Introduction to edubirdie project
Edubirdie is an online writing assistance service that connects students with freelance writers who can help complete various types of academic writing projects. The company was founded back in 2013 in West Virginia, United States and has expanded its operations globally since then. Now edubirdie provides writing services to students not only in the US but also in countries like Australia, UK, Canada and others.
How does edubirdie work?
The basic concept behind edubirdie is quite simple – it offers to take the stress and workload off students by having professional or skilled freelance writers research, plan and write custom-made academic papers and assignments for them. Here are the main steps involved in how edubirdie’s writing assistance process works:
Students first visit the edubirdie website or app and fill an order form providing details about the writing task like word count, subject area, deadline, formatting style etc. They are also expected to attach any files or instructions relevant to the project.
The order is reviewed by edubirdie and assigned to one of their quality-checked writers based on their expertise, qualifications, ratings/reviews and availability to work on tight deadlines.
The assigned writer conducts thorough research on the given topic and communicates with the student during the process to clarify doubts and understand requirements clearly.
A draft of the custom-written paper is submitted to the student before the deadline for feedback and suggestions for revisions if needed.
Based on the feedback, the writer makes required changes and delivers the final version to the student before or on the agreed deadline.
The student reviews the completed paper and can raise concerns if it doesn’t meet all expectations. Edubirdie ensures issues are resolved to customer satisfaction.
Upon approval from the student, the writer is paid through the online platform securely.
Edubirdie helps students save time by outsourcing their academic writing while still ensuring high-quality custom papers are delivered on schedule per their guidelines. The writers are professional freelancers certified by edubirdie to undertake university-level writing tasks.
Controversies around edubirdie
While edubirdie presents itself as a helpful study assistance service, it has also received significant controversy and criticism over the years since its launch:
Plagiarism concerns: Since papers are written by third-party writers, there is an inherent risk of plagiarism if writers copy content from other sources without proper referencing. Edubirdie claims they check all papers through plagiarism detection software but some plagiarized content cases have been reported.
Academic integrity issues: Many consider using writing services like edubirdie as cheating that undermines the originality and learning process expected in academic writing. It is questioned if students truly learn by outsourcing assignments.
Legal and ethical gray areas: While edubirdie insists all orders involve research and drafting of original content, academics argue it amounts to ghostwriting which is prohibited according to policies of most educational institutions.
Low-quality work risks: Despite screening, some writers delivering subpar work below university standards has led to dissatisfied students and poor reviews for edubirdie. Quality is inconsistent.
Expensive service: The prices charged by edubirdie and other similar websites are considered too high by many students especially when a majority can complete assignments on their own with limited guidance.
Impact on education: Relying excessively on third-party help may impair critical thinking abilities students need to develop for independent research and learning at a higher academic level. It acts against the core purpose of education.
Such controversies have prompted several universities and schools to clearly ban or discourage the use of customized writing services provided by platforms like edubirdie to avoid academic integrity issues. Some have even threatened disciplinary actions against students found submitting papers obtained through such avenues.
Edubirdie’s response to controversies
In response to the plagiarism and credibility concerns raised, edubirdie asserts it has built strong safeguards and quality standards:
All writers go through screening involving background and reference checks to ensure they hold relevant qualifications.
A sophisticated plagiarism detection system scans every paper submitted to check for copied content before delivery.
They claim to provide only original, custom-written content and not pre-written papers available off-the-shelf.
Edubirdie says it will refund orders or redo papers for free in case of any issues with quality or integrity found after delivery.
Detailed writer requirements, guidelines and supervision are aimed to produce work meeting university-level standards.
Customer reviews, ratings of writers and direct communication is encouraged for accountability and feedback.
Given academic policies outrightly prohibit outsourcing assignments, edubirdie has faced legal troubles as well. For example, some Australian universities have flagged edubirdie to regulators noting concerns over “potentially fraudulent or misleading claims”.
Future of edubirdie and writing services
As the debate over academic integrity versus writing assistance access for busy students continues, the future trajectory of edubirdie and similar services remains uncertain. Key aspects include:
Stricter laws worldwide may further constrain their positioning and marketing claims regarding originality of delivered content.
Partnerships with educational institutions are less likely given policies against outsourcing academic work.
Shift to focus more on research help, overview summaries, editing assistance rather than direct delivery of completed papers.
Transparency about limitations and intended usage could help address integrity optics to some extent.
Emergence of newer learning tech alternatives like affordable tutoring may impact demand for paper writing platforms over time.
Customers may gravitate towards less controversial usage like using written work as reference material for self-learning rather than direct submission.
Overall, while offering certain advantages, edubirdie ventures into legally and ethically questionable space. Strong considerations around academic standards and student development will shape both their activities and popularity going forward. Alternative models may gain more acceptability.
Conclusion
Edubirdie pioneered the concept of connecting students with third-party writers for assistance with academic papers and projects. Concerns over issues like plagiarism, undermine integrity and high prices have led to significant debate. While meeting some needs, it also threatens important learning goals. Stricter regulations and emergence of substitutes may impact edubirdie’s direct assignment delivery model in the future. Alternative positioning focusing on guidance over delivery may help address the dilemmas to an extent. But the space will continue evolving based on the priorities of educational quality versus workload relief.
Andrew Stroud