Shadow Scholars and the Rise of the Dissertation Service Industry: Can We Maintain Academic Integrity?

Abstract

Notable interest was generated when Dave Tomar’s book, The Shadow Scholar: How I Made a Living Helping College Kids Cheat, was first published. While ghostwriters and paper mills have long been part of the academic landscape, a far more ominous enterprise has appeared that targets master’s and doctoral students seeking assistance with their theses and dissertations. This essay proffers a number of questions for consideration about the services these consulting companies are marketing on the Internet to students across the globe. The article illuminates a rising phenomenon and the potential effects on scholarship, faculty, and universities. It will be of interest to anyone interested in the implications for research education.