Academic Integrity: A Five-Decade Journey, From Cheating to a Lack of Understanding of Academic Dishonesty

Abstract

The study examines the evolution of academic integrity by analyzing 1000 research articles published from 1996 to 2023 using NLP-based bigram analysis. Through a two-stage selection process via the Litmaps App, 2011 articles focusing on academic integrity were finally scrutinized to identify key themes and trends. The findings revealed that the emergence of e-learning tutorials, and integration of software tools like Turnitin, Mendeley, and grammar checkers have a significant impact on the promotion of academic integrity culture. The study indicated that although the concept of academic integrity evolved, there has been minimal international punitive action due to varying rules and regulations implemented by higher education institutions. On the other hand, rather than promoting the culture of integrity at all levels, it has been emphasised on taking action against individuals who indulge themselves in academic misconduct. The results suggested that academic integrity can be improved if plagiarism, misconduct, dishonesty, contract cheating, breach, collusion, deception, and data falsification is strongly discouraged at all levels while promoting the culture of honor codes, respect, truth, and fairness at the school to university level in conjunction with technological advancement. The findings are helpful for relevant policymakers in developing and updating institutional policies and starting capacity-building programs emphasizing the importance of academic integrity higher education. By mapping the evolution of academic integrity, this research enhances comprehension of this important educational concept and provides a useful perspective for the forthcoming research and practice in the field.