Atlantic Provinces Academic Integrity and Contract Cheating Policy Analysis

• Main Authors: Eaton, Sarah Elaine, Stoesz, Brenda M., Godfrey Anderson, Jennifer, LeBlanc-Haley, Joanne
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Werklund School of Education 2022
• Subjects: academic integrity; contract cheating; Canada; higher education; academic misconduct; academic dishonesty; term paper mill; essay mill; Newfoundland; Prince Edward Island
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1880/114259; https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/39489

Contract cheating (i.e., outsourcing of academic work) poses a threat to the integrity of credentials awarded by institutions. The global contract cheating industry is estimated to be valued at $15 Billion USD. If students have outsourced academic work to a third party (e.g., term paper mill, assignment completion services, or thesis-writing services) the integrity of the credentials they are awarded becomes questionable. In this presentation we share findings from our analysis of academic integrity policies of 13 publicly-funded universities in New Brunswick (n = 3), Nova Scotia (n = 8), Prince Edward Island (n = 1), and Newfoundland (n = 1). We pay particular attention to the ways in which contract cheating is addressed through policy documents. We conclude with concrete recommendations for policy reform. Read more about the project here: https://osf.io/n9kwt/wiki/home/