[1][2] The writer ignited controversy in the North American academic community when his article The Shadow Scholar appeared in 2010 in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Dave Tomar claimed in his article that he had written nearly 5000 pages of scholarly literature in the last year including a master's degree in cognitive psychology; a PhD in sociology; and essays on history, cinema, labor relations, marketing, philosophy, ethics, and public administration.
It became the most popularly commented-on article in the Chronicle Review’s history and brought wider attention to issues relating to student cheating, plagiarism, and academic integrity.
[7] Reporting for the Journal of African Cultural Studies, Patricia Kingori wrote that “To date, Tomar’s work is one of the most detailed and influential autobiographies in the field.
Almost ten years after The Shadow Scholar was published it remains important for shedding light on the perspectives of those involved in writing assignments and publications for others as part of the “fake essay” industry.