclosure is prohibited. Any AI assistance must be clearly acknowledged.
Best Practice Summary
- Prevention is more effective than detection
- Use scaffolded assignments
- Require drafts and reflections
- Teach citation and paraphrasing skills
- Use detection tools cautiously
- Focus on learning outcomes rather than punishment
For additional support, faculty may contact the VTI Library for assistance with assignment design, APA instruction, and research literacy integration.
