If the agency plans the research, analyzes the data, and edits the results,
what does the student do? Why have a committee waste university time if an
agency is going to handle the tough chores? Back in the ice age when I was a
graduate student in Ann Arbor, the Ph.D. dissertation was expected to be an
original piece of research. The desired outcome was a scholar who could do
independent work that could stand up to peer review. Please let me know if
this is no longer the case. Most major research universities have stat labs
staffed to help doctoral candidates achieve the aforementioned objectives.
Also, usually the writing of the thesis is preceded by a research proposal
outling the future shape of the independent work. Would the agency provide a
proposal too? IMHO, the student after doing the research over several years
on one topic should know the details of the study better than the committee
members or anyone else. If a hired gun does the work, they know it, but the
studen/customer may have trouble explaining it later on at the oral
examination or in the future after graduating. Maybe I am off base, but I
think when an outside agency for hire does all the work, attribution is least
of a committee chair's worries.
In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (EAKIN MARK E) wrote:
>
>A graduate student showed me an email from a web-based service that offers
>to help graduate students plan their study, analyze the data, and edit the
>results. He was concerned about the ethics of using this service.
>In my opinion, graduate students have always received this kind
>of assistance from their committee members and fellow students. My only
>concern would be the amount of assistance provided and the inclusion of
>appropriate citation(s). But for me this leads to the question of how much
>is too much?
>
> Any comments?
>
>Mark Eakin
>Associate Professor
>Information Systems and Management Sciences Department
>University of Texas at Arlington
>[EMAIL PROTECTED] or
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
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