How to use writing support ethically (and what to avoid)

The different kinds of writing support (and what’s allowed)

1) Skills workshops and university services

• What it is: Study skills workshops, writing centres, language support, librarian consultations, and 1:1 tutorials with lecturers or learning advisors.

• Ethical use: Completely fine. Bring your draft or outline and ask targeted questions.

• Avoid: Expecting staff to edit line-by-line or provide answers to the assignment.

2) Peer feedback and study groups

• What it is: Classmates swapping drafts, study buddies reviewing plans, or small peer groups.

• Ethical use: Allowed in most courses if you keep the thinking and writing your own. Use peers to test clarity, structure, and logic.

• Avoid: Copying phrasing, sharing full text that others could lift, or jointly writing a piece intended to be individual work (that can be collusion).

3) Professional proofreading and editing

• What it is: A language-level review to correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and occasionally minor style/flow issues.

• Ethical use: Usually acceptable if your institution permits proofreading. The corrections should not change meaning or add new content.

• Avoid: Substantive rewriting, adding references, creating new ideas, or altering your argument. Always check your university’s policy—some strictly limit what proofreaders can do.

4) Tutoring and coaching

• What it is: A tutor who explains concepts, shows how to structure arguments, and gives examples of approaches.

• Ethical use: Fine when it’s guidance, not ghostwriting. Tutors can model planning methods, share checklists, and review your outline.

• Avoid: Asking a tutor to write paragraphs or supply bespoke analysis you then submit as your own.

5) Generative AI and paraphrasing tools

• What it is: Tools that produce, rewrite, summarise, or analyse text.

• Ethical use: Only if your course allows it, and only for clearly permitted tasks, e.g., brainstorming questions, creating a reading checklist, or generating practice prompts. If you quote or closely adapt AI outputs, acknowledge that use according to your institution’s guidance.

• Avoid: Submitting AI-generated text as your own, masking AI text with paraphrasers, fabricating references, or relying on AI “facts” without verification.

A safe workflow for ethical writing support

1. Start with the brief and rubric. Extract the verbs (analyse, evaluate, compare), word count, and marking criteria. Summarise the task in your own words before seeking any help.

2. Write a working outline yourself. Note your thesis, main points, and evidence you plan to use. Keep this outline as your “intellectual blueprint”.

3. Seek targeted support. Book a tutorial or speak to a tutor/mentor and ask specific questions:

   • “Does my thesis directly answer the question?”

   • “Is the sequence of points logical?”

   • “Where might I add stronger evidence?”

4. Do your research first-hand. Read the sources yourself; take notes in your words; record full reference details immediately to avoid later confusion.

5. Draft independently. Produce a full draft without external text. If you use AI to brainstorm headings (only if allowed), keep it separate and never paste outputs directly into your draft.

6. Proofread within limits. If using a proofreader, supply your institution’s rules and ask them to mark issues rather than rewrite. Keep a change log.

7. Reference meticulously. Use the required style (e.g., Harvard). Include page numbers for direct quotes, and double-check every source appears in the reference list.

8. Document any tools/support. If required, add a short note in your methodology or acknowledgements: who helped, what they did, and which tools you used, brief and honest.

9. Reflect before submission. Ask: “Is every idea and sentence that carries academic value mine? Could I defend this argument in a viva?” If not, revise.

How to get the most from a tutor or writing coach

Be specific. Instead of saying “Please improve this,” try:

• “Here’s my thesis and outline, does it directly answer the question?”

• “I’m unsure if my paragraph structure follows PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explain, Link). Can you highlight one example and show me how to fix it?”

• “These are my two main sources; am I evaluating them or just describing them? What would stronger evaluation look like here?”

Bring two pages of your own writing you find hardest. Ask the tutor to show, on your sentences, where clarity drops, then practise the fix yourself on the next paragraph so you learn the technique.

Ethical use of AI: a practical mini-guide

• Check policy first. Some modules ban AI; others allow limited use with acknowledgement.

• Use it to think, not to write. Brainstorm questions, make a reading plan, or generate practice quiz items.

• Never trust AI for facts. Verify every claim and reference. AI can invent citations or subtly mis-state data.

• Paraphrasing tools are not a cure for plagiarism. If the idea isn’t yours and you don’t cite it, it’s still plagiarism even if wording changes.

• Keep a record. If you used an AI tool in an allowed way, save prompts and outputs so you can evidence ethical use if asked.

• Acknowledge when required. If your department requests a statement (e.g., “AI was used to generate practice questions; no AI text appears in the final submission”), include it.

What to avoid (with reasons)

Contract cheating / ghostwriting

Paying someone to produce original work for you is dishonest and often breaches university regulations. You risk disciplinary action, reputational damage, and losing the chance to build your skills.

Fabricated or manipulated data

Making up survey results, altering figures, or cherry-picking only “good-looking” data undermines the integrity of your research and can fail the assignment outright.

Plagiarism and close paraphrase

Copying, lightly rewording, or re-ordering someone else’s ideas without clear citation is still plagiarism. Ethical writing credits the source and adds your interpretation.

Collusion on individual tasks

Working too closely with classmates on work that must be independent can be flagged as collusion—even if no copying occurs—because the thinking is no longer solely yours.

Excessive editing

If a proofreader or friend rewrites sentences, inserts arguments, or adds references, authorship becomes blurred. Keep edits at the level of correctness and clarity, not content.

Using AI to generate assessable text

If your module bans it or you fail to acknowledge it where required, you’re misrepresenting authorship. Also, AI can produce generic claims that weaken your analysis.

Referencing without stress: a quick, precise approach

1. Capture details as you read. Author(s), year, title, publisher/journal, volume/issue, page range, DOI/URL.

2. Distinguish quotes from paraphrases. Put quotes in quotation marks with page numbers. For paraphrases, note the page/location so you can cite accurately.

3. Use a reference manager if allowed. Tools help format in Harvard, APA, etc., but always double-check.

4. Cite ideas, not only words. If an argument isn’t your own, cite it even when paraphrased.

5. Match in-text and reference list. Every in-text citation must appear in the list and vice versa.

If you do seek private support, how to keep it ethical

• Be clear about boundaries. Tell any provider you only want coaching or proofreading within your university’s rules—no rewriting, no original content.

• Ask for process, not product. Request annotated feedback explaining why changes are suggested. Implement changes yourself.

• Protect your data. Don’t share confidential briefs, personal data, or unpublished results without permission.

• Request transparency. If a provider uses AI or sub-contractors, require that they disclose exactly how and get your consent.

• Keep a paper trail. Save messages that show you asked for ethical support only. This helps if your use is ever questioned.

Example acknowledgement (if your course asks for one)

Acknowledgement of support: I attended two sessions with the university writing centre focused on structure and clarity. I also obtained proofreading limited to grammar and punctuation in line with university policy. No external content was added, and all sources are my own research.

(Adjust this to your policy. Some courses don’t want acknowledgements; others require a specific format.)

How to spot untrustworthy “help”

• Guarantees of grades or “undetectable” text. No ethical service can promise this.

• Offers to fully rewrite your draft or “polish until original”. That crosses into authorship.

• Fabricated references or generic, off-topic content. Low-quality or invented citations are a red flag.

• Pressure tactics (“submit tonight, pay now”). Good support encourages learning, not panic buys.

Keeping originality while still improving your writing

• Write from notes, not from sources. Read, close the source, then write in your own words.

• Anchor each paragraph to your thesis. Start with your point, then evidence, then explanation.

• Show evaluation, not description. Compare theories, weigh strengths/limits, and explain implications for the question.

• Read your work aloud. You’ll catch awkward phrasing and repetitive structure.

• Limit quotations. Use them only when wording is crucial; otherwise paraphrase and cite.

For students with additional needs

Ethical support also means fair access. If you have dyslexia, ADHD, or are an additional language (EAL) writer, speak to disability or learning support services. You may be entitled to:

• extended deadlines or exam adjustments

• note-taking or text-to-speech tools

• coaching on planning and organisation

• proofreading allowances within policy

Using the support you’re entitled to is not only ethical, it levels the playing field.

A short integrity checklist before you submit

• Ideas and argument are mine.

• External support stayed within policy (proofreading/tutoring only).

• All sources cited and referenced correctly.

• No AI-generated text submitted as my own.

• I could defend every claim in a viva.

• Any required acknowledgements are included.

If you hesitate on any point, revise first.

Final word

Ethical writing support is about learning, transparency, and ownership. Use tutors, peers, writing centres, and carefully scoped services to sharpen your thinking and expression. Be open about tools and help you’ve used when policies require it. Avoid anything that shifts authorship away from you, no ghostwriting, no heavy rewriting, no fabricated data, no hidden AI text.