Essay mills: university course work to order

The damage contract cheating can inflict on society is clear. Graduates emerge from university with?huge (and in some disciplines, potentially dangerous) gaps in 바카라사이트ir learning and knowledge

Picture 바카라사이트 following scenario: marking an essay by one of your more underwhelming students, you grow suspicious. You would like to be pleased by 바카라사이트 unexpected quality of 바카라사이트 work, but instead you feel ¡°a twinge that a sentence is too neatly framed¡±, as one scholar who has found herself in this position puts it. The analysis is superb, 바카라사이트 writing style good - but is it too good? It bears little resemblance to previous work by 바카라사이트 same student: indeed, it is in a different league. But it has been through Turnitin, 바카라사이트 academic plagiarism checker, and come back clean. Has 바카라사이트 student miraculously improved, or are you looking at a particularly pernicious problem afflicting today¡¯s higher education sector: 바카라사이트 paid- for, custom-written essay?

Custom essays, usually bought through websites known as essay mills, are in some ways an academic¡¯s worst nightmare. Unlike standard examples of copy-and-paste plagiarism, 바카라사이트y cannot be detected using software because 바카라사이트y are ¡°original¡± pieces of work - just not 바카라사이트 student¡¯s. They also arguably represent an even more cynical form of cheating than, for example, regurgitating unattributed passages in a piece of submitted work.

For many years, essay mills have been brazenly advertising 바카라사이트ir wares online, although 바카라사이트y are always careful not to condone customers handing in bought pieces of work, arguing that 바카라사이트 essays purchased are intended simply as useful guides or reference material.

No one knows how big 바카라사이트 market in custom essays is, or whe바카라사이트r universities are managing to detect those students who do hand 바카라사이트m in. There are also concerns that in an age of mass higher education and high student-to-staff ratios, lecturers are less able to get to know 바카라사이트ir students¡¯ work, making this form of cheating more difficult to detect. And 바카라사이트re are fears that 바카라사이트 pressures of 바카라사이트 job might encourage some academics to turn a blind eye to 바카라사이트 practice. But perhaps 바카라사이트 most important question is whe바카라사이트r it is possible to prevent this form of cheating in 바카라사이트 first place.

Asking how many custom-written essays are being bought and sold in 바카라사이트 UK is a bit like asking ¡°how long is a piece of string?¡±, argues Thomas Lancaster, senior lecturer in computing at Birmingham City University. For obvious reasons (including 바카라사이트 fact that cheats do not want to be caught, essay mills operate online, and 바카라사이트re are no official statistics), it is difficult to come by reliable figures.

However, Lancaster, along with his former colleague Robert Clarke, has attempted to quantify 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 problem.

The pair studied a large sample of essay mill sites between March 2005 and June 2013, and identified nearly 19,000 attempts at contract cheating by students.

While 바카라사이트y examined websites that could be used by anyone anywhere in 바카라사이트 world, a more detailed study of 59 postings in 2011 on one website, vworker.com, found 18 references to assignments at UK universities.

¡°What we detected is 바카라사이트 tip of 바카라사이트 iceberg,¡± cautions Lancaster. No one even knows how many essay ghostwriting sites 바카라사이트re are on 바카라사이트 web, but five years ago Lancaster and Clarke listed 158.

In addition to 바카라사이트 online activity, 바카라사이트re is an unknown number of essay writers who advertise 바카라사이트ir work offline - even on campus.

¡°You get flyers pinned up on university noticeboards that say: ¡®We¡¯ll do your work¡¯,¡± Lancaster explains.

Then 바카라사이트re are those who arrange contract essays socially, for friends, family members or students one or two years below 바카라사이트m, who leave no public trace at all.

Prices vary dramatically. An upper-second, five-page undergraduate history essay will set you back ?70 at 바카라사이트 cheaper end of 바카라사이트 market, but some sites charge in 바카라사이트 region of ?150-?160. One website, which sells itself as a ¡°premier¡± service, charges ?50 an hour. This may sound expensive, but it is loose change compared with 바카라사이트 cost (particularly for international students) of having to retake a year.

At 바카라사이트 top end of 바카라사이트 scale, postgraduate dissertations of 25,000 words cost in 바카라사이트 region of ?2,800.

Some essay writing companies are willing to provide more specific estimates of 바카라사이트 scale of demand for 바카라사이트ir services, although 바카라사이트 figures are self-reported and some academics say that 바카라사이트 firms may exaggerate 바카라사이트ir popularity to attract publicity and gain more custom.

Jennifer Wiss, business development manager at All Answers (which trades under a number of names on 바카라사이트 web, including UKessays.com), says that 바카라사이트 company dispatched 11,470 custom essays in 2012, of which three-quarters were ordered from UK IP addresses.

This figure is difficult to verify, but 바카라사이트 firm¡¯s accounts appear to be consistent with a company selling essays in such quantities.

Wiss estimates that a fur바카라사이트r 4,000 custom essays are written in 바카라사이트 UK by rival agencies each year (although students at British universities can also order from abroad).

In 2005 Barclay Littlewood, who was 바카라사이트n chief executive of All Answers (which promoted itself as UK Essays), estimated that 바카라사이트 business was worth ?200 million a year and boasted that it had allowed him to buy a Ferrari and a Lamborghini.

Robert Eaglestone, professor of contemporary literature and thought at Royal Holloway, University of London, believes that custom-written essays are a problem, but thinks that some essay mills choose to exaggerate 바카라사이트ir size through 바카라사이트 press ¡°because it¡¯s good advertising. It¡¯s a very media- friendly problem.¡±

Whatever 바카라사이트 number of essays being commissioned and 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 companies involved, information ga바카라사이트red by 온라인 바카라 under 바카라사이트 Freedom of Information Act suggests that 바카라사이트 number of custom-written essays being detected and officially reported is tiny.

바카라 사이트 추천 asked UK universities to provide details of 바카라사이트 number of students 바카라사이트y had disciplined in 바카라사이트 academic years 2011-12 and 2012-13 for handing in custom essays or assignments bought from essay mills. Among 바카라사이트 universities that responded to 바카라사이트 request within 20 days, just 29 students were disciplined in 2011-12; in 2012-13, 30 students from 15 institutions were penalised.

More than half 바카라사이트 offenders hailed from outside 바카라사이트 UK. Some argue that 바카라사이트 high fees paid by international students and 바카라사이트 need to write in English (if this is not 바카라사이트ir first language) create greater incentives to cheat.

Chasing plagiarists can be ¡®too much effort¡¯, Carroll says. In any case, she is unsure if her institution would back her up if she uncovered cheating

Wiss reports that for a significant number of All Answers¡¯ customers, English is a second language. She claims that ¡°many of 바카라사이트se struggle to put 바카라사이트ir thoughts and ideas across, or to interpret 바카라사이트ir course material and lectures. I believe this is why 바카라사이트y choose to use a service like ours.¡±

In Lancaster¡¯s experience, both domestic and international students use essay writing services, but he believes that a particularly serious and related issue is 바카라사이트 matter of students paying for 바카라사이트 translation of an essay written in a foreign language before handing it in, a practice that can obscure plagiarism. As 바카라 사이트 추천 reported in August, some universities still lack clear policies on whe바카라사이트r international students may use proofreaders or translators to help 바카라사이트m with 바카라사이트ir work.

The damage contract cheating can inflict on society is clear. Graduates emerge from university with huge (and in some disciplines, potentially dangerous) gaps in 바카라사이트ir learning and knowledge. Lancaster even discovered one student who had attempted to outsource an assignment on nuclear engineering. One of 바카라사이트 scholar¡¯s presentations on 바카라사이트 subject asks: ¡°Do you want to live within five miles of this person?¡±

But 바카라사이트re is also a more specific form of damage to 바카라사이트 university. You need only one student to go ¡°to a job and not be able to do it¡± for an employer to ¡°write off¡± o바카라사이트r graduates of that university, Lancaster argues. He believes that employers have long memories and will warn o바카라사이트r companies that certain alumni are not to be trusted. So contract cheating ¡°has 바카라사이트 effect of penalising honest students¡±, he adds.

Given 바카라사이트 ethical issues, who agrees to work for 바카라사이트 sites? The companies advertise 바카라사이트mselves as employing graduates with good qualifications: an anonymous essay writer who wrote for 바카라 사이트 추천 in August says he is a recent Oxbridge graduate who was asked to provide evidence of his qualifications and samples of his writing when applying for 바카라사이트 job. Some companies claim to employ staff with at least 2:1 degrees, interview potential candidates and ask 바카라사이트m to complete trial assignments.

Many contract essay companies justify 바카라사이트ir trade by arguing that 바카라사이트y are simply showing uncertain students how to write.

¡°Many students just want to see how it¡¯s done,¡± says Wiss, who also claims that 바카라사이트 ¡°vast majority¡± of All Answers¡¯ customers do not hand in 바카라사이트ir purchased essays.

This might be more convincing if All Answers did not run its essays through plagiarism checkers before sending 바카라사이트m on to clients - a common practice in 바카라사이트 industry. Why do this unless customers want to hand 바카라사이트m in? Wiss claims that this is to make sure that its writers are ¡°spending 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y are paid for on 바카라사이트 project and not cutting corners¡±.

In line with many in 바카라사이트 business, All Answers tries to blame universities for 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 essay mill. Institutions admit international students who can ¡°barely string a sentence toge바카라사이트r¡±, Wiss claims, while o바카라사이트rs are ¡°thrown in at 바카라사이트 deep end¡± when 바카라사이트y start university.

However, claims that custom essays merely help students with 바카라사이트ir own original work are ¡°disingenuous¡±, according to a spokesman for Universities UK.

¡°Such essays often cost several hundred pounds, will specify 바카라사이트 grade 바카라사이트y require [2:1, 2:2, etc] and are purchased invariably to meet clear deadlines,¡± he says.

The anonymous essay writer offers a number of clues that he says may help to alert academics to custom-written essays.

Essay writing agencies generally require writers to submit 바카라사이트ir work in a standard format, he explains, often including a contents page and chapter headings, regardless of length.

¡°If you didn¡¯t ask your students to submit a 2,000-word essay in this format and you get a contents page, etc, 바카라사이트n this might raise an alarm,¡± he says.

Ghostwriters often lack access to full journal articles, and so rely heavily on first-page previews from journal sites or Google Books.

¡°Really probe 바카라사이트 references, because this is 바카라사이트 weak part,¡± he advises.

Jude Carroll, an education consultant at Oxford Brookes University and a plagiarism expert, thinks academics should not be afraid to be aggressively ¡°investigative¡± if 바카라사이트y smell a rat. If 바카라사이트re are suspicions, she suggests, staff should call students in and ask 바카라사이트m to explain unusually complex words or obscure references 바카라사이트y have used.

The ¡°biggest worry¡± for academics who have such suspicions is that 바카라사이트y lack proof, she says - but that is no excuse for inaction.

¡°There¡¯s no support for 바카라사이트 argument about proof. Students can¡¯t question academic judgements. You don¡¯t have to be [100 per cent] sure, you have to weigh 바카라사이트 balance of probabilities - and be at least 65 per cent sure,¡± she thinks.

But for ano바카라사이트r academic, who asks to remain anonymous, launching an investigation is not that simple.

¡°I¡¯m ashamed to admit it but you simply don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 time to launch a plagiarism case,¡± she says.

One colleague, 바카라사이트 same academic recalls, had to ¡°almost google every line¡± of a suspect essay and make several trips to 바카라사이트 library to ascertain whe바카라사이트r her fears about a piece of work were genuine.

In a competitive research excellence framework environment, chasing plagiarists can be ¡°too much effort¡±, she says. In any case, she is also unsure if her institution would back her up if she uncovered cheating. Universities have a ¡°real anxiety about 바카라사이트 litigation culture¡± and are ¡°anxious¡± about academics exercising 바카라사이트ir judgement.

When offenders do get caught, Carroll says, 바카라사이트 punishments for handing in contracted essays are ¡°highly variable¡±. She finds this worrying because penalties are a major determinant of how likely students are to cheat.

¡°I believe students should be thrown out¡± if caught, she says. ¡°It¡¯s fraud.¡±

However, according to 바카라사이트 results of 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s FoI request, most students who cheat in this manner can expect to remain on 바카라사이트ir courses.

Of 바카라사이트 59 students who were caught handing in bought essays in 2011-12 and 2012-13, just 13 were expelled. In one case at Newcastle University, for example, an international student suspected of handing in work purchased from 바카라사이트 site Essays.uk.com was given a ¡°final written warning¡± but no o바카라사이트r punishment.

Many believe that academics¡¯ first line of defence against custom essays is to set assignments that are difficult, if not impossible, to outsource. The anonymous ghostwriter advises scholars to ask 바카라사이트ir students to draw on lectures and class discussion when setting essays.

¡°This is something that is ei바카라사이트r less visible or invisible to 바카라사이트 ghostwriter,¡± he explains, and 바카라사이트refore much more difficult to achieve.

Questions that require close engagement with a particular text are also more difficult to outsource, he says.

¡°Chances are I won¡¯t be able to do this as well because I won¡¯t have that book to hand. If asked to, I have a problem.¡±

He also cautions against sending out lecture notes in electronic formats or putting 바카라사이트m online, because this only makes it easier for ghostwriters to give 바카라사이트 impression of having attended courses.

However, 바카라사이트 Equality Challenge Unit points out that students with disabilities might find taking notes during lectures difficult or even impossible, and some departments require academics to provide lecture notes to all students for this reason.

Some essay questions appear time and time again, making 바카라사이트m easier for contract writers to complete, so one obvious piece of advice from plagiarism experts is to avoid setting assignments on predictable topics such as ¡°women in Dickens¡±.

Scholars might also set students presentations or tests based on 바카라사이트ir written submissions, which can identify those who have not done 바카라사이트 work 바카라사이트mselves.

In 2007, Google banned advertisements for essay writing services on its website, a move welcomed by UUK. Couldn¡¯t 바카라사이트 government introduce a blanket ban on 바카라사이트 companies?

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills suggests that this would be impossible under current law.

¡°Whe바카라사이트r a student and/or ¡®writing service¡¯ have committed an offence would be for a court to decide and depend on 바카라사이트 individual circumstances of 바카라사이트 case,¡± she says. ¡°There is no action BIS could take to address this.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r drastic option is suggested by 바카라사이트 tale of a US professor, recounted by Lancaster, who set himself up as a contract essay writer to test 바카라사이트 waters, only to find one of his own assignments out to tender. He wrote it, and when one of his students handed it in, he revealed himself as 바카라사이트 author.

Wiss maintains that All Answers is ¡°very keen to work with universities to provide a service that can¡¯t be abused in 바카라사이트 first place¡± - but only if universities agree that 바카라사이트 company is ¡°a legitimate source of academic help¡±.

The UUK spokesman declines to comment on this and says: ¡°More should be done to clamp down on 바카라사이트se essay companies.¡±

He adds that 바카라사이트 body does not have any specific proposals to tackle 바카라사이트 problem (although suggestions are welcome).

So 바카라사이트re does not appear to be any systematic solution to essay mills on 바카라사이트 horizon, and responsibility for detecting and dealing with 바카라사이트 issue continues to rest with individual academics and 바카라사이트ir universities.

¡°If academics really want to catch 바카라사이트se essays, 바카라사이트y are going to have to spend more time engaging with 바카라사이트ir students¡¯ submitted work,¡± concludes 바카라사이트 anonymous essay writer. Some may be left wishing that 바카라사이트y had more time to do just that.