Software development marketplaces - implications for plagiarism

Plagiarism of programming assignment solutions can be detected via a range of plagiarism detection tools, as long as the originally authored work is accessible electronically. For some time now, our school has used plagiarism detection software over all submissions of programming assignments in selected courses. The use of such software has provided a viable mechanism for catching such cheating by copying. However, the emergence of online software development websites now enables students to purchase solutions from software contractors. Students submit their assignment specifications to such websites and receive bids from potential contractors to develop coded solutions. In these contexts the use of copy detection software is rendered useless, as the solutions are custom written and there is usually no electronic source available against which similarities may be detected. This paper addresses the cheating problem of students purchasing solutions via websites that host software development marketplaces.