What Is the ICAI? International Center for Academic Integrity Guide

TL;DR

The International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI) is the principal global academic integrity association. Hosts the McCabe survey data (70,000+ students, 2002–2015). The AMI uses ICAI survey data for D4 (plagiarism) and D5 (collusion). The McCabe survey is the gold standard cross-country self-report dataset.

What ICAI is

The International Center for Academic Integrity:

• Founded: 1992 (originally as the Center for Academic Integrity at Duke University)
• Renamed: International Center for Academic Integrity in 2010
• Hosted at: Clemson University, US
• Membership: hundreds of institutional members globally
• Activities: research, conferences, professional development, advocacy

ICAI operates the principal academic conference on integrity (the annual ICAI conference), publishes the International Journal for Educational Integrity in partnership with Springer, and maintains a fundamental values framework that has been widely adopted.

The fundamental values

ICAI articulates six fundamental values of academic integrity:

1. Honesty
2. Trust
3. Fairness
4. Respect
5. Responsibility
6. Courage

The framework is referenced in institutional integrity codes globally. The articulation provides shared vocabulary for integrity policy across diverse contexts.

The McCabe surveys

Donald McCabe (Rutgers) conducted the most extensive self-report surveys on student academic integrity ever undertaken. Key facts:

• Time period: 2002–2015 (most active years)
• Sample size: over 70,000 students surveyed
• Coverage: 70+ institutions across multiple countries
• Method: anonymous self-report on misconduct behaviours
• Subsequent work: ICAI continues to support follow-up research on the McCabe questions

Sample countries with McCabe data

The McCabe surveys include direct samples for countries including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, India, and others [verify specific country list]. Some Latin American, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern samples were less extensive.

What the McCabe data captures

The surveys cover:

• Self-reported plagiarism (D4 in AMI terminology)
• Self-reported unauthorised collaboration (D5)
• Cheating on exams
• Various forms of misconduct on assessments
• Attitudes toward integrity

The 2002–2015 timeframe pre-dates the ChatGPT era. AI-related misconduct (D2 in AMI terminology) is not captured in McCabe data and must be measured through other instruments.

How the AMI uses ICAI/McCabe data

D4 (Plagiarism)

The AMI uses McCabe self-report rates where country-specific data exists. For countries with McCabe samples — US, UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, India, and others — the D4 score is built from country-specific self-report rates plus literature triangulation.

For countries without McCabe coverage, the D4 score uses regional extrapolation (e.g. Latin American regional averages applied to Latin American countries not in McCabe).

D5 (Collusion)

Similar approach. McCabe data covers collusion self-reports for the same sample countries. Regional extrapolation applies for countries without coverage.

Survey age limitation

The most recent McCabe data is 2015. The AMI uses it as the strongest available cross-country survey data while acknowledging the limitation. Post-2015 changes in student behaviour — including the AI submission category — are not captured in McCabe and must be measured through other instruments (Google Trends, FOI).

Future ICAI data

ICAI continues to support follow-up research using the McCabe instrument. Several research groups internationally have run follow-up surveys with comparable methodology. As post-2015 country-specific survey data accumulates, the AMI's D4 and D5 estimates will incorporate it.

Why ICAI matters for the field

The ICAI is the principal venue for academic integrity research and practice exchange. Key contributions:

• Standardisation: shared vocabulary (the six fundamental values) and shared instruments (McCabe survey questions) enable cross-country comparison
• Network: institutional members exchange best practice through ICAI conferences and resources
• Research: the International Journal for Educational Integrity is the principal academic journal for the field
• Advocacy: ICAI representation in policy discussions provides expert voice

Countries with strong integrity infrastructure typically have multiple ICAI-member institutions. The membership map correlates with the AMI's R-Score distribution.

Sources

• International Center for Academic Integrity
• McCabe, D. L. (multiple publications on the survey programme)
• International Journal for Educational Integrity, Springer
• AMI v1.5 methodology document

Full methodology | Download dataset

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Read the full methodology