For generations of students, writing term papers has been a major source of nerves and frustration, if not the ultimate homework nightmare But for those with Internet access, illicit resources are just a few links away.
(8) All one has to do is go to the appropriate Web site, where online papers can either be purchased, ordered, or downloaded for free.
If you are too lazy or simply too busy writing your own term paper, Genius Papers is readily available (9) . Some sites, such as Term Paper Emporium and Absolutely Free: Online Essays offer course papers for free. Simply click the mouse and download--if you find the paper you want, that is.
Students are, of course, fully aware of these Web site resources, (10)
For teachers, the problem is figuring out whether a student’s authorship is authentic. But, as teaching assistant Jane Morrison explained, (11)
Faking term papers is nothing new, and stolen intellectual property has been marketed for years. But the appearance of the Internet raises the issue: (12)
"If you structure the assignment in a creative way, and if students, for instance, have to transform the information into a hand-out, or do a drama, or write an account in first person narrative, then you may curb illicit work," said library media teacher Leslie Farmer.