Academic Integrity Support

Learn eight time-saving ways your librarians can help classroom faculty improve academic integrity and help you maximize student success!

1. To increase the likelihood that students will find reliable information sources:
   Schedule a librarian-led computer lab instruction session to coincide with assignment distribution. Contact Rose Botkin for more details @ 281-290-5937, rose.l.botkin@lonestar.edu, or use the online request for instruction.
2. To provide students with additional individualized assignment assistance:
   Put your librarian liaison’s contact information in your syllabus so students can contact a librarian about research help and formatting citations in MLA, APA or other styles. Librarians are experienced with citation format and can allay student anxiety about citing sources correctly. Students can chat online with us in real time during library hours.
3. To avoid student frustration on not locating required information:
   Give librarians advance copies of reading lists or assignment topics to review availability of materials in subscription online databases, online books, videos, and library shelves.
4. To ensure availability of resources for all students:
   Ask librarians to help you gather materials on a topic for reserve use in the library or for short-term check out. Complete a reserve form for personal materials or library items and return it to Scott Gilbert, Circulation Coordinator via email (scott.a.gilbert@lonestar.edu) or the first floor customer service desk.
5. To improve students’ understanding of what is and isn’t plagiarism:
   Review and discuss the Plagiarism & Copyright Facts for Students.
6. To give students real world practice in what are acceptable information uses:
   Schedule a Scruples™ game class session with Rose Botkin, Instruction Librarian (see contact information below) to give students case study practice is determining what constitutes plagiarism (part 1) and how to cite print and online sources via MLA or APA (part 2).
7. To help students use their assignment-prep time wisely:
   Suggest they try the Assignment Calculator @ http://www.library.appstate.edu/reference/ac/ (from Appalachian State University). Just enter the start & finish date for the assignment and get a outline of what to do when. Find information on topic focus, thesis statement writing, research strategy, and more.
8. To explore ethics on campus and in the workplace:
   Discuss integrity in the news, respond to the online survey, and learn study skills to prevent academic dishonesty on the library-sponsored ethics blog @ http://valueintegrity.blogspot.com/.

Additional library sources that promote academic integrity:

Research Basics from Lone Star College–CyFair Branch Library offers time-saving tips to help students find quality information with a minimum of stress to limit the temptation to engage in plagiarism.
Bruin Success with Less Stress from the UCLA Library provides an interactive tutorial on intellectual property, study skills, cheating, plagiarism, and file sharing.
You Quote It, You Note It! from Vaughn Memorial Library @ Acadia University in Nova Scotia features an interactive Flash tutorial on preventing plagiarism.