In the digital age, maintaining academic integrity has become increasingly challenging. With the rise of contract cheating and other forms of academic misconduct, educators need robust tools to ensure the authenticity of student work. This is where Turnitin Authorship comes into play.

What is Contract Cheating?

Contract cheating in higher education refers to the practice where students outsource their assignments, exams, or other academic work to third parties, presenting the purchased or borrowed work as their own. This can involve paying commercial services, known as “essay mills,” or getting help from friends, family, or even other students.

What is Turnitin Authorship?

Turnitin Authorship is a sophisticated tool designed to help educators and academic institutions detect and investigate potential cases of contract cheating.  Turnitin Authorship provides a comprehensive solution by analyzing a student’s writing style over time and comparing it with their submitted work to identify inconsistencies.

Why is Turnitin Authorship Helpful for Higher Education Instructors?

  1. Streamlined Investigations: Turnitin Authorship automates many of the manual tasks involved in investigating academic misconduct. This includes collecting document sets, analyzing metadata, and generating detailed reports. By streamlining these processes, instructors can focus more on teaching and less on administrative tasks.
  2. Evidence-Based Analysis: The platform generates an Authorship Report that provides evidence of a student’s writing patterns over time. This report can be crucial in confirming suspicions of contract cheating, offering a clear and objective basis for any disciplinary actions.
  3. Enhanced Academic Integrity: By using Turnitin Authorship, institutions can uphold higher standards of academic integrity. The tool acts as a deterrent to students considering contract cheating, knowing that their work will be scrutinized for authenticity.

Do you suspect contract cheating?

If you suspect contract cheating, contact the Academic Integrity Committee (aic@chapman.edu) and Educational Technology Services (edutech@chapman.edu) for more information and to request a Turnitin Authorship report.