by Suzanne Pilkington

Created on: June 04, 2009

Using a ghostwriter on academic works is dishonest. In my opinion, the main purpose of a ghost writer is to write work for those cannot write for themselves or do not have the time. Celebrities and politicians often hire a ghost writer to assist in writing material about themselves or their cause. A celebrity or politician may feel that a professional writer can do a better job putting out the message that needs to be conveyed. In this context, the message is more important than who is conveying the message. It is also already widely known that celebrities and politicians hire professional writers to help put a certain spin or sentiment on what those celebrities or politicians want written.

In academic writing, a published writer is someone who is particularly skilled and knowledgeable about a certain aspect of their field of interest. The purpose of their writing is to share this information with others in the field. Based upon academic work getting published, a writer could receive acclaim for that piece of writing. Academic writings may even win those writers awards in their field or higher paying jobs, such as at Ivy League Universities.

If an academic writer has someone else write a piece for them, it calls into question that academic's entire career. Academic writing is proof of a person's knowledge. If they didn't write the piece, it can be questioned if they really know and understand the material enough to teach or speak on it to others.

Even if the writer who claims the work has done the research for the intended piece but used a ghost writer to put that research into writing, it still calls into question the academic's reasoning skills on the subject. If they did not take the time to place the information into the context of the written piece, how can we be certain that they really understand that information? Research is only half of a written academic piece; how the research is presented can put a spin on the information that may affect the future of a particular industry or academic interest.

The use of a ghost writer also calls into question an academic's skill level. An important part of academic learning is being able to put your words and thoughts down on paper to share with others for their pursuit of learning. A strong academic personality should have learned the skills to do this in the study of their subject. If they cannot do so, they are not a reliable academic who would be able to teach and share with others.

Another issue with ghostwriting in the academic world is the strong stance of all universities and schools against plagiarism. Plagiarism is the use of another person's actual words or thoughts as your own (source, Wikipedia). Since the academic world is strongly opposed to plagiarism, the use of it by an academic writer, even with the approval of the ghost writer, should not be allowed in any manner.

Works cited:

"Plagiarism." Wikipedia: The Free Online Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism

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