Table 1 Questions asked of the different websites and the number/percentage of sites for which the answered was considered to be ‘yes’

Is there a disclaimer of liability in respect of use?

16

52

Are there contractual terms and conditions relating to use?

31

100

Are customers able to specify the quality (grade) of the work)?

20

65

Is the Intellectual Property in the work retained by the company?

15

48

Does the work come with a ‘plagiarism-free’ guarantee?

31

100

Does the site state that the products are to be used for ‘research’ only?

31

100

Does the site offer ‘qualified’ or ‘expert’ writers?

31

100

Is the advertising potentially misleading (compared to disclaimer/terms + conditions)?

8

31