Student Reviews
Jiayi (Nancy) Lu, Undergraduate Student, University of British Columbia
The author employs accessible language to illustrate academic integrity from a broader perspective. They commence with a compelling example, using the learning process of embroidery as a metaphor for the writing process. The central theme of this chapter is ownership, with the writer providing clear definitions that distinguish voice and identity. Incorporating ownership into writing can help writers establish meaningful personal connections to the topic and render their writing more powerful and convincing to readers. However, integrating personal identity and voice to bolster an unbiased argument in writing demands considerable effort. Academic integrity in the writing context extends beyond mere adherence to mechanical checks on quotes and style guides; it entails a commitment to responsible engagement in personal areas of interest. By offering a new perspective that incorporates diverse backgrounds and learning experiences into writing, the author not only makes the writing process more engaging but also elucidates academic integrity in a manner that is easily comprehensible.
Tina Saatchi, Undergraduate Student, University of British Columbia
After reading Chapter 1, Discipline-based Approaches to Academic Integrity, it comes to show the influence a writer can have on a reader. However, although most literature is unique, and follows specific formats aimed to get its message across to targeted readers, this book then emphasizes the key principles that are associated with such intentions, being the writer’s voice, their ownership, and the writer’s identity. This then again, contributes to the development of the writer’s literature, especially the development of academic integrity. Academic integrity is what is to be expected from students, typically. For instance, the aim is to come out of a course with new knowledge that was not yet acknowledged by the student, rather than finding shortcuts in hopes of escaping the work that is necessary for this knowledge gain. A classic example of such a misstep is plagiarism, in other words taking a source and calling it your own. If done so, the writer possesses no identity, ownership, or even a voice. Reading through Chapter 1, near the end, a part captured my attention, Why Is Ownership Important for Academic Integrity? Within this segment of the chapter, I found a few engrossing points that resonated with me as a student and helped me look at academic integrity in a different light. A quote I will begin with is, “Academia, such sharing or collaboration can be viewed as unauthorized if it impedes the quality of learning of another student” (p. 4), this entails that academic integrity is established for a valuable reason, and that reason is targeted towards what a student gains as a result of a course for instance, regarding knowledge in which it can be applied for future courses.
