Peer-to-peer academic support focused on understanding briefs, planning, research methods, analysis, and academic writing skills—no ghostwriting or contract cheating.

##What this group is for
-Clarifying assignment briefs, marking criteria, and rubric expectations.
-Topic selection, scoping research questions, and literature search strategies.
-Research design and methodology (quant, qual, mixed methods), ethics, and data collection planning.
-Data analysis help (SPSS/Stata/R, Python, NVivo/Atlas.ti), interpretation, and visualisation.
-Academic writing skills: structuring essays/dissertations, argumentation, critical analysis, and referencing.
-Formatting, LaTeX/Word tips, submission preparation, and time management.

##Common posts and problems
-“Help me interpret this brief/marking rubric.”
-Narrowing a dissertation topic and crafting a testable research question.
-Building a literature review: databases, keywords, inclusion/exclusion criteria.
-Choosing methods and preparing ethics applications; anonymisation and consent.
-Running analyses (e.g., t‑tests, regression, thematic coding) and reporting results.
-Referencing and citation managers (Harvard/APA/MLA/Chicago), avoiding plagiarism.
-Structuring chapters, editing for clarity, and reducing similarity scores ethically.
-Project planning (Gantt), working with supervisors, and viva preparation.

##Who can post
-Students at any level (UG/PG/PhD) seeking guidance—state degree level and discipline.
-Academics, librarians, writing‑centre staff, statisticians, and methods tutors offering non‑contracted, educational advice.
-Professional editors limited to language/clarity formatting (no content creation or rewriting to evade plagiarism).
-No agencies or individuals offering to write, ghost, or complete assessed work.

##How to post (template)
-Course/level/discipline and country (e.g., UK MSc Psychology).
-Assignment/dissertation type and word count (e.g., 2,500‑word methods report; 12,000‑word dissertation).
-Brief summary and marking criteria (paraphrased; do not paste full copyrighted briefs).
-Deadline window and current stage (topic selection, proposal, data collection, drafting, etc.).
-What you’ve done so far and specific blockers (be concrete).

##Type of help wanted:
-Understanding brief/rubric
-Topic/refinement and research question
-Literature search strategy and sources
-Methodology/ethics planning
-Data analysis approach and reporting
-Structure/flow and clarity editing
-Referencing/style and tool setup (Zotero, EndNote, LaTeX)
-Share anonymised excerpts only (≤250 words) for illustrative feedback; remove PII and metadata.
-Acknowledge your institution’s academic integrity policy; confirm you are not requesting someone to complete assessed work.

##Prohibited
-Contract cheating: requests/offers to write assignments, dissertations, code, or exam answers.
-“Guaranteed first‑class/2:1” claims, “Turnitin‑proof” or “AI‑undetectable” services.
-Sharing or requesting full solutions, graded work, or large chunks of copyrighted material.
-Posting datasets with personal/sensitive data, or non‑anonymised transcripts/consent forms.
-Direct solicitation or DMs for paid writing services; fee discussions for unethical services.
-Uploading institution‑restricted materials in violation of terms or copyright.

##Safety checklist for members
-Academic integrity first: seek guidance, not completed work. Use feedback to learn and rewrite in your own words.
-Plagiarism and AI‑use: cite all sources; check your university’s AI disclosure rules before using AI tools; never paste restricted briefs/data.
-Ethics and data protection: anonymise data; remove identifiers; verify consent and approvals; comply with GDPR/FERPA where applicable.
-Methodological fit: choose methods aligned with your research question, data, and constraints; document limitations transparently.
-Referencing: pick a style (Harvard/APA/MLA/Chicago) and be consistent; use a reference manager; verify DOIs and page ranges.
-Analysis transparency: predefine analysis steps where possible; keep a reproducible log (syntax, code, versions).
-File hygiene: scrub document metadata; back up drafts; version control your dissertation chapters.
-Wellbeing and time: plan milestones; ask for help early; consider extensions/mitigating circumstances per your university policy.
-Beware offers in DMs: report anyone offering ghostwriting or “guaranteed grades.”

##Summary
-This group supports ethical, skill‑building help for assignments and dissertations.
-Follow the posting template, avoid prohibited requests/offers, and prioritise integrity, privacy, and proper referencing.
-Moderators will remove contract‑cheating and solicitation content and may verify expert credentials for advisory posts.