Having a College Paper Done vs. Lying, Cheating, Breaking Promises and Stealing

Getting a College Paper Done

Abstract

Almost all college students have experienced the stress of having a paper due and not feeling they have enough time to accomplish it. While most students would pull an all-nighter and do whatever it takes to get the assignment finished, some will turn to online companies that advertise term paper writing. These students provide the topic to these companies and a paper is produced for a cost. This takes the responsibility away from the students and allows them to get through college without having ever truly learned the material.

Term Paper Companies

For some students, writing is extremely difficult. While some are blessed with excellent verbal skills and some with writing, there are others who have neither and can suffer while accomplishing school work when writing a paper is involved. Also, some students are lazy and do not want the added responsibility of having to write term or research papers. For these reasons, many students turn to companies who will write papers for them. It takes away the stress of a deadline and gives students the opportunity to focus on other things. However, there are many moral and ethical issues involved in the hiring of a term paper company to do school work.

The term paper debate can become heated because these companies do not feel as if they are doing anything wrong. They believe that they are providing a needed service to the public and they use legalese to attempt to work around any possible legal issues they may face by selling completed term papers. However, both the student and the companies are at fault. The student is using egoism because they are only considering their own wants and needs. They are not thinking of the moral issues of having someone else complete their work for them. The term paper companies are providing a way for students to shirk their moral duty of completing their assignments and sometimes the students do not walk away from the course learning anything.

Students who use term paper services may not possess the ability to write very well or may be international students who do not have a firm grasp of the English language. In these cases, hiring a term paper company may be their only recourse to pass their classes. Professors grade grammar and structure as well as the content of the paper. If someone who grasps the material fully but is not able to communicate well is unable to pass a class because of their writing ability, it becomes unfortunate for them. Custom term paper companies can assist these students with their writing in the classes that they may be struggling with and, although it may not be the right thing to do, it probably eases much stress from the student.

Students do not disclose where the papers come from, violating the principle of honesty and truth-telling. Since students are requesting that someone else complete their work, they are being unethical. If they tell anyone what they have done, they are admitting to plagiarism which can lead to very severe consequences. With the principle of justice, students are not being fair to the other students around them who have worked hard to ensure that their paper was finished in a timely manner. Students who use these companies have taken the easy way out while the other students have done the morally right thing and completed their own work.

When it comes to the principle of individual freedom, students may sometimes feel pressured about having to complete their work but they are never under any pressure to do the wrong thing. Professors do not encourage their students to buy term papers or do whatever it takes to pass the class. They expect students to do their own work and submit it in a timely manner. Roach (1998) wrote, "Some faculty and administrators believe that successfully dealing with the issue requires them to make sure that students clearly understand the underlying moral and academic issues" (p. 1).

The internet is a plethora of knowledge for college students performing research for papers. It is easy to tell the difference between a term paper for sale (or free) online and a legitimate academic source. The concern that students are not making the distinction between the two is not a legitimate concern. The principle of goodness and rightness is applicable here because buying a term paper is not the right thing to do for one's self and because of the other students in the class who have worked hard for their grades.

Technology has much to do with the influx of term paper companies. It is easy these days to search online and be bombarded by companies willing to sell students a premade essay or one that is custom made. Gallant (2008) wrote that, "the concern among post-secondary education campuses in connection with student conduct is that an excessive dependence on the Internet will produce a diminished caliber of professionals who are incapable of independent work" (p. 65).

The writers for these term paper companies should also be held morally accountable. While the may not be breaking any laws, especially with the legalese being used by term paper companies these days, they are enabling college students to cheat. They are violating the principle of justice and fairness because their actions do not benefit everyone. One person is receiving a benefit (albeit paid for) and another is left to stay up late working on their paper.

Websites that produce custom papers tout that their papers will pass plagiarism checks and have been written to specific requirements provided by the student. However, they may be of poor quality. In cases like this, it is really unfortunate because the student paid for a service and did not receive a paper of decent quality. If a student receives a poor grade and contests it, it does not mean they are right. If their work was produced by someone else, they do not have the right to demand a higher grade.

Most students understand that plagiarism can have severe effects but many students continue to pursue their papers through these companies. Embelton and Helfer (2007) wrote that, "universities really need to make it crystal clear to students that turning in any work that they did not create is plagiarism. The standard warning in a class syllabus may not be detailed enough to fully educate the students in exactly what constitutes plagiarism" (p. 1). If these students are briefed in advance of this, it may slow the increase of the purchase of term papers.

Broskoske (2005) explains that by performing certain actions, students are less likely to plagiarize (p. 1). He believes that by making the assignments unique, requiring portions of the paper to be turned in at different times and by using the Google search engine as a tool to check portions of the paper, students will be more likely to do their own work and less likely to use a term paper (Broskoske, 2005, p. 1). These are all wonderful suggestions and may turn students away from using a company like this, however, students are still thinking and feeling human beings and sometimes laziness wins out over any preventive method.

Having a term paper company accomplish your paper is never the most morally sound decision a student can make. Although some people, such as those experiencing a language barrier, have legitimate reasons for using these companies, it still does not make it right for students to use these companies. It decreases the integrity of the academic institution and turns out graduates, who may not have fully earned their degree, into the workplace. Term paper companies hurt the practice of academics and encourage laziness in students.

References

Black, R. (1998). High-tech cheating. Issues in Higher Education, 15(22), 1-5.

Broskoske, S. (2005). How to prevent paper recyling. The Teaching Professor, 19(10), 3-4.

Embleton, K., & Helfer, D. (2007). The plague of plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Searcher, 15(6), 1-5.

Gallant, T. (2008). Twenty-first century forces shaping academic integrity. ASHE Higher Education Report, 33(5), 65-78.