Writing term papers?

[duncanmeyer]

Hi,

I suspect that writing someone's term paper for them is illegal.  And yet I see requests for this sort of thing all the time.  Currently, for example, someone is offering $200 for a freelancer to write an academic paper for a course on religion.  Weird.  Ethical?

It takes all types, I guess.

Duncan

[mwiggenhorn]

Those jobs are prohibited by the TOS.  Flag them as "fraud" when you see them.  I know that Upwork is valiently trying to get these jobs removed ASAP but if you don't flag, they don't know.

[jmlaidlaw]

Of course, if the client decides to call the term paper a "research paper," then (it has been my observation) Upwork will often allow the job to remain  up, despite many tell-tale signs that it is an academic project.

Although -- that is improving, to be fair.

[lysis10]

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@Duncan M wrote:

Hi,

I suspect that writing someone's term paper for them is illegal.  And yet I see requests for this sort of thing all the time.  Currently, for example, someone is offering $200 for a freelancer to write an academic paper for a course on religion.  Weird.  Ethical?

It takes all types, I guess.

Duncan

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 as long as you ask yer god for forgiveness, then you can do whatever you want. It's why I stick to atheists. they believe in consequences.

[AveryO]

Hi Duncan, 

As Mary suggested, you can flag these so that the team can take actions agains the job post and the client's account. Alternatively, you can send it to any of the moderators, in this case - me, so that we can report it directly to the Marketplace Quality Team. 

[kanza6690]

Hi Avery

I would like to complain about one such job posting. It's listed as a 'Tutoring Job' and hence I got interested in it and accepted the offer but after hearing out the details, I see red flags. Though the client has still not disclosed it as a term paper.

What should I do? It's due tomorrow.

[JoanneP]

Hi Kanza,

If you see a job or invitation that looks suspicious or inappropriate, you can flag it using the flagging option found on every job post or Upwork profile. You can read more on this help article and also, please check out Tips to avoid questionable jobs. You can also send me a PM with the link to this job post including a screenshot, and I will share it with our team. Thank you!

[kanza6690]

Hi!
I'm unable to send you a PM. Is there any way I can email the screenshots?

[JoanneP]

Hi Kanza,

I sent you a PM. Thank you. 

[colettelewis]

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Joanne Marie P wrote:

Hi Kanza,

If you see a job or invitation that looks suspicious or inappropriate, you can flag it using the flagging option found on every job post or Upwork profile. You can read more on this help article and also, please check out Tips to avoid questionable jobs. You can also send me a PM with the link to this job post including a screenshot, and I will share it with our team. Thank you!

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______________________

Well, of course we flag them. The problem with Upwork is that it can rarely recognize the euphemisms deployed to trap freeelancers into academic cheating and even if it could, would it care?   

I have lost count of the ones I have flagged.  Just occasionally I get an Upwork notification that it has taken action on some job post I have flagged. But by then, so much time has passed, that I rarely have any idea what job post they are referring to - but I suspect, simply the posts where a freelancer has strayed into client territory.