As a Liverpool student you are expected to uphold the highest level of academic integrity by demonstrating authentic and ethical behaviour and conduct in all of your academic work.
Using Essay Mills is a type of academic misconduct, and earlier this this year, the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill became law. Through this act, the Government has passed changes that will transform higher education, including criminalising Essay Mills.
It is now a criminal offence to:
- provide, or arrange for another person to provide, contract cheating services to students taking a qualification at a University or Higher Education Institution in England. A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine.
- to advertise any service or individual that is offering a cheating service. A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine.
What are Essay Mills?
Essay Mills are online platforms that facilitate contract cheating. Contract cheating happens when someone else completes work for a student (in full or in part) which is passed off by the student as their own work.
What does the ban mean for students?
Following the latest legislation, Essay Mills are now illegal and you should not engage with or respond to their advertising.
In line with our Academic Integrity policy, students should not use any material provided as a result of an Essay Mills service in completing all or part of the assignment. Please be aware that while it is not a criminal offense to make use of a contract cheating service, this is deemed as ‘severe academic misconduct’ and could lead to disciplinary action by the University.
What should I do if targeted by Essay Mills?
Essay Mills will often disguise themselves as ‘proofreading’, ‘tutorial’ and ‘academic support’ services. They may target you via email, text, pop-up and social media advertising.
If you receive this type of marketing you should:
- Delete it immediately
- Do not use click though links
- Do not offer any personal information or contact details
If you need any academic or assessment support, please also remember that you can contact your School Office. You can find a range of online resources in the Know How area on Canvas and KnowHow also offer in person workshops to support the development of academic skills. As a starters, all students should complete this KnowHow tutorial to find out more about what academic integrity is and why it is so important.
The Liaison Librarian for your subject can offer specialist subject support when researching for your assignments. You can book an online appointment with a Liaison Librarian online.