Dissertation consulting services

Although this is all water under the bridge, I was stuck at the CP stage, since my Chair did not think that it was a worthy topic. I had rewritten the CP so many times, I was sick of it, and could not see any discrepancies. I have used both Dr. Nina Molliver and Dr. John Caruso in my CP submission - and it passed the first time, without significant comments. John's contact information is

John C. Caruso, Ph.D.
Director of Services, Dissertation Statistical Services
PO Box 5555
Missoula, MT 59806
Phone: 406-369-1505
Fax: 406-545-2277
email: [email protected]
web: Dissertation Statistical Services

Nina helped me with my self confidence in the validation that my idea was worthy and John helped with the paper's flow. He put it back together in a way that made sense. Also, they know what is academically acceptable. In a low contact distance learning environment, editors are really becoming more like committee members, since the latter group is often overwhelmed with workload, IMHO.

 

I strongly suggest to the mods that the above post be edited to remove the advertisement on the grounds of academic integrity. Personally, in my opinion the whole thread should be removed. Members admitting to using these services may eventually find it come back to haunt them considering the amount of traffic this place gets and how willing everyone is to put their academic CV in signatures.

 

My question then is, were these people properly acknowledged in your dissertation for the assistance rendered?

 

I did not complete the dissertation in time to get a PhD, but had I done so, they would have surely been acknowledged by me for their invaluable assistance. In effect, by using such a service, you are paying for the support that should have been provided by the committee. My school went back and forth on the use of editors, but many schools recommend them.....

Regarding the selection of Committees, my chair was highly recommended for being able to get students through the process, but all I got out of him was what I could not do, or what would not fly at the time. Sometimes, students have little recourse but to seek outside counsel, due to lack of direction. BTW, this was the subject of my proposed dissertation. External groups such as NCUlearners are providing business value to NCU through the provision of support and advice to learners, which enables many of them to complete the doctoral program. Many learners have commented on the value and help of this group.

 

Actually the chair suggested seeking outside help. This is not to have them write the manuscript but to provide editing and/or stats aids. There is not an integrity issue since the work is the mine. If someone aids with changing a "then" to a "than" is that really an adademic integrity issue?

 

Why do you think that this is an academic integrity issue, when reputable colleges and universities offer similar services? See
WC

 

Yes, I agree. Are we confusing the shady businesses that write dissertations for you with legitimate consultants? I'm not sure why getting someone to advise you is such a bad thing. I could see it if they were doing some of the work for you, but advising and proofreading doesn't seem like such a nefarious thing.

 

Dear witch hunt -

My position on the use of dissertation consultants is this:

1. If you are using the "consultant" to help you edit for grammar and that service does not include wholesale rewrites of content, then you're ok.

2. If you're using the "consultant" to help you edit your statistics or for their advanced knowledge of your discipline, this is an academic integrity violation unless they are given credit for their input.

The initial few posts in the thread read like they were leaning towards point 2. The new and revisionist posters are now leaning towards point 1.

My personal position on the use of consultants to help with my own work is that the thought disgusts me. This does color my posts. Unfortunately those that don't like it, will have to accept that; just as I must accept that I'm posting on a forum where at least a small minority bother me.

Thanks,
IT

 

Wow, I had no idea that this would prove to be such a lively topic. Either way, I have a meeting with a consultant tomorrow to discuss the extent of services offered and to also get a feel for their ability to assist in the process. I’ll be sure to take extensive notes on what is said so that I can accurately report back to the DI community and, hopefully, aid in the ability to make informed decisions one way or the other.

By the way, thanks for the spirited conversation so far. And just so everyone can sleep well tonight, rest assured that I would never consider using any of the “less-than-wonderful” folks who offer services which amount to much more than simple consultation...

 

Define "edit yout statistics". If you mean change your values/spin the numbers to better fit your hypothesis then you are wrong no matter who is doing it. If you mean being told that NCU likes to see the data flow like this:
The relationship between ...was positive and significant, r(208) = .66, p < .001. The contribution of frequency of ... to the variance ...significant, R2 = .43, F(1, 208) = 157.6, p < .001. The null hypothesis H10 was rejected. Table 2 displays the ...for male participants. Figure 1 shows a graphical representation of ...for male participants.

There is nothing wrong with that if the reseacher has done all the work, understands the results, and generated the results.

 

Sorry if you felt you were being singled out.