FAQ / Media Guide
Part of the goal of this site is to "get the word out" about Internet Plagiarism. This page is designed to help reporters get a head-start with their research. We have been interviewed several times, so we'll address some frequently asked questions here as well.
How many sites currently offer essays online?
Who knows? Maybe 400 - just a guess. But in terms of "professionally" run websites 20 or 30 is probably more accurate. The key here is to remember that there is more to the net than the web. FTP and IRC are also commonly used to exchange essays. Many personal homepages also exist that offer a host of goodies to their visitors - including essays - so the places a hopeful cheater can go are quite difficult to number.
Is this a new problem? What has the net changed?
Essay mills and essay sharing are not new. The Net has made the transactions easier and (basically) anonymous. Try it now! Use your mouse to drag over this paragraph, then copy the text to your clipboard (PC users can hit CTRL-C or right-click then select copy). Next - open your word-processor and use the paste function. That's all it takes to copy text from the internet.
Why would a good student use plagiarized assignments?
The internet (especially the web) also allows for targeted marketing by the plagiarism services. Students who might never consider cheating as an option turn to the Net as a research aid, and search engines point them to "the easy way out" in the form of banner ads. One click brings them to a very tempting selection. A selection that might make it easier (in the case of older students) for them to get a few extra shifts in at work, so they can pay the rent on time, or eat.
Has anyone been caught?
Yes. There have been many students caught cheating with Internet-essays. Universities are only now beginning to keep track of these numbers. Virginia Tech is a well known example - The Washinton Post reported a dramatic rise in cheating at Virginia Tech between 1995 and 1997 (a rise which was linked to greater access to assignments online). One of the main obstacles to keeping good track of this problem (and cheating in general) is that incidents are so often addressed by the instructor only. Involving the institution's administration in a disciplinary matter would ruin a student's academic career and many instructors are simply not willing to take discipline to that extreme.
Are these services illegal?
We don't know - there's no good answer to this question. The easy answer - try to find a law enforcement agency that has the resources to care. We don't think it is reasonable to expect law enforcement - or the judicial system - to expend valuable resources on this sort of issue. It is up to the education system to adapt - it is not as difficult or costly as some would have you believe.
Who are the main players?
Here's a list of people we think should be spoken to by anyone working on a report about Net Plagiarism:
- The people at Plagiarized.com (try Gregg Senechal). We make it our business to know as much about this as possible. Email us to request an interview (media@plagiarized.com).
- Kenny Sahr. He runs one of the most active websites, schoolsucks.com. He is outspoken on the issue and sees the government as being at fault for failing to support the education system. (no funds, students can't write, students turn to him).
- Daniel Haufman. He created Ivy Essays, which is targeted at people writing application essays. He says his site helps students who "lack appropriate mentors and peers to evaluate their essays".
- A student. So many reporters neglect this key player.
- A professor or teacher. The front line people. Keep in mind that professors are often quite unaware of this whole situation. If they say they have never had an incident, it may not be the case.
- Someone in university administration who deals with cases of academic dishonesty and discipline.
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