Is it ethical for dissertators to seek help from a substantive or developmental editor? It depends. If at all possible, grad students should get such help from their committee members, especially the committee chair. But sometimes the chair is simply unavailable or has to be replaced, and replacements don’t always offer enough. When students know their subject matter but need help with argumentation or structure, working with an editor can be acceptable. But an editor cannot replace the committee chair or “fix” the thesis for the student. The upshot: Before signing a contract, both the student and the editor should vet the situation (and each other) carefully.