Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is one of the key principles of Caspian  Social University’s activities and an essential condition for ensuring the quality of education, fair assessment, trust in learning outcomes, and respect for intellectual work.

Caspian Social University consistently develops a culture of academic integrity aimed at fostering a responsible attitude toward learning, preventing plagiarism, cheating, data falsification, and other forms of academic misconduct.

In order to further strengthen the principles of academic integrity, the University initiated its accession to the Academic Integrity League. The issue of admitting EI «Caspian Social University» to the League was considered at the General Meeting of the Academic Integrity League in accordance with Protocol No. 3 dated March 4, 2026. As a result of the voting, a positive decision was adopted by a majority vote, and the University’s accession to the Academic Integrity League was approved.

Accession to the Academic Integrity League confirms Caspian Social University’s commitment to the principles of honest learning, objective assessment of knowledge, academic responsibility, and the continuous improvement of the quality of the educational process.

The University’s activities in this area are based on the ten fundamental principles of academic integrity:

1) Academic integrity is a key value for every member of the League, its educational process and research.

2) Each member of the League ensures that clear, fair and objective standards of academic integrity, citation and conduct are followed.

3) Each member of the League is responsible for ensuring that all written works, regardless of their nature, content and volume, submitted for academic and / or research purposes, must be checked for plagiarism.

4) Each member of the League ensures the responsibility of the student for his violat

5) Each member of the League set high standards for students within the framework of their system of fair and objective assessment of learning outcomes.

6) Each member of the League provides only the best students with the opportunity to complete their training.

7) Each member of the League is responsible for the quality of personnel training, confirmed by their diploma.

8) Each member of the League ensures a high responsibility of the teacher as a mentor, instilling the principles and standards of academic integrity, mutual respect and fairness.

9) Each member of the League recognizes that the promotion and protection of academic integrity is the result of the mutual efforts of all students and staff in the educational organization.

10) Each member of the League undertakes to conscientiously fulfill the obligations assigned to them, including the basic principles of the League. They understand that they can be excluded from the organization for violation of obligations under the Charter or acts of the League, as well as the principles and standards of academic integrity, including the basic principles of the League.

1. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY
2. REGULATION ON THE COMMISSION ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
3. METHODOLOGICAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE RESPONSIBLE AND ETHICAL USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS
4. REGULATION ON THE COMMITTEE ON ETHICS
5. CODE OF HONOUR FOR STUDENTS
6. CODE OF HONOUR FOR RESEARCHERS

This subsection provides answers to frequently asked questions about academic integrity. The information will help students understand which actions are considered violations, how to use sources properly, whether artificial intelligence may be used, and what to do in case of disagreement with a decision on a violation.

1. What is the role of an instructor in ensuring academic integrity?

The instructor plays an important role in developing a culture of academic integrity among students. The instructor should not only assess learning outcomes, but also explain in advance the requirements for completing assignments, citation rules, assessment criteria, permitted forms of assistance, and the consequences of violating academic integrity.

2. How can an instructor prevent violations of academic integrity?

To prevent violations, the instructor is recommended to explain to students in advance and in a clear manner the assignment requirements, the format of the work, submission deadlines, assessment criteria, rules for using sources, whether collaborative work is permitted or prohibited, as well as the conditions for using digital technologies and artificial intelligence. 

3. What should be explained to students before they complete an assignment?

Before completing an assignment, students should be informed about:

• whether the assignment must be completed individually or whether group work is allowed;
• which sources may be used;
• how references and quotations should be properly formatted;
• whether the use of artificial intelligence is permitted;
• whether the use of AI must be disclosed;
• which actions will be considered violations of academic integrity;
• how the work will be assessed. 

4. How should academic integrity requirements be included in the syllabus?

The syllabus should separately specify the requirements for independent completion of assignments, citation rules, the procedure for using sources, the conditions for using artificial intelligence, and the prohibition of plagiarism, cheating, data falsification, completion of work by third parties, and other forms of academic misconduct.

It is also recommended to indicate that violation of academic integrity requirements may result in disciplinary measures in accordance with the University’s internal documents.

5. How should citation and source use rules be explained to students?

The instructor is recommended to explain that when using other people’s texts, ideas, data, tables, images, diagrams, graphs, regulatory acts, online resources, and other materials, the source must be indicated.

If a student uses a direct quotation, it must be formatted as a quotation. If a student paraphrases another author’s idea, the source must also be indicated. Failure to provide a reference to the source may be considered a violation of academic integrity.

6. How should an instructor indicate the rules for using artificial intelligence?

When developing an assignment, the instructor is recommended to determine in advance whether the use of artificial intelligence is permitted, to what extent, and for what purpose. These conditions should be indicated in the assignment description, syllabus, or instructions for completing the work.

If the use of AI is permitted, the instructor should explain to students the procedure for disclosing its use.

7. What AI use conditions can be included in an assignment?

One of the following options may be indicated in the assignment:

• the use of artificial intelligence technologies is not permitted;
• the use of artificial intelligence technologies is permitted only for technical assistance;
• the use of artificial intelligence technologies is permitted as an auxiliary tool, provided that its use is disclosed;
• the use of artificial intelligence technologies is permitted only to the extent directly specified by the instructor;
• the use of artificial intelligence technologies is part of the assignment and is subject to analysis, discussion, or assessment. 

8. What does «AI is permitted only for technical assistance» mean?

This means that a student may use AI, for example, to check grammar, improve the structure of a text, search for general ideas, or prepare a draft outline, but may not present AI-generated text, analysis, conclusions, or solutions as their own independent work. 

9. What does «AI is permitted as an auxiliary tool» mean?

This means that a student may use artificial intelligence to support the learning process, but the final text, conclusions, argumentation, calculations, analysis, and content of the work must be reviewed, revised, and submitted independently by the student. 

10. How should a student disclose the use of AI?

If the use of artificial intelligence is permitted and subject to disclosure, the student must indicate which tool was used, for what purpose, in which part of the work, and how it was applied.

The following wording may be used:

«Artificial intelligence technologies were used in the preparation of this work: _____________________________. The tool was used for _____________________________. The final text, conclusions, argumentation, and content of the work were reviewed, revised, and submitted independently by the author.»

11. What should be considered when assessing works where AI was used?

When assessing a work, the instructor is recommended to consider not only the final result, but also the student’s level of independence, the quality of analysis, argumentation, conclusions, understanding of the content, and personal contribution.

It is important to assess not only the appearance of the text, but also the extent to which the student actually understands the content of their work and can explain the conclusions presented.

12. What should be done in case of suspected plagiarism or another violation?

When signs of a violation of academic integrity are identified, the instructor must record the alleged violation, preserve materials confirming the violation, and initiate review in accordance with the established procedure.

Such materials may include the student’s written work, a similarity check report, screenshots, links to sources, the assignment text, assessment criteria, correspondence, or other information relevant to the review of the situation.

13. How should materials be prepared in the case of an alleged violation of academic integrity?

If there are signs of an alleged violation of academic integrity, an act on the alleged violation or an official memorandum may be prepared.

The document should include:

• the date and place where the violation was identified;
• information about the student;
• the course, type of work, or form of assessment;
• a brief description of the circumstances;
• the type of alleged violation;
• materials confirming the violation;
• information about the persons who prepared the document. 

14. What violations may be reflected in the act?

The act may reflect signs of such violations as plagiarism, self-plagiarism, cheating, use of prohibited materials or technical devices, completion of work on behalf of another person, providing one’s own work to another person for submission as their learning result, fabrication or falsification of data, deception or provision of false information, as well as other actions contrary to the principles of academic integrity.

15. How can an objective review of the situation be ensured?

During the review of an alleged violation, objectivity, impartiality, equality of the parties, confidentiality, and the person’s right to provide explanations and additional materials must be ensured.

It is important for the instructor to submit only factual materials and not to make final conclusions before the situation is reviewed by the authorized body of the University.

16. Can plagiarism check results be used as the sole basis for a decision?

The results of checking textual materials may be used as one of the materials during the review of the situation. However, the decision must be made taking into account all circumstances: the content of the work, the nature of the matches, the presence or absence of references, the assignment requirements, the student’s explanations, and other materials.

17. Can AI detectors be used as the sole evidence of a violation?

The results of AI detectors are not recommended to be considered as the sole evidence of a violation of academic integrity. They may be used only as an additional indicator.

When reviewing the situation, it is necessary to consider the content of the work, the assignment requirements, the student’s level of independence, the student’s ability to explain their work, the submitted materials, and other circumstances.

18. How should confidentiality be maintained during the review of a violation?

Information obtained during the review of an alleged violation of academic integrity must be used only for the consideration of the relevant case and must not be disclosed, except in cases provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the University’s internal documents.

19. What should be done if a student disagrees with the decision?

If a student disagrees with a decision confirming a violation of academic integrity, they have the right to appeal it in accordance with the procedure established by the University’s internal documents.

It is important for the instructor to explain to students in advance that during the review of a violation they have the right to provide explanations, submit additional materials, and exercise their right to appeal.

20. What should every instructor remember?

The instructor should establish clear rules in advance, apply uniform requirements to all students, objectively assess learning outcomes, respect the rights and dignity of students, maintain confidentiality, and contribute to the development of an honest, fair, and responsible academic environment.

Template Wording for Syllabi and Assignments

1. General wording on academic integrity

When completing all academic assignments, the student is required to comply with the principles of academic integrity, complete the work independently, properly use sources of information, indicate the authorship of other people’s ideas, texts, data, images, and other materials, and prevent plagiarism, cheating, data falsification, use of unauthorized assistance, and other forms of academic misconduct.

2. Wording on independent completion of an assignment

This assignment must be completed independently by the student. Submission of another person’s work in whole or in part, completion of the assignment by third parties, use of unauthorized assistance, as well as providing one’s own work to another person for submission as their learning result, are not permitted. 

3. Wording on citation rules

When using sources of information, the student is required to properly indicate references to the materials used. The use of text, ideas, data, tables, images, graphs, diagrams, and other materials without indicating the source may be considered a violation of academic integrity.

4. Wording prohibiting the use of AI

The use of artificial intelligence technologies is not permitted when completing this assignment. The work must be completed independently by the student without the use of AI tools to generate text, analysis, conclusions, calculations, solutions, or other content-related elements of the work.

5. Wording permitting AI only for technical assistance

When completing this assignment, the use of artificial intelligence technologies is permitted only for technical assistance, including checking grammar, spelling, text structure, or language formatting. The use of AI to generate content, analysis, argumentation, conclusions, or solutions is not permitted.

6. Wording permitting AI as an auxiliary tool

When completing this assignment, the use of artificial intelligence technologies is permitted as an auxiliary tool, provided that its use is disclosed. The student is required to indicate which AI tool was used, for what purpose, and in which part of the work. The final text, conclusions, argumentation, and content of the work must be reviewed, revised, and submitted independently by the student.

7. Wording on partial permission to use AI

The use of artificial intelligence technologies is permitted only to the extent directly specified by the instructor. The use of AI beyond the permitted scope may be considered a violation of academic integrity requirements.

8. Wording indicating that AI is part of the assignment

Within this assignment, the use of artificial intelligence technologies is part of the academic work and is subject to analysis, discussion, or assessment. The student is required to disclose which tool was used, which prompts were applied, what results were obtained, and how they were verified, revised, or critically evaluated.

9. Wording on the student’s personal responsibility

The student bears personal responsibility for the content, accuracy, originality, quality, and correctness of the submitted work, regardless of whether sources of information, digital technologies, or artificial intelligence tools were used in its preparation.

10. Wording on checking understanding of the work

The instructor has the right to request that the student explain the content of the submitted work, the sources used, arguments, conclusions, calculations, and other results in order to confirm the independent completion of the assignment.

11. Wording on the consequences of violation

Violation of academic integrity requirements when completing an assignment may result in disciplinary measures in accordance with the Academic Integrity Policy and other internal regulatory documents of the University.

12. Wording for written works

A written work must reflect the student’s independent analysis. All sources used must be properly formatted. Borrowing text, ideas, data, or other materials without indicating the source is not permitted.

13. Wording for presentations and projects

When preparing a presentation or project, the student is required to indicate the sources of any images, tables, graphs, statistical data, text materials, and other elements used. The use of other people’s materials without reference to the source is not permitted. 

14. Wording for exams or knowledge assessment

During knowledge assessment, the student is prohibited from using unauthorized materials, technical devices, outside assistance, communication devices, artificial intelligence, and other tools, unless their use is directly provided for by the assessment conditions.

15. Wording on disclosure of AI use

Artificial intelligence technologies were used in the preparation of this work: _____________________________. The tool was used for _____________________________. The final text, conclusions, argumentation, and content of the work were reviewed, revised, and submitted independently by the author.