Authors: Associate Professor Christine Slade and Dr James Lewandowski-Cox, The University of Queensland
Focus area: Academic integrity breach decision-making
Unethical academic file sharing continues to pose serious risks to both academic integrity and copyright compliance, particularly as platforms incentivise students to upload institutional content (Seeland et al., 2022; Rogerson & Basanta, 2016). Large-scale implementation of copyright takedown procedures remains a significant challenge for institutions (Seeland et al., 2022).
The Academic Student File Sharing (ASFS) pilot (the Pilot) at UQ, evaluated the effectiveness of copyright takedown notices to address academic integrity issues arising from student file sharing on platforms such as CourseHero and StuDocu. These platforms hosted over 75,000 files tagged as UQ content, often uploaded by students in exchange for incentives like premium access or cash rewards. The Pilot aimed to remove 5% of UQ files from each site – 3,277 from CourseHero and 497 from StuDocu. It exceeded these targets, successfully removing 3,486 from CourseHero (5.32%) and 703 files from StuDocu (7.07%) using 169.75 hours of staff time. All removed files remained offline as of July 2023, demonstrating the viability of copyright enforcement as a sustainable strategy.
Files with clear UQ branding or staff email addresses were removed more easily, while non-branded materials required additional provenance. CourseHero’s ‘PinPoint’ tool enabled efficient bulk takedowns, whereas StudDoc’s form required individual submissions. To meet targets, UQ deployed ‘working bees’ with trained library staff to manage the process.
Upload filter testing revealed that CourseHero blocked files containing the phrase ‘This content is protected and may not be shared, uploaded or distributed’, while StuDocu’s filters focused more on content quality than copyright. Both platforms incentivised uploads, with StuDocu offering direct cash payments, raising concerns about breaches of UQ’s Student Code of Conduct.
This pilot offers a practical and replicable model for institutions facing similar challenges. Its tools, strategies and insights are transferable, helping universities protect intellectual property (IP) and uphold academic integrity. While effective, ongoing success depends on institutional commitment, consistent branding practices and sector-wide collaboration.
Key lessons or points for implementation
- Develop a communications package to inform academic staff about file sharing risks and allocate staff resources to maintain takedown efforts.
- Use consistent branding and embed CourseHero’s copyright phrase in teaching materials.
- Consider misconduct action for students who upload institutional intellectual property for gain.
References
- Rogerson, A.M., & Basanta, G. (2016). Peer-to-peer file sharing and academic integrity in the internet age. In T. Bretag (Ed.), Handbook of Academic Integrity, (pp.273-285). Springer Reference. DOI 10.1007/978-981-287-098-8_55
- Seeland, J., Eaton, S.E., & Stoesz, B.M. (2022). Leveraging College Copyright Ownership Against File-Sharing and Contract Cheating Websites. In S.E. Eaton et al. (Eds.), Contract Cheating in Higher Education, (pp. 61-76). Palgrave Macmillan. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12680-2_5
Academic integrity toolkit