Let me write a dissertation for you: the micro-level cost-benefit approach to doctoral degree fraud

ABSTRACT

This study aims at investigating corruption in doctoral education. In order to reach this goal, this study focuses on Ukraine. Specifically, this study researches the market of writing and defending doctoral dissertations, also known as dissertations market. This study identifies providers of the service, as well as types of services they offer, and prices they charge. The total of 46 private for-profit firms that offer dissertations for sale was found and analysed. Such dissertations on order services are accompanied by offerings of all other services needed to qualify for a doctorate. Simple calculation and comparison of total costs and benefits of buying a dissertation indicate that purchasing a doctorate may be a good investment. The overwhelming corruption helps trade in dissertations as long as personal benefits exceed the costs of acquiring a doctorate.

KEYWORDS:

• Corruption
• dissertation
• doctoral degrees
• doctoral education
• fraud
• Ukraine

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. This quantitative research is based on the data collected by the author in 2016. Since then, the exchange rate of the local currency to the US Dollar fluctuated slightly, without any significant change. Thus, any significant changes in the prices of services offered by private firms providing dissertations on order should not be expected. The methodology offered in this paper may be used in the future research on the dissertations for sale market in Ukraine or other developing countries with new, more recent, data collected by the scholars. The use of calculation techniques of the total cost of arriving at a doctorate, the benefit the doctorate carries, and the comparison of the costs and benefits may be productive in researching doctoral degree fraud in different nations and determining the possible counter-measures.