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I'd like to get the views of others on the term 'contract cheating' - what do you think folks? Is there a better term? My hesitation is largely just because it is a somewhat esoteric term to those that don't already know what it is. But I have struggled to find a better/more intuitive one, having been through 'third parties', 'ghostwriting', 'paper mills', 'essay mills' etc etc I actually think 'contract cheating' works pretty well once you know it. It is gaining an understanding in the wider academic community although we have a long way to go, especially with policymakers (and journal editors!). Personally I am not too worried about the use of the word 'cheating'; I think part of the way to tackle contract cheating, and the causes of it, is to acknowledge it for what it is (something which might be lost from 'outsourced assessment'?). But if the community feels strongly that it is unhelpful then let's look for an alternative? When considering all of the above (and below),the best I could come up with is 'third party cheating' (tho I am sure others have suggested this already). Now is a good time to do this; the QAA and TEQSA (Australian equivalent of QAA) are both considering the issue generally and what comes from that is likely to set the nomenclature for a while. What do you think? Phil -----Original Message----- From: Plagiarism [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dr. Mike Reddy Sent: 27 July 2017 10:12 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Policy development and contract cheating OR outsourced assessment Can we try to 'unname' the term "contract cheating" in favour of "outsourced assessment", which is both more accurate - covering in lieu exam sitting too - while avoiding pejorative and biased terminology. The words "cheat" and "steal" are emotionally charged terms that aren't helpful TBH. Furthermore, there is often no contract, as friends or fellow students are often responsible, rather than essay mills. Unless the contract being cheated is that between the student and the university, but that wasn't the context used in Lancaster's original paper; I wish it had been. The term "outsourced assessment" came about in a lunchtime meeting with Phil Newton at Swansea, after we were both bemoaning how "contract cheating" had sadly caught on. We were introducing our respective PhD students to each other, both of whom are looking for a positive way forward on this issue. So, let's reclaim our academic language. Outsourced Assessment! ************************************************************************* You are subscribed to the JISC Plagiarism mailing list. To Unsubscribe, change your subscription options, or access list archives, visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/PLAGIARISM.html ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* You are subscribed to the JISC Plagiarism mailing list. To Unsubscribe, change your subscription options, or access list archives, visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/PLAGIARISM.html *************************************************************************