Support services for graduate students, faculty, researchers, writers, and academic publishers
Q: I'm thinking of using a consultant listed on this site. What steps are involved?
A: Contact the network coordinator and describe, as best you can, the entire scope of your project. If you have started the writing phase, attach your completed material (without large graphics). Forward your college/university's list of requirements. Available advisors will contact you to discuss your needs. Once you decide on your advisor, the two of you will map out a strategy to complete your project.
Q: How do you assess the fee?
A: Fees are based on the services required, the level of input required of the advisor, and the turn-around time of the project. Each advisor is freelance; each advisor sets his/her fee.
Q: How do I make payments?
A: Many of the advisors take Paypal (U.S. residents/banks only), or you can send a money order or cashier's check via snail mail or national delivery services such as Fed Ex. Another option is wire transfer through WesternUnion or MoneyGram. To make the process affordable, your advisor may pre-bill you for small increments of time (e.g., 3, 5, or 10 hours). All work is prepaid, and a nonrefundable deposit is required to hold a spot on the advisor's calendar (deposit requirement varies by advisor). Check with your advisor for payment options.
We recommend that you work in increments (e.g., sections, chapters) that are outlined in the contract.
Q. Do the consultants price-match with other services?
A: No. The consultants are distinguished professionals, and will quote reasonable rates and payment options that are affordable for most students. They will not, however, work for minimum wage. If you're looking for an exceptional consultant at a competitive rate, feel free to contact us. If you're only looking for the cheapest help you can find and are not concerned with quality and ethical services, please look elsewhere.
Q: Can I select my advisor from the list?
A. Yes. You can have the coordinator send your submission to one or several advisors of your choosing (max. 3). It is possible, however, that the advisors you selected are not available within your time frame, or they have determined that they are not the optimal matches for your needs. If this occurs, you may ask the network coordinator to poll the network to see who is available and interested in working with you on your project.
Q. How long does it take to get a response?
A. Our goal is 3 hours during US business hours. If you sent your submission after 4pm eastern, you may not receive a response until the next day. It is also (very) possible that your submission was never received (cyberspace isn't perfect). If you don't receive a timely reponse, feel free to resend your submission to all of the e-mail addresses listed on our contact page. Inform the coordinator if you do not receive any response within 24 hours.
Q: If I am dissatisfied with my advisor what options are available to me?
A: You will be choosing your advisor based on e-mail and/or phone interviews. You may also ask for a writing sample or sample edit from the advisors you are considering. Your advisor will provide you with a short consulting contract that outlines the scope of work, service limitations (e.g., ghostwriting), the cost of services, and payment terms. Read it carefully.
If you want to sever the relationship with your advisor, you may do (every contract has a termination clause). Stay in contact with your advisor and review the results of the initial work (first block of consulting hours). If you're not happy, terminate the arrangement.
Remember: Your agreement is with your advisor and not with the network as a whole or its coordinator.
Q: Is obtaining editorial help during the writing process ethical?
A: All professional writers-no matter what their level of skill-use the impartial observations of editors and editorial consultants to enhance the quality of their work and the clarity of their expression. Having work edited by professionals can also be very instructive, helping writers to better understand their audience and how to be an effective communicator. In the end, the consulting arrangement is designed to make you a better writer.
In fact, many college/university advisors will suggest that you obtain an editor to polish the narrative portion of your thesis or dissertation. If you are uncertain about your university's policies concerning the use of outside editing/consulting assistance, please ask your supervising professor. Many graduate schools and faculty members recommend us to their students based on the quality of our consultants and our ethical guidelines.
Remember: It is not the job of your committee to copyedit or format your thesis or dissertation. (They may recommend that you seek the help of specialized academic editors.)
Also, it is an unfortunate truth that some faculty members do not fully meet their advising obligations and may not be routinely accessible to their students.With decreased funding to universities and increased courseloads and students, many professors can no longer devote the time necessary to provide the graduate student with individual editing or thesis development advice. Non-credit dissertation and thesis writing courses offered by many departments offer the graduate student even less concrete and practical assistance. In some cases, the student/faculty interaction does not work out as well as expected.
Note:.Our reputation is well known and well earned. Many of our students are direct referrals from university faculty/grad schools.
We are not a paper mill; we do not sell ready-made or "custom" papers. You and your advisor will work together to produce a work centered on your ideas, your data, your perspectives, and your conclusions--in other words, a work that is truly yours. We will advise, edit, and help rewrite portions when you are struggling to express your ideas.
Q: What turnaround time can I expect?
A: This obviously depends on the amount of input required by your advisor, as well as doing your part, as needed, on a timely basis. This is a collaborative effort. Your advisor’s work will be delayed if he/she is waiting for you to send materials for review, or is waiting for your response to edited material. Please be as accurate as possible in representing the full scope of your project.
Q: What is the policy concerning confidentiality?
A: All information supplied by the client is considered confidential. We do not share or distribute client information, and we certainly do not sell, share, or distribute your research to businesses that sell theses and dissertations. A confidentiality statement should be part of the written agreement provided by your consultant before the work arrangement begins. Any promise of confidentiality is void if the student requests unethical services (e.g., data collection, ghostwriting).
Q: How will I send/receive documents?
A: E-mail, U.S. Mail, Fax, or overnight delivery services such as Fed Ex and Airborne Express.
Q: Where do I send my questions or comments?
