A Scoping Review of Contract Cheating in Higher Education

Contract cheating is academic dishonesty in which a third-party completes assignments or courses for another. Research suggests this practice is growing but remains difficult to identify and prevent. We undertook a scoping review of the literature to describe factors promoting contract cheating. Results reveal gaps in knowledge of student motivations but suggest marketing tactics, especially combined with drastic shifts in course delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, play a role. We offer suggestions for future research.