Academic integrity and plagiarism – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B and C correctly express principles of academic integrity. A is true because proper acknowledgment of sources is fundamental to honest scholarship. B is correct in defining plagiarism as misrepresenting others’ work as one’s own. C is also true as detection tools can assist in identifying overlaps but cannot substitute for ethical intent and correct citation. Statement D is false because copying large portions without citation remains unethical regardless of perceived quality improvement. Therefore, A, B and C only form the correct set.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes only A and B and omits C. Leaving out C fails to recognise the supportive but limited role of technological tools in enforcing academic integrity.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it combines the three statements that align with widely accepted academic norms and excludes D, which blatantly contradicts them. It shows that integrity is both a moral and procedural obligation.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it selects B and C only and leaves out A, which spells out the fundamental requirement to acknowledge all sources. Without A, the description of academic integrity is incomplete.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it treats all four statements as correct, thereby accepting D’s justification for unacknowledged copying. That position is incompatible with academic ethics.