IS USING EDUBIRDIE ILLEGAL

Is Using Edubirdie Illegal? Analyzing the Legality and Ethics of Using an Academic Writing Service

Edubirdie is an online academic writing service that allows students to hire freelance writers to complete various types of academic writing assignments such as essays, research papers, assignments, and more. While using such a service may seem like a convenient way for students to get help with their coursework, there is ongoing debate around the ethics and legality of using Edubirdie and other similar services. In this in-depth article, we will analyze the key issues regarding whether using Edubirdie constitutes cheating or is otherwise illegal.

Academic Integrity Policies at Most Universities Prohibit Using Writing Services

The academic policies at the vast majority of colleges and universities explicitly prohibit students from submitting work that is not entirely their own. Most academic integrity policies state that all work submitted must be the original work of the enrolled student, with any outside sources properly cited. Using a third party writing service like Edubirdie violates this standard, as the submitted work would not be the student’s own.

While academic policies are established by individual institutions rather than laws, violating them can have serious consequences like receiving no credit for an assignment, failing a course, suspension, or even expulsion from the university. Getting caught using a writing service to complete coursework would likely be considered academic dishonesty or plagiarism by the educational institution. This could lead to the student facing disciplinary action under the school’s conduct policies.

It is important to note that academic dishonesty itself does not constitute a criminal offense. Violating an academic integrity policy is an offense handled internally by the educational institution rather than law enforcement. So while using Edubirdie might get a student in serious trouble with their school, it would not result in criminal charges. The specific legal issues are a bit more nuanced, as discussed below.

Potential Legal Issues With Ordering Custom Essays and Papers

While using essay writing services like Edubirdie to complete coursework assignments assigned by a university is not directly illegal, there are some potential legal issues to consider:

Copyright Infringement – There is a possibility the written work ordered could infringe on copyrights if it includes significant portions of published work without proper attribution. Students retain copyright to any work they submit to their university, so plagiarized content would violate that.

Fraud – In some cases, ordering a paper and representing it as one’s own original work to earn academic credit could theoretically be considered fraud. Proving intent to defraud in a court of law is very difficult.

Breach of Contract – The terms of use and order forms on writing service websites often state the work is to be used for reference/research purposes only, not direct submission. Submitting it as one’s own could breach that contract. But private breaches of contract are a civil rather than criminal matter.

While the above concerns are reasonable arguments against using essay writing services, in practice it would be extremely rare for any legal actions to actually be pursued over using Edubirdie or similar sites in most jurisdictions. The risks of any charges are very low, with disciplinary action from the university being a much more realistic threat.

Ethical Concerns With Using Writing Services

Beyond the legal technicalities, there are clear ethical concerns with ordering pre-written work from services like Edubirdie to earn academic credits or degrees:

It undermines the purpose and integrity of assessment in higher education, which is meant to evaluate students’ own abilities rather than those of paid writers.

Plagiarism by submitting others’ work as one’s own violates principles of academic honesty and can mislead or deceive assessors about a student’s actual capabilities and knowledge.

Relying too heavily on external help rather than doing independent work can compromise learning outcomes if students are not truly mastering the subject material themselves.

Paying others to do academic work that was assigned for the student defeats the purpose of assessment in evaluating individual students based on their own efforts and skills.

It is a form of cheating that gives those who use external writing services an unfair advantage over students who complete all work independently through their own efforts and learning.

Overall, while civil or criminal legal issues may not arise in most cases, the core ethical problem with using Edubirdie or similar services is that it involves deceiving assessors and compromising academic integrity and principles of honest scholarship. Most experts argue that students are better served learning through independent work rather than outsourcing it.

Alternative Options to Consider

Rather than risking academic misconduct or violations by submitting pre-written Edubirdie work, students struggling with assignments have some better alternative options:

Seek extra help through their university’s writing center, tutoring services or instructors for feedback and guidance without direct editing or writing assistance.

Carefully cite any outside sources used for research or ideas in their own original work rather than copying or buying full papers.

Ask an instructor for an extension if genuinely needing more time rather than missing a deadline altogether. Most are willing to grant reasonable extensions.

Learn time management and focus on starting assignments earlier to allow for completing them independently with adequate planning.

Consider reducing non-academic commitments or focusing on core classes if overly stressed from trying to handle too heavy a course load.

Utilize university counseling or advising services if facing difficulties that are impacting studies and need additional support strategies.

While essay writing services may seem like a quick fix, students are best served developing scholarly research, writing and time management skills on their own with appropriate assistance rather than outsourcing core academic work. There are usually better options than risking academic or legal issues through services like Edubirdie.

While using Edubirdie itself may not strictly be illegal in a criminal sense, it clearly violates academic standards of most universities and involves both ethical issues and potential contractual concerns. Alternative assistance options exist that allow students to get necessary help without compromising academic integrity or their education. Overall, independent completion of assigned work is the best approach for students.