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Author Topic: Is it ethical??  (Read 2157 times)
jaz557467
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« on: November 30, 2007, 01:33:54 PM »

I am working full time, done my entire course work, and done about 75% of my research.  I have wrote about 50% of my thesis. I am running out energy!   I am thinking of hiring and paying someone to help with the rest of the thesis.  My questions are:
•         Is it ethical to do that (not the writing, just the formatting and editting, proof reading)?
•         Can you find someone who is actually willing to do it?
 
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ahhh_history
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« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2007, 01:53:38 PM »

Yes, and yes.  My school has a listserv that all graduate students can choose to be on, and it isn't uncommon to see requests or offers for such services.  If you have the funds, there's nothing wrong with paying someone to do the formatting and make sure you didn't leave things like "find this reference later" in your footnotes. 
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larryc
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Eschew the hu.


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« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2007, 02:32:55 PM »

Editing yes, writing no. Keeping that bright line in mind, go ahead and good luck.
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seniorscholar
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« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2007, 03:02:03 PM »

Notices asking for this kind of help appear often on the graduate-student bulletin board in my English department from people in other departments. The graduate director recommends but does not demand that the English dept grad-student ask for permission to contact the dissertation supervisor to find out the particulars of the department/field's requirements and thereby silently ask permission to do this. Faculty in fields like engineering and those sciences where few of the PhD candiates and only about half of the faculty speak reasonably fluent English in any case are generally quite pleased, and also trust that English-department grad students couldn't possibly "know" enough to do the actual writing in a field where they can't even spell most of the key terms without keeping a marked cheat sheet on their bulletin board while doing the editing. (In fact my favorite Computer Science prof -- someone I see often while walking the dog -- usually checks out the English dept grad student with me and then says how grateful he will be to get a dissertation he can read.) I'm not sure how people in fields where grad students are expected to be decent writers would respond. Most of our grad students won't touch dissertation in certain fields anyway.
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betterslac
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« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2007, 03:05:27 PM »

  I have wrote about 50% of my thesis.

I can see why you need help...
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phdbliss
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« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2007, 05:25:35 PM »

Thank you, betterslac.
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martina
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« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2007, 03:49:20 AM »

I don't 'technicall'y know the answer to this, but my inner self says NOOOOO! Do it yourself, however long and painful it is and you'll no doubt feel immense satisfaction at the end of it (long after all of those revisions are done), and the process should prepare you for furture work. It sounds kind of sappy, I know. I have a rough draft of my dissertation done and lots of work still to do, and the thought has crossed my mind once or twice. But I know once I do it, I will be satisfied and that's all I aim for!
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betterslac
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« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2007, 11:03:55 AM »

Thank you, betterslac.

You're welcome :~)
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mdwlark
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« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2007, 11:10:10 AM »

Is English a second language for you?
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