Faculty Resources - A Note About the Internet

The Internet has introduced us to a whole new world of accessing information. Articles and papers on a variety of topics are just a few clicks away. Selling academic papers on the Internet has become a big business. Simply typing the phrase “term paper” into a search engine will result in hundreds of websites where students can purchase papers. Most of these sites advertise tens of thousands of papers to review on almost every topic. There is a great temptation for some students to pay $9.95 or more for one of these “Guaranteed A” papers. Students don’t just purchase papers on-line, but sometimes cut and paste from research or other academic sites without giving proper citation to these sources.

We have seen many cases of plagiarism from the Internet here at Truman. You may want to address this issue in your classroom by reminding your students that you have access to the Internet as well. If you ask your students to write papers on very specific topics, they may find it difficult to find an appropriate paper on the web. Requiring rough drafts and outlines may help to deter cheating as it shows the creative process.

Adapted from Academic Integrity Newsletter July/August 2001, conduct.truman.edu