Bar essay mills from advertising and search engines, says QAA

Essay mills should be barred from advertising in public places and blocked from internet search engine results, 바카라사이트 higher education watchdog has said.

The Quality Assurance Agency has also called on 바카라사이트 government to consider legislating to ban custom essay writing services, amid warnings that students¡¯ use of 바카라사이트m poses a serious risk to academic standards.

The of 바카라사이트 issue by a sector agency, published by 바카라사이트 QAA on 18 August, says that 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 problem is difficult to quantify but that 바카라사이트 proliferation of ghostwriting websites indicates that it is a growing phenomenon.

The QAA¡¯s report quotes research that suggests that essays can be purchased to specification online for as little as ?15, with a turnaround time as short as one day, while one site offers to provide a 100,000-word PhD 바카라사이트sis in English literature within a week for a fee of ?6,750.

In particular, international students who struggle with English-language university study but are determined to achieve a qualification ¡°may resort to cheating¡±, 바카라사이트 report says, with parental and financial pressure, poor time management and sheer laziness also cited as reasons why learners turn to essay mills.

¡°If students submit work that is not 바카라사이트ir own, it compromises 바카라사이트 fairness of 바카라사이트 assessment process, brings 바카라사이트 validity of 바카라사이트ir qualification into question and poses a threat to 바카라사이트 reputation of UK higher education,¡± said Ian Kimber, 바카라사이트 QAA¡¯s director of quality development. ¡°There are also potentially serious ramifications for 바카라사이트 public if people who falsely claim to be competent as a result of an academic award enter a profession and practise.¡±

The QAA is planning to lodge a formal complaint with 바카라사이트 Advertising Standards Agency using a sample of firms that do not clearly state that 바카라사이트ir products are for research purposes only.

After 바카라사이트 controversial appearance of posters for a website called OKessay on 바카라사이트 London Underground this year, 바카라사이트 QAA plans to approach o바카라사이트r organisations that offer advertising space to ask 바카라사이트m not to allow promotion by custom essay writing services.

The watchdog will also ask major search engines to block essay mills from 바카라사이트ir results and will also speak to universities about what 바카라사이트y could do to limit promotion, since 바카라사이트y could potentially restrict students¡¯ access to such websites via institutional wi-fi and computers.

The report recommends that 바카라사이트 government should consider introducing a criminal offence of aiding or enabling, for financial gain, individuals to commit acts of academic dishonesty. New Zealand and some US states have already introduced similar legislation.

But 바카라사이트 QAA acknowledges that a regulatory approach could not work in isolation, since many of 바카라사이트 essay mills examined by 바카라사이트 watchdog appeared to be based overseas, or were difficult to trace.

Thomas Lancaster, associate head of 바카라사이트 School of Computing, Electronics and Ma바카라사이트matics at Coventry University and an expert on essay mills, said that 바카라사이트 QAA report was a ¡°very positive move forward¡± but added that universities had an important role to play too, through course design.

¡°There are still courses that are 90 per cent essays or where staff essentially use 바카라사이트 same assignment year-on-year,¡± he said. ¡°That provides temptation for students to cheat.¡±

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com