Identify the problem you actually need help with

Write down where progress has stopped: choosing a question, understanding a method, organising sources, writing clearly or managing time. These need different kinds of support. A single vague request to finish the dissertation hides the decision you need to make.

For an illustrative situation, a student who understands a topic but struggles to narrow its scope could take a question card to supervision. Someone unsure how to use a statistics package might need methods teaching, not another person to invent an analysis. The appropriate route depends on the assessment and approved support.

Check what your course permits before spending

Read the assignment brief and rules on outside assistance, collaboration, proofreading and AI. Ask the department to clarify a proposed service in writing when the boundary is uncertain. Permission for one task does not automatically cover another.

UCL's language-review guidance distinguishes limited corrections from substantive changes. Use it as an example of a policy to investigate, not universal permission to buy editing. Keep a record of any approval and disclosure your own institution requires.

Agree a precise scope for any permitted paid help

If support is allowed, describe the task, what the helper may do and what they must leave to you. Ask about the deliverable, total charge, timing, cancellation arrangements and confidentiality before committing. Do not assume that a service labelled proofreading means the same thing to every provider.

A request to explain a referencing tool is different from a request to insert sources you have never read. A request to teach a method is different from having somebody select findings and write the discussion for submission. The substance of the work matters more than its label.

Try university resources first

Explore supervisor feedback, academic-skills support, library research guidance and any approved methods workshops. These can help you define what support is needed before paying for something unsuitable. If a personal difficulty is affecting the deadline, ask the appropriate university team about the relevant process.

Use those conversations to choose support that fits the problem and helps you move forward.

FAQ: Can someone proofread my dissertation?

Possibly, but rules vary and the allowed scope can be narrow. Check your handbook and ask before sharing work. Do not treat another university's policy or a provider's reassurance as approval for your assessment.

FAQ: What should I do if I have already paid?

Check what was actually commissioned and pause any plan to submit work you did not produce. Seek confidential advice from the appropriate student-support or academic-integrity team about your circumstances. Keep the agreement and communications; do not rely on a seller's promise that a submission is safe.

Choose a support route you can explain

Use the related pages to identify the next practical action. Keep your research question, evidence and decisions understandable to you, so you can discuss them honestly with your supervisor.