We examined 45 academic integrity policy documents from 24 publicly-funded universities in Canada's four western provinces using a qualitative research design. We extracted data related to 5 core elements of exemplary academic integrity policy (i.e., access, detail, responsibility, approach, support). Most documents pointed to punitive approaches…

In our descriptive exploratory qualitative study, we investigated the issue of contract cheating in Iranian higher education contexts. Through our analysis, we provide insights into measures taken in Iran to prevent contract cheating and mitigate its effects. Our study analyses secondary data including scholarly articles, published media, and the…

In this article we report findings from a review of universities' academic integrity policies in Ontario, Canada. The research team systematically extracted, reviewed, and evaluated information from policy documents in an effort to understand how these documents described contract cheating in Ontario universities (n = 21). In all, 23 policies were…

Faculty members are crucial partners in promoting academic integrity at Canadian universities, but their needs related to academic integrity are neither well documented nor understood. To address this gap, we developed a mixed methods survey to gather faculty perceptions of facilitators and barriers to using the existing academic integrity…

Purpose: In this study I explore the historical development of academic integrity in Canadian higher education. Theory and method: Framed within the theory of historical agency, applied at a macro rather than an individual level, I analyze a variety of sources to show how the development of student conduct (and its management) in Canada have…

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to provide background information to develop deeper awareness about contract cheating in Canada and generate conversations about possible legislative approaches to address this growing problem. Methods: A qualitative legal analysis of legislation from the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and US (17…

Purpose: This guide provides insights and direction about how the Integrity Hour informal online community of practice was developed and continues to be facilitated at the University of Calgary. This report describes how Integrity Hour was launched during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic as a means to provide support to those working in higher…

Purpose: The goals of this project are: (1) Identify existing components of academic integrity policies and procedures related to contract cheating; (2) identify gaps in existing academic integrity policies and procedures related to contract cheating; (3) evaluate the policies and procedures against existing standards for post-secondary education…

The use of essay mills and other online sites to buy academic work is a global industry estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The practice is known as "contract cheating" (Clarke & Lancaster, 2006), and it occurs when a student engages with a third party to complete academic work on their behalf. Canada lags behind…

Purpose: The goal of this study was to understand the relationship between academic integrity and students' mental health during the COVID-19 crisis. Methods: We employed a rapid review method to identify relevant data sources using our university library search tool, which offers access to 1026 individual databases. We searched for sources…

The COVID-19 crisis challenged us to learn, teach, and work in ways we never had before. As we move further into 2021 more educational institutions are thinking about how online teaching and learning can become a permanent way of offering programs. However, there are still ethical considerations that merit deeper consideration. Before the…

Plagiarism continues to be an issue in postsecondary contexts. This paper discusses how educators can take a proactive stance to prevent plagiarism and cultivate students' sense of honour and academic integrity, rather than focusing on punitive consequences after plagiarism has already occurred. Strategies include assessment design, formative…