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CC BY-NC V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Students Pay the Price: Doctoral candidates are targeted by contract cheating websites
International journal of doctoral studies, Vol.16, pp.363-377
2021
Abstract
This paper analyses the textual features of contract cheating websites that offer thesis writing services for doctoral students and considers implications for practice. Background: Contract cheating is an increasing challenge for higher education institutions, governments and societies worldwide. However, relatively little is known about the prevalence of online thesis writing services and the ways in which these companies attract doctoral students as customers. Methodology: This study has a three-step textual analysis methodological approach: firstly, identifying contract cheating websites that target doctoral students; secondly, applying a top-down thematic approach to the literature to identify potential vulnerabilities; and, thirdly, using these themes in a textual analysis to interrogate the language used on these websites. Contribution: Much of the current research into contract cheating has focused on coursework students. This study builds on the small sub-field of scholarship that has investigated contract cheating in a research writing context, and in contradistinction to previous studies, analyses the persuasive language features used by online contract cheating websites in the context of commonly reported doctoral student challenges. This is a novel approach not yet explored in the literature.
Details
- Title
- Students Pay the Price: Doctoral candidates are targeted by contract cheating websites
- Authors/Creators
- Andrew Kelly (Author) - Edith Cowan UniversityKylie J Stevenson (Author)
- Publication Details
- International journal of doctoral studies, Vol.16, pp.363-377
- Publisher
- Information Science Institute
- Identifiers
- 991005575667707891
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Murdoch University
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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