As millions of schoolchildren log back on to school computers this week, some will be using the Internet for something other than learning — online plagiarism. Secure Computing Corporation has reported that the number of websites facilitating online plagiarism has risen to 780, a 10-percent increase over 12 months ago. Secure Computing enables schools to manage access to these websites as part of the company’s education SmartFilter, Bess edition web filtering solution used by thousands of schools worldwide.
Most of the 780 websites describe themselves as “essay banks” and offer digital copies of term papers and essays, some for free and others for a price. The larger plagiarism sites offer tens of thousands of essays on a wide variety of topics. Some of the websites even offer to write custom term papers on almost any topic. One site charges $19.95 per page for seven-day delivery, and will cater to the worst student procrastinators by providing “same day service” at $44.95 per page.
According to independent research, the online cheating problem among high school students is serious. A 2003 survey by the Rutgers’ Center for Academic Integrity of 11,000 high school students found that 58 percent of students admitted to copying uncredited material from the Internet for school assignments. The popularity of online plagiarism appears to be driving the growth of the sites, leaving educators looking for solutions. Web content management and filtering software can work as part of a program of deterrence to help educators thwart online cheating. It is also essential that educators require students to document the entire writing process, ensure that students incorporate material used in the course in their writing and discuss online plagiarism in advance with students.
