By Lester Haines for The
Register.
This story has been reproduced with permission.
The search monolith has responded to "claims that plagiarism is
threatening the integrity of university degrees" and "complaints
from universities about students being sold customised essays on
the internet" by pulling the plug, and has written to companies
flogging essays and dissertations to declare the new policy.
A spokesman for Universities UK admitted to "difficulties" with
essays bought by students for up to £5,000 from companies offering
tailor-made answers, with an estimated 12,000 a year being passed
off as original scribblings, according to the organisation. Since
these essays and assignments may be penned by freelance academics
or other students, it's "less easy for plagiarism software used by
universities to detect such work".
Universities UK's president Professor Drummond Bone said:
"Plagiarism devalues the efforts of students who work hard to
achieve their degrees. It also damages the student who commits
plagiarism, as they will not benefit from the research and learning
experience."
Unsurprisingly, essay writing companies are a little hacked off.
The managing director of Essaywriter.co.uk, Matthew Wilson, is
described as "angry" at the threat to his business, 80 per cent of
which comes via Google. He claimed the clampdown will "punish the
legitimate, transparent companies, which sell essays, but which
warn students that they must not be used dishonestly".
He insisted that his site "makes clear that essays should not be
passed off as being written by the student" and that the
"tailor-made essays" can be used "as a guide for students wanting
extra assistance".
Universities UK classified as "absurd" this claim that students
would stump up "hundreds of pounds for model answers" and
subsequently not "submit them as their own work".
Wilson concluded by noting the ban would not prevent Google from
generating links to "rogue essay selling companies, which have been
accused of scamming customers by providing poor quality
material".
© The Register
2007
