Lecturer：Prof. WANG Weihong
Language of Instruction：English
Semester：Spring semesters
Target Students：Current international students
I. Teaching objective
This course is designed to help international students in China understand the core principles of academic ethics and norms, and to cultivate an honest and responsible academic attitude that meets the academic requirements of both international institutions and Chinese universities. The course covers topics such as academic integrity, citation standards, data authenticity, thesis writing guidelines, and the consequences of academic misconduct. Through case studies, classroom discussions and practical exercises, the course aims to enhance students' sensitivity to academic ethics, enable them to avoid plagiarism and other forms of misconduct, and strengthen their abilities in independent thinking and critical analysis. In addition, the course will introduce the similarities and differences between Chinese and foreign academic norms, helping international students better integrate into China's academic environment and laying a solid ethical foundation for their future academic research and professional development.
II. Teaching requirements
This course adopts a multifaceted teaching method that combines “instructor-led lectures, case study analysis, and student presentations” to ensure that students gain a thorough understanding of academic ethics and norms.
In lectures, the instructor will systematically expound core concepts such as academic integrity, citation standards, and data authenticity, while offering comparative analyses between international and Chinese academic standards.
Case studies will feature typical instances of academic misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, etc.), guiding students to discuss their harmful effects and possible countermeasures, thereby strengthening their ethical awareness.
For the student presentations, groups are required to explore topics related to research ethics and academic norms. They may incorporate discipline-specific scenario simulations, debates, or short reports into their presentations, so as to reinforce their understanding through hands-on practice.
III. Course contents
This course consists of eight units, organized around eight thematic topics designed to guide international students in mastering both international and domestic norms concerning academic morality and research ethics:
●The significance of academic integrity
●International and domestic practices for upholding academic integrity
●Various forms of academic misconduct that violate academic integrity
●A focused session on plagiarism as a specific type of academic misconduct
●An interpretation of university policies related to academic integrity
●Research conduct to be followed during the research process
●Disciplinary differences in research ethics
●New perspectives on academic ethics in the digital intelligence era
IV. Reference books
Bos, J. (2020). Research ethics for students in the social sciences. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
Brriagada-Bruneau, G., López, c., & Mendoza, M. (2026). Ethics in artificial intelligence and information technologies. Science Publishers.
D’Angelo, J. (2019). Ethics in science: Ethical misconduct in scientific research (2nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Eaton, Sarah Elaine (ed.) (2024). Second Handbook of academic integrity. Switzerland: Springer Nature.
Neville, C. (2010). The complete guide to referencing and avoiding plagiarism (2nd ed.). Berkshire, England: Open University Press.
Oliver, P. (2003). The student’s guide to research ethics. Maidenhead, Philadelphia: Open University Press.
Whitbeck, C. (2011). Ethics in engineering practice and research (2nd ed.). UK: Cambridge University Press.
V. Assessment
The course adopts a combination of continuous assessment (50%) and a final group project (50%), totaling 100 points.
The continuous assessment component consists of attendance (10%) and class participation (40%), which together account for 50 points. For class participation, students are required to deliver in-class PPT-assisted presentations on topics related to academic integrity and research ethics introduced during the course.
The final group project requires students to work in groups to design web content on academic integrity and ethics for the university.
