The Short Answer

It depends entirely on how you use it. The same logic applies to tutors, study guides, editing services, and writing centers — all of which are universally accepted forms of academic support. The ethical line is not whether you receive help; it is whether you submit someone else's work as your own original work in a context where independent work is explicitly required.

Legitimate Uses of Academic Writing Services

Model papers and reference documents: Many students use professionally written papers as models to understand structure, argumentation, and formatting before writing their own work. This is no different from studying a published essay or textbook chapter.

Research assistance: Getting help identifying and organizing relevant sources for a complex topic is a legitimate academic skill — librarians and research assistants do this professionally.

Editing and proofreading: Having a professional review your writing for clarity, grammar, and structure is accepted at virtually every institution. Writing centers on campus offer exactly this service.

Learning from expert explanations: When you are struggling with a complex concept, seeing how an expert approaches and explains it in writing can be an invaluable learning tool.

Know Your Institution's Policies

Every institution has its own academic integrity policy. It is your responsibility to understand those policies and make decisions accordingly. We always recommend using any writing assistance as a learning and reference tool rather than submitting work verbatim.

Our Position

We exist to provide academic support to students who need it. Like a tutor, a writing coach, or a library database, how our service is used is ultimately a decision each student makes for themselves. We encourage responsible, ethical, and learning-focused use of all academic resources.