So,yesterday a desperate student contacted me in a last-ditch effort to save his research paper. The paper was clearly written by a native speaker and had some decent language. HOWEVER, it was off by a mile when it comes to following requirement and actually adhering to the academic writing style and methods.
Listen up, students: you need someone who has an advanced degree (MA, MS, PhD) from US and UK universities. Could be even ESL (especially if you are ESL yourself). Native writers clueless about academic writing are worse than ESLs with degrees who might have small stylistic errors here and there.
However the majority of writers are:
1. Rural Kenyans
2. Native speakers with no degree whatsoever
Do your research and select your writer wisely.