pryncess527
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 26, 2013
- Messages
- 4,473
I disagree. The colleges I have worked for would say it's cheating. All colleges provide access to a writing center or other tutoring service to help students learn skills they need. It's is a skill they need to learn. What happens when they have to write a report for work. They can't send it to an outside company to edit. There may be coworkers that will read it for them but then again maybe not.
that's why I added that if you feel you in a gray area, you should always consult with the instructor. Asking for someone to review your paper is not plagiarism, but it may cross a cheating line for many courses.
FWIW, the flagship institution in my state includes this on their cheating policy:
A WORD ABOUT FEEDBACK AND PLAGIARISM
Asking for help on your writing does not equal plagiarism, but talking with classmates about your work may feel like cheating. Check with your professor or TA about what kinds of help you can get legally. Most will encourage you to discuss your ideas about the reading and lectures with your classmates. In general, if someone offers a particularly helpful insight, it makes sense to cite him or her in a footnote. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to write by yourself with your books closed. (For more on this topic, see our handout on plagiarism.)