Have you found yourself in this situation? You have a deadline approaching for a term paper, so you jump on Google to conduct research. You type in a few keywords on your topic, click on the blue magnifying glass symbol, and wait milliseconds for Google to bring you back millions of organic links that will help you write a winning term paper. As you begin to review the links and descriptions, your eyes are drawn to the ads on the right side of the page:

Writing Research Papers

Help With Writing

Buy 100% Original Papers

Hhhmmm … that last headline gets you thinking. Time is tight; you have more than one paper to write. You’re overly stressed and sleep deprived. Maybe a quick look wouldn’t hurt. You change your research focus from the topic of your paper to identifying which writing service is the best. Inside these sites you find carefully crafted copy and images of students just like you smiling, hanging out with their friends instead of stressed out in the cold library or a lonely dorm room. Tempting, isn’t it?

Don’t take the bait. “Why not?” you ask.

Here are my 5 top reasons why buying a term paper is a bad idea.

1. It’s a crime.

No, you won’t go to jail, but take a look at your university’s honor code. Colleges and universities have strict rules about plagiarism. When you buy a term paper, you have two possible risks that could fall under this definition: 1) you are submitting work that isn’t your own without giving credit to the actual author, and 2) the writing service may not properly reference works they are citing (including paraphrasing and summarizing ideas or opinions). If you are caught submitting a purchased paper, you may be expelled on the grounds of plagiarism. Even if they let you stay, this act will go on your student record, ruining any future opportunities for higher learning.

2. You’ll get caught.

If you buy an “original” paper from a writing service, it will lack your style. Teachers are smarter than you may think. If you think writing a term paper is stressful, try convincing a college professor that you didn’t cheat on an assignment. Even if you were to get past this first round of interrogation, your paper has to pass your university’s software review. Did you know that many colleges have software to aid them with validating the originality of papers?

3. It won’t be 100% original.

Many of these services leverage databases of other works they’ve produced. How else do you think they can adequately research a paper, write and edit it within a two to three week time period for under $30? Even if they change various sections, there won’t be enough original copy to keep you from getting caught.

4. It won’t be on target.

You are buying a service from a business. Speed and efficiency is imperative for them to turn a profit. Their goal is to get you a paper that is good enough for the price. To accomplish this, as I mentioned above, they farm content from other papers in the same area of study. This method results in dull, generic statements instead of the well articulated arguments your teachers are seeking.

5. It is probably worse than what you could write.

Do you really want to pay a fee to delay the stress of writing a paper only to receive a document you’re ashamed to turn in? If you thought you were stressed at the beginning of the process, the real stress will come when you realize you’re two to three weeks closer to your deadline without a paper to submit.

One last quick tip … if you’re stressed because you believe you just don’t have enough time, there are other resources available, legitimate resources, that can help reduce inefficiencies in your research, writing, and editing process. These resources include articles about easy-to-implement writing techniques and software templates that format your paper to the latest guidelines of the appropriate writing style with just a couple of clicks.

Remember the most important lesson … you chose to go to school to learn, and further your education. Trust me, you didn’t pay tuition to gain an education about the negative ramifications for buying a custom term paper.

David Plaut is the founder of Reference Point Software (RPS). RPS offers a complete suite of easy-to-use formatting template products featuring MLA and APA style templates, freeing up time to focus on substance while ensuring formatting accuracy. For more information, log onto http://www.referencepointsoftware.com/ or write to: info@referencepointsoftware.com Reference Point Software is not associated with, endorsed by, or affiliated with the American Psychological Association (APA) or with the Modern Language Association (MLA).