This paper presents the first systematic investigation into the search engine optimization practices of major contract cheating websites in the United States. From a business perspective, visibility in organic search engine results is considered one of the top client recruitment tools. The current understanding of student recruitment strategies by…

When considering a paradigm shift in higher education, it is imperative to focus on removing obstacles against maintaining integrity in academia. One such obstacle is contract cheating sites that have mushroomed disproportionately during the 18 months of emergency distance learning threatening graduate quality and university reputations (McKie,…

Tutoring websites can facilitate and incentivize students to upload course materials in violation of syllabus and copyright policies. In a study investigating the prevalence of instructor-generated exam problems appearing online, 23.3% of all investigated problems appeared on tutoring websites, with those from an online graduate course appearing…

As a result of the pandemic, many physics courses moved online. Alongside, the popularity of Internet-based problem-solving sites and forums rose. With the emergence of large language models, another shift occurred. One year into the public availability of these models, how has online help-seeking behavior among introductory physics students…

The recent pandemic necessitated a migration to online instruction leading to concerns regarding the integrity of online assessments as a result of the presence of fee-based websites that disseminate answers to students. We validated this concern by evaluating student performance on an online quiz where some of the questions had easily searchable…

This study explores the role of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Library and the Scientific Library of the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts (KNUCA) in Ukraine in enhancing academic integrity in the university community. It compares the methods of academic integrity training offered by the libraries of the two universities…

As the contract cheating market has become more sophisticated and competition has intensified, the contract cheating industry has had to redevelop its approach to gain custom. The industry has developed new models of internal operation and providers are using more sophisticated techniques to reach potential customers. This paper discusses contract…

Students are using file sharing sites to breach academic integrity in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper analyses the use of one such site, Chegg, which offers "homework help" and other academic services to students. Chegg is often presented as a file sharing site in the academic literature, but that is just one of many ways in…

Academic integrity is important to universities and students must abide by codes of academic conduct around assessment. Students are, however, subject to multiple pressures around assessment, some of which can push them to cheat. Modern contract cheating websites are the fronts for sophisticated, commercial operations that offer individually…

Contract cheating occurs when a student outsources their assessment to a third party, regardless of the third party's relationship with the student, or whether money is exchanged. In higher education, there is a widespread belief that assessment design is a solution to the problem of contract cheating and that authentic assessment tasks are…

Distance education is becoming more in demand at universities all around the world in general and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in particular, than ever before. This study aimed at highlighting the students' perceptions of cheating on a distance learning programme at King Abdulaziz University (KAU). The study will further explore the ways…

While there is growing awareness of the existence and activities of Academic Custom Writing websites, which form a small part of the contract cheating industry, how they work remains poorly understood. Very little research has been done on these sites, probably because it has been assumed that it is impossible to see behind their firewalls and…

Contract cheating sites advertise that they provide high quality, undetectable, bespoke work delivered in a timely manner to students purchasing their assignments. This paper tests contract cheating sites' promises about the products they sell. We built on previous reported research examining contract cheating sites' persuasive features which were…

A large body of research has indicated international students in the United States (U.S.) and abroad experience difficulties understanding what academic integrity is and how to avoid academic misconduct (Bista "To Improve The Academy," 30(1), 159-172 2011; Brown & Howell, 2001; Gullifer and Tyson "Studies in Higher…

The purpose of this article was to gain an understanding of the definitions of plagiarism, and cheating that are used in the literature, in institutions, and by students. The information was gathered from a literature review, from university and college websites, and from an informal sampling of students from five different first-year classes. The…