Is It Cheating To Pay Someone To Write An Essay?

In an academic setting, students must present original work to both demonstrate and develop their knowledge and understanding of a given subject. However, are there instances in which it may be acceptable to pay someone to write an essay?

This is a question that has been debated by students, universities, and other educational institutions for years. It is important to consider the potential ethical and moral implications of having someone else write a student’s essay, as well as the practical outcomes and advantages.

In this blog post, we will explore the concept of paying someone to write an essay and the potential implications it could have on the quality and integrity of a student’s work.

We will consider the pros and cons of having someone else write an essay, and ultimately answer the question “Is it cheating to pay someone to write an essay?”

What Are Essay Writing Services?

Essay writing services are specialized services geared towards providing research-based writing assistance to students. These services are designed to help students craft their written work, from research papers to course papers, in a timely and effective manner.

And many students ask for help to write their essays. Here’s an example:

I will pay someone to write this essay for me

— alex (@highlghtheaven) November 7, 2019

 As you can see, it’s a common practice for students to seek for the services of highly skilled writers with a deep understanding of the academic process.

According to Jedidiah Evans,

As many as 31 million university students worldwide are paying third parties to complete their assessments. This staggering figure was drawn by reviewing 65 studies on contract cheating. Since 2014, as many as 15.7% of surveyed students admitted to outsourcing their assignments and essays. Source

This shows that outsourcing essays and other writing assignments is very popular among students.

However, if you need a high-quality essay, you must use a reliable, yet cheap custom essay writing service whose employees are academic writing professionals.

These writers should have earned degrees in their respective fields, and have extensive experience writing well-structured, comprehensive essays on a variety of topics.

When used in collaboration with a student’s research and written work, these services can help streamline the writing process and ensure that essays are written to the highest standards and on time.

 Reasons Why Students Use Essay Writing Services

Students use essay writing companies for various reasons including:

Access to a professional writer – Some students lack the appropriate skills and experience to write essays on their own. Thus, they may need to employ someone who specializes in writing academic papers, thus can produce top-notch papers within short timelines.

Here’s an example of a student who is stuck with her essay:

I’m stuck on my essay. Pls help me finish my essay

— Quyên (@gavin_klav) July 12, 2021

Research capabilities – People who specialize in writing academic papers have access to research materials including some of the leading journal databases that they use when doing their research. Thus, instead of paying hundreds of dollars to access research materials, some students deem it more appropriate to outsource their work to people who have access to these materials, thus saving.

Increased convenience – Academic writing can be inconvenient. For instance, it can reduce the amount of time that one has to engage in other aspects of life, including careers and families. Thus, students who need convenience usually use third parties to write their essays for them.

High-quality essays quickly and accurately –   If you need better grades, yet you’re a poor researcher and writer, you can use the services of someone else to get your essay written. Someone who specializes in essay writing can write papers that are both error-free and properly formatted, thus increasing your chances of getting a better grade.

If you want to learn more about the reasons that make students use essay writing services, check out this article.

Is Using Essay Writing Services Legal?

Using paper writing services is a hotly debated topic in the legal world. While there is no definitive answer, it is important to understand the legal considerations before utilizing an essay writing service. Generally, it is not illegal to use such services, as long as the student is not submitting the essay as their own work.

The legality of essay writing services depends on the particular contract between the student and the service. It is important to ensure that the service is not plagiarizing existing works and that the student does not submit the paper as their work. According to this article,

But other than Australia and the UK, no other country has passed a law that forbids the use of said services – not even the US. Because the fact of the matter is, governments and academic institutions are aware that students need all the help they can get to achieve academic success.

However, I have to mention that even in the case of Australia and United Kingdom, a student who is accused of using writing services is not subjected to any legal processes. Rather, it’s up to their educational institution to take the appropriate disciplinary action. In Australia, for instance, only the essay writing company can be sued.

Thus, to eliminate the legality questions, you should not submit the work as your own. Rather, you should use it as a model paper to assist you to write your own. For instance, you can take note of the key points in the paper and use them to do your own research. You can also use the formatting to ensure that your paper has the appropriate academic writing format.

If used in this manner, then these services are comparable to tutoring services, which are legal.

Potential Consequences of Using Essay Writing Services

Paying other people to write an essay has become increasingly popular within the last decade, particularly because of the increased access to the internet.

However, there are potential consequences associated with using these services, especially if a student is caught using them. In many cases, universities and colleges consider it a form of cheating and may take disciplinary action such as withholding grades, suspending, or expelling the student.

For instance, the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville says this about students who use essay writing services:

Students who have other people complete their course work will be suspended for a semester and fail that course, according to a new policy rule at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Source

It could also lead to future academic problems such as being unable to get into graduate school or not getting a job in their chosen field.

Additionally, using a service to write an essay might result in the student not learning the material as thoroughly as they would have if they had written the paper themselves.

Students need to consider the potential consequences before using an essay writing service.

How to Avoid Being Caught

However, if you must pay someone else to write an essay for you, you need to take the appropriate steps to minimize the risk of being caught, and consequently the possible consequences.

Use a reliable service – You need to use a reliable service in that your private information will remain confidential during and after using the service. We’ve had cases of students falling prey to extortionists who threaten to report them for using their services. So ensure you only use a reliable service or individual to eliminate this risk. See these tips on how to find a good but cheap custom writing service.

Do not disclose your identity – When working with someone that you don’t know personally, do not share with them your personal information such as your name, student number, address, or college. It’s advisable to use a fake PayPal account or a virtual credit card that does not have your details when ordering for the essay.

Use a service that can match your writing style – Ensure that the content of your paper matches your writing style. For instance, if you’re an ENL student, ensure the grammar and language used are at the ENL level. Besides, ensure the style matches how you usually write.

Read and edit your paper before submitting – Thoroughly read your essay before submitting it for marking. By doing this, you can identify elements such as factual errors, grammatical errors, and incorrect assertions that can make your professor suspect that you did not write the paper on your own.

Ensure the context is appropriate – For instance, if you’re writing about obesity, ensure the paper addresses the issue of obesity in the country from which you’re from, rather than the one where your writer resides. Your professor may become suspicious if you research and write about the prevalence of obesity in Europe, while you’re a US citizen. Do you get the idea?

Ascertain that the correct type of English is used – You must ensure that the correct type of English is used. For example, you can easily be caught if your paper is written in Australian English, while you are a US citizen.

Alternatives to Essay Writing Services

 

Essay writing services can be useful for students who are unable to complete their assignments on time, but there are other alternatives to consider especially after factoring in the associated risks.

• One possibility is to seek out a tutor, who can help you develop your writing skills as well as provide guidance on particular topics.
• Additionally, you may want to look into writing centers in their school. These centers provide helpful resources such as workshops, handouts, and one-on-one sessions to assist with the writing process.
• Look to online resources such as YouTube videos, online forums, and writing academies for further guidance. By exploring these various options, you can find the best approach to completing your essay assignments.
• Manage your time better so that you can spare some for writing essays, and some for other aspects of your life.

In conclusion, if you’re still wondering whether it is cheating to pay someone to write an essay, it is not, especially if you use the essay for the right purposes and in the right way. However, it might be uethical depending on your school of thought. Paying someone to write an essay for you can be a real help if you’re who are struggling with your academic assignments. However, it is important to be aware of the potential risks involved and to make sure that any service used is reputable and best. Doing thorough research and opting for an established, quality service is the best way to ensure a good experience. Also, take the appropriate precautions to avoid being caught by your professor.