Section A·Page 2
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, November 14, 1997
Term paper cheaters caught in 'Net
Online services tantamount to pure plagiarism
By Mike Perryman Kansan staff writer
With the help of the Internet, writing a 25-page term paper can be as easy as dialing a number, requesting a topic and paying with a credit card.
On-line term paper services, featuring slogans such as "If we don't already have it, we'll write it as fast as you need it," are easily accessible and tempt college students with a fast alternative to writing their own papers.
One university has taken legal action against these services, and others are expected to follow.
Although these services claim to offer their papers only as research models, students order them and then illegally turn them in unmodified as their own work.
Kathleen McCluskey Fawcett, associate professor of academic services, said that she did not yet have a good sense of the size of the problem at the University of Kansas.
"I can't imagine that we're not getting Internet papers from students," she said. "But I just don't think there is any easy way of monitoring the number of students who are actually turning these papers in."
The term paper services boast up-to-date, three- to 25-page papers about a variety of topics including history, psychology and English. The companies charge anywhere from $8.95 to $20.95 per page, payable by credit card, and send the papers by e-mail, fax or through the mail.
Some services offer custom-written papers on the topic of the student's choice. Some services
cutting and pasting from existing papers on file, said Howard Sypher, professor of communications studies. Sypher teaches a course that deals with the Internet and Internet services.
ask students to donate their old papers to a central filing system, in return for future purchase credit on a paper of the student's choice.
Fawcett said that plagiarism
"Plagiarism goes against the heart of what a university represents, and action will always be taken, in whatever way, to eliminate it."
"People will get papers back, and they may find that a lot of the same paragraphs and excerpts are turning up across the different papers," he said. "So these papers may not be as custommade as people think."
Howard Sypher professor of communications studies
All of the
services include — usually in small letters at the bottom of the Web page — the warning that the papers are to be used only as research models.
Still, many University of Kansas faculty members find it difficult to imagine that a custom-written, 25-page, $20.95-perpage term paper is expected to be used only as a research model.
rarely resulted in expulsion at the the University, although expulsion was the most extreme punishment. Usually, a student who gets caught
Some of the services claim to provide custom-written papers, but they are more likely simply
turning in someone else's work receives an F or a zero on the assignment, she said.
Issues of plagiarism usually are resolved between the professor and the student, she said.
"Faculty knowing their students and checking the validity of their students' work is the greatest level of enforcement," she said.
Boston University, which has recently taken legal action against Internet term paper services, is expected to set some precedents in an area that has not yet been challenged by a university.
The school wants to stop the term paper services from doing business in Massachusetts and is demanding that all of the companies' documents be confiscated.
It will be significant if Boston University is successful in stopping these Internet services, said Rose Marino, associate general council at the University and member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys.
"Hopefully, it will have a chilling effect on those who are trying to use papers from the Internet in class," she said. "More importantly, it will send a strong message to those services that are offering the papers out, knowing that there is a good chance they will be turned in by students as original work."
Sypher predicted that awareness of the issue would increase with time.
"People will be watching this closely," he said. "I think institutions will use Boston as a test case. If it's successful or even close to being successful, a lot of institutions will probably come together, pool resources and take action against these services.
"Plagiarism goes against the heart of what a university represents," he said. "And action will always be taken, in whatever way possible, to eliminate it."
By Carrie Moore
cmore@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Bradbury to chronicle life of science, fiction
By Corrie Moore
Author Ray Bradbury will speak at 7:30 tonight at the Lied Center. The free event is sponsored by
Student Union Activities and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
He will speak for about an hour and have a book signing afterward.
Bradbury has written more than 500 published short stories, plays, novels, television scripts.
Bradbury.Author will speak at the Lied Center tonight
screenplays and verse. He is seen as an influential science-fiction writer, and his themes cover issues such as racism, technology, censorship and nuclear war. In 1985, his short stories were used on "The Ray Bradbury Television Theater." He also designed the Spaceship Earth exhibit at Epcot Center in Orlando, Fla.
"If anyone deserves credit for this, it's really them," he said. "We're just kind of helping out."
Matt Twito, Hutchinson junior and special events coordinator for SUA, said that the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences approached SUA and asked if it wanted to co-sponsor the event.
Linda Luckey, assistant to the dean of liberal arts and sciences, said the college asked SUA to help with the event because it wanted to get students involved.
SUA and the college spent less than $10,000 for the event, which is inexpensive for Bradbury.
"He usually speaks for about three times that." Luckey said.
Tweito said SUA handled the production costs, such as renting the Lied Center and entertaining Bradbury, and the college paid the talent fee.
Luckey said that the college had not scheduled someone famous recently, and it wanted to bring a prominent author to the University.
"He's such a fabulous author," she said. "What a wonderful person to bring here and have students meet."
SUA showed the film "Fahrenheit 451," which is based on Bradbury's novel of the same name, at 7 and 9:30 last night at Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union.
SUA has had vouchers since Wednesday. The Lied Center seats around 2,000 people, and Tweito said SUA had about 400 vouchers left.
Bradbury arrived last night, and SUA members have been showing him around town.
Bradbury said he wrote every day with joy. He said if there were a theme to his life it would be: "Don't criticize, offer alternatives — build up, don't tear down."
ET CETERA
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall.
The University Daily Kansan (USPS 6506-440) is published at the University of Kansas, 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall, Lawrence, Kan. 66045, daily during the regular school year, excluding Saturday, Sunday, holidays and finals periods, and Wednesday during the summer session Periodical postage is paid in Lawrence, Kan. 66044. Annual subscriptions by mail are $120. Student subscriptions of $2.33 are paid through the student activity fee.
Postmaster: Send address changes to the University Daily Kansan, 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall, Lawrence, Kan. 66045.
Listings are billed on a per-line-per-day basis. Prices are at cost for legitimate University of Kansas organizations.
BEAUTIFUL COLOR
CAN MAKE A
BEAUTIFUL DIFERENCE
The On Campus section is now located in the University Daily Kansan's Classified section.
'Listings must be placed by 4 p.m. two days before the listing is to begin in the section. The University Daily Kansan is not responsible for ads that do not run due to missed deadlines.
Listings for the On Campus section can be purchased at the University Daily Kansan business office, 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall, during regular business hours, Monday-Friday.
JUST COME IN FOR A SHADES EQ™
COLOR SERVICE IN NOVEMBER OR
DECEMBER AND REDKEN WILL MAKE
A DONATION TO CITY OF HOPE
TO BENEFIT THIS WORTHY CAUSE.
- Nation/World stories
http://www.kansan.com/news/nation/
For a complete look at the day's news and top stories from around the nation and the world visit the University Daily Kansan interactive.
More stories in the UDKi
Top Stories http://www.kansan.com
25th & Iowa 841-6886
TOGETHER WE CAN ALL. MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
RECYCLE
Always your best source for clothing, equipment, bicycles travel gear and accessories
REDKEN 5TH AVENUE NYC
Locally owned since 1972
SUNFLOWER OUTDOOR & BIKE
844 Massachusetts
843-5000
Part-time
Evening/Weekend
Teleservices
Representative
Shake It Up
Earn the cash you need for school...and to make the holidays cool.
Day or Evening
Teleservices
Representative
Casual dress and benefits for full and part-time.
Our current full-time *employees earn $8.50/hr.
After training you set your schedule to earn the maximum hourly wage.
We currently have openings for:
- (30 hrs/wk for evening/weekend)
Full-time
Equal Opportunity Employer
ITI Marketing Services
Equal Opportunity Employer
Call: 866-141
Or Apply in Person:
Monday-Friday 9am-6pm
1601 SW 23rd, Lawrence, KS
This delightful Richard Strauss operetta has been rescheduled for
originally scheduled for mid-November in the Crafton Preyer Theatre at the University of Kansas
Thursday - Sunday February 5-8,1998 Crafton-Preyer Theatre
8:00 p.m.
It wasn't bats in the belfry. . .
but the ceiling caved in on us so we've had to postpone
Die Fledermaus
We are sorry for the inconvenience caused by this postponement. It was the hotel
If you have tickets for the November performances of Die Fleddermaus and wish to exchange them for the February performances, please call the Murphy Hall Box Office at 864-3982.
Presented by The University Theatre and the KU Department of Music and Dance
It was the bats!
KU Cultural India Club
presents
Diwali
The Festival of Lights
On Sunday, 23rd November
Free cultural show 6.30 pm. Woodruff Auditorium, Level 5 Kansas Union
Dinner: 8 pm. Big 12 Room (opp. Woodruff)
$5 members
$7 non-members
$7 non-members
Call NOW for tickets:
SUA Box Office, or
Rao 749 2008
Ananth 840 9941
STUDENT
THE UNIVERSITY OF NASSAU
SENATE