---
title: "This Site Turns Wikipedia Pages Into Fake Academic Papers"
description: "A new website called M-Journal will turn Wikipedia articles into fake academic articles so that students can cite it in their homework."
date: "2019-09-25"
modified: "2019-09-27"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/wikipedia-fake-academic-papers"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
tags:
  - "school"
  - "the digest"
  - "wikipedia"
---

# This Site Turns Wikipedia Pages Into Fake Academic Papers

![A new website called M-Journal will turn Wikipedia articles into fake academic articles so that students can cite it in their homework.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/wikipedia-fake-academic-papers.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Homework Helper

A new website called [M-Journal](<https://m-journal.org/>) will automatically turn Wikipedia pages into realistic-looking academic papers.

The idea is to give students a hand [on their homework](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/homework-app-worth-3-billion>), making it seem like they're citing more reputable sources than Wikipedia without having to do any extra work, [according to *Buzzfeed News*](<https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/wikipedia-fake-academic-journal>). Its creators, from a company called [MSCHF](<https://mschf.xyz/>), told *Buzzfeed News* that M-Journal is meant to help students circumvent busy work.

## Paywalled Pranks

If a teacher attempts to look up what sources their students are citing, they'll see what appears to be a poorly-scanned copy of an academic journal article. The most devious part: the fake journal [is paywalled](<https://journalofm.org/subscription>) and asks would-be subscribers for $300 to read the full version of an article, or $2,000 for an annual pass.

"For all intents and purposes, most papers should be able to refer to Wikipedia," MSCHF founder Gabe Whaley told *BuzzFeed News*. "Wikipedia is a pretty good source."

## Kicking The Tires

Unfortunately, the articles aren't very good. Whaley claimed that he knows of at least one college professor who was fooled by an M-Journal citation, but based on the [site's shoddy output](<https://m-journal.org/article/why-poop-matters-even-more-today.pdf>) it seems more likely that the prof simply didn't bother looking into it.

Students hoping to use M-Journal as a shortcut are also banking on the chance that their teachers don't know about any of the open-access projects that help navigate around paywalls.

Or, you know, simple [fact-checking Google searches](<https://lmgtfy.com/?q=m-journal>).

**READ MORE:** [This Website Will Turn Wikipedia Articles Into "Real" Academic Papers](<https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/wikipedia-fake-academic-journal>) \[*Buzzfeed News*\]

**More on homework:** *[An App That Does Your Homework for You Is Now Worth $3 Billion](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/homework-app-worth-3-billion>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)