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| Essay cheating: How common is it? | |
| (1 day later) | |
| A BBC investigation has found that prominent YouTube stars are encouraging students to buy essays. | A BBC investigation has found that prominent YouTube stars are encouraging students to buy essays. |
| Passing off a custom-made essay as your own is a form of plagiarism known as contract cheating. | Passing off a custom-made essay as your own is a form of plagiarism known as contract cheating. |
| It involves a student ordering an essay, usually through a website, for a fee. | It involves a student ordering an essay, usually through a website, for a fee. |
| But it could also be friends or family members writing an essay on a student's behalf. | But it could also be friends or family members writing an essay on a student's behalf. |
| Companies offering these sort of services are known as essay mills. | Companies offering these sort of services are known as essay mills. |
| The fee will usually depend on the essay subject, length and deadline. | The fee will usually depend on the essay subject, length and deadline. |
| Some essay mills - including EduBirdie - claim that the essays they provide are "100% plagiarism free". But even if the essay you buy doesn't necessarily contain copied material, the act of submitting it as your own is itself a form of plagiarism - according to the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), which monitors standards in UK higher education. | Some essay mills - including EduBirdie - claim that the essays they provide are "100% plagiarism free". But even if the essay you buy doesn't necessarily contain copied material, the act of submitting it as your own is itself a form of plagiarism - according to the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), which monitors standards in UK higher education. |
| A student caught doing this could face serious penalties - including expulsion. | A student caught doing this could face serious penalties - including expulsion. |
| EduBirdie says that there is disclaimer on its site which suggested that the work it provided should only be used as a sample or a reference. | EduBirdie says that there is disclaimer on its site which suggested that the work it provided should only be used as a sample or a reference. |
| What's the scale of contract cheating? | What's the scale of contract cheating? |
| The QAA told Reality Check that they believe contract cheating is on the rise. | The QAA told Reality Check that they believe contract cheating is on the rise. |
| In its 2016 report, the agency said leaflets advertising essay services had been handed out on campuses. There were also reports of adverts appearing on university notice boards. | In its 2016 report, the agency said leaflets advertising essay services had been handed out on campuses. There were also reports of adverts appearing on university notice boards. |
| One UK essay writing company boasts that it's helped more than 25,000 students over the past 15 years. | One UK essay writing company boasts that it's helped more than 25,000 students over the past 15 years. |
| But we don't know how many of those students who used the service went on to submit the essays as their own. | But we don't know how many of those students who used the service went on to submit the essays as their own. |
| The QAA also referred Reality Check to a 2016 Times investigation. Based on Freedom of Information requests, the newspaper unearthed 50,000 cases of cheating in UK universities over the previous three years. | The QAA also referred Reality Check to a 2016 Times investigation. Based on Freedom of Information requests, the newspaper unearthed 50,000 cases of cheating in UK universities over the previous three years. |
| This works out at 17,000 per year, or 0.7% of students. | This works out at 17,000 per year, or 0.7% of students. |
| The problem with this number, which the QAA acknowledges, is that it includes all forms of cheating - not just contract cheating. | The problem with this number, which the QAA acknowledges, is that it includes all forms of cheating - not just contract cheating. |
| But even if we did know how many students were caught contract cheating, we still wouldn't know how many cases went undetected. | But even if we did know how many students were caught contract cheating, we still wouldn't know how many cases went undetected. |
| For that we have to rely on survey data, where students are asked if they have ever cheated by submitting an essay written by someone else. | For that we have to rely on survey data, where students are asked if they have ever cheated by submitting an essay written by someone else. |
| The most recent UK study was carried out in 2012 and found that 29.5% of participants agreed that they had "submitted work taken wholly from an internet source (free or paid) as your own". | The most recent UK study was carried out in 2012 and found that 29.5% of participants agreed that they had "submitted work taken wholly from an internet source (free or paid) as your own". |
| Elsewhere, the QAA cites a 2014 study from Saudi Arabia, which found that 22% of students reported having paid someone to write an essay. | Elsewhere, the QAA cites a 2014 study from Saudi Arabia, which found that 22% of students reported having paid someone to write an essay. |
| Prof Phil Newton, from Swansea University, is an expert on contract cheating. He says that with surveys of this nature, there's always a likelihood that respondents may not give accurate answers - especially if they are owning up to deviant behaviour. | Prof Phil Newton, from Swansea University, is an expert on contract cheating. He says that with surveys of this nature, there's always a likelihood that respondents may not give accurate answers - especially if they are owning up to deviant behaviour. |
| So, we have to treat survey data with a degree of scepticism. | So, we have to treat survey data with a degree of scepticism. |
| Are these services legal? | Are these services legal? |
| At the moment there's nothing, legally speaking, to stop websites selling essays. | At the moment there's nothing, legally speaking, to stop websites selling essays. |
| In fact many websites contain disclaimers that say students shouldn't pass off the essays as their own and that they should only be used as study aids. | In fact many websites contain disclaimers that say students shouldn't pass off the essays as their own and that they should only be used as study aids. |
| That said, in March 2018, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) upheld a complaint about claims appearing on a UK essay mill website. | That said, in March 2018, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) upheld a complaint about claims appearing on a UK essay mill website. |
| The ASA said the website gave the misleading impression that "consumers would be able to submit purchased essays as their own without repercussion". | The ASA said the website gave the misleading impression that "consumers would be able to submit purchased essays as their own without repercussion". |
| But even if legislation was brought in, the QAA says it's unlikely to solve the problem. | But even if legislation was brought in, the QAA says it's unlikely to solve the problem. |
| It says many of these websites are offshore and even if they were closed down they can easily re-emerge. | It says many of these websites are offshore and even if they were closed down they can easily re-emerge. |
| So what can be done about it? | So what can be done about it? |
| Contract cheating can be very difficult to spot. As the essays are bespoke they're unlikely to be picked up by software which some universities use to detect plagiarism. | Contract cheating can be very difficult to spot. As the essays are bespoke they're unlikely to be picked up by software which some universities use to detect plagiarism. |
| Last October, guidance was issued to institutions on how to deal with contract cheating. | Last October, guidance was issued to institutions on how to deal with contract cheating. |
| Why do students do it? | Why do students do it? |
| There are many reasons - it could be as simple as laziness or a lack of confidence in writing ability. | There are many reasons - it could be as simple as laziness or a lack of confidence in writing ability. |
| In April, Prof Newton, along with colleagues, published a study into contract cheating in Australia. | In April, Prof Newton, along with colleagues, published a study into contract cheating in Australia. |
| The study focused on students who had asked either friends or family members to write essays on their behalf. | The study focused on students who had asked either friends or family members to write essays on their behalf. |
| The researchers found that were three factors which increased the likelihood of contract cheating. | The researchers found that were three factors which increased the likelihood of contract cheating. |
| Read more from Reality Check | Read more from Reality Check |
| Send us your questions | Send us your questions |
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