As a Liverpool student, it is key that you uphold the highest level of academic integrity by demonstrating authentic and ethical behaviour and conduct in all your academic work.
Good academic practice takes time and effort to get right. It requires you to take responsibility for the authenticity of your work. You also need to make sure that you follow the correct conventions for acknowledging your use of the work of others.
In observing good academic practice, you will be demonstrating your
- Honesty and integrity
- Trustworthiness
- Respect for the wider academic community and your fellow students
- Fairness, knowing that you have truly earned the marks awarded for your work and that you have not used unfair means to gain an advantage
As a student, you may be feeling the pressure to do well in your assessments and achieve a good degree classification.
There are many companies that are willing to take advantage of this pressure by offering opportunities for someone else to complete your assessments. One way these companies do this is through Essay Mills.
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.
This is a type of academic misconduct. It is also 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. Advertising the se services is also a criminal offence.
Anyone found guilty of an offence under this law is liable to a fine.
What does this mean for you as a student?
You should not use any material provided from an Essay Mills service for any aspects of your assignments.
It’s important that you’re 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 you facing disciplinary action by the University.
What should I do if I’m targeted by Essay Mills?
Essay Mills will often disguise themselves as ‘proofreading’, ‘tutorial’ and ‘academic support’ services. They may target you via email, text, or social media advertising.
If you receive this type of marketing,:
- 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.
You should also 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.