About the Author
Dr. Cristina Zaccarini is an associate professor with the
Department of History. She is also the Co-Director of Asian Studies and Chair of the Committee for Academic Honesty.
Student Guide to Group Projects and Academic Integrity
Cristina Zaccarini
Many Adelphi schools and departments utilize group work, which can significantly enhance the learning experience of all students. While group work can be an invaluable experience for students and a useful tool for professors, there is the potential for numerous violations of academic honesty associated with this work.
Some questions that students might have are:
- If a group project is turned in and there is evidence of plagiarism and one person admits responsibility for having acted alone, should the other members of the group be penalized?
- How can students be held responsible for the integrity of others?
- Do students have the experience to identify plagiarized material?
Adelphi University's policy is such that any person whose name is on a paper or project is responsible for the integrity of the project. This means that every member of the group is responsible for the final product or paper. Given this, students should perceive themselves as the “gatekeepers” of academic honesty at Adelphi. The policy deliberately encourages active and vigilant student involvement in group projects.
School of Business Professor David Prottas, points out that task allocation in group work should emphasize each member's awareness of the origins and validity of other members' sources. In preparing for group work, students should question each other regarding sources a process that will enhance communication skills and require more frequent meetings. According to Professor Prottas, “In a group research project, the group should discuss and agree upon the types of information sources that would be appropriate before any student member starts doing research. To the extent that individual students are to summarize or write up their findings, the group should review the basics regarding citations.” This coordination is essential, not only to avoid plagiarism but, more importantly, for each student's ability to increase information literacy. Moreover, according to School of Business Professor Rakesh Gupta, each student in a group should keep copies of all work submitted to the group.
In summary
Each individual student is responsible for the scholarly output of the entire group; therefore, all students must make
inform themselves about everything that other members of the group do. All students should scrutinize their own sources
as well as the sources of others in the group. They can utilize Google and—with the help of their professor—Turnitin.com as vehicles for determining the authenticity of the group project. Students should understand the importance of communication among group members so that scrutiny of one another's sources is considered part of the group's procedure and not an act of aggression or hostility. 
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