If the student will get a certificate or increase his grades or pass an exam by means of that, then this action is haraam, and it is cheating and deceiving, whether this research is taken from the internet or elsewhere, because the purpose of research is to train the student and test his abilities and so on. So what he must do is do it himself. If he takes the efforts of someone else and presents it under his name, he is cheating and lying. 

These people who write reports for others are sinning and doing wrong, whether they do that in return for payment or not, because they are helping in cheating and lying, and because they play a role in the giving of certificates and grades to those who do not deserve them. This causes great damage to society and it is deceiving the ummah, because it results in promotion of those who do not deserve promotion and appointment of those who do not deserve to be appointed. 

The money that is taken for selling these reports is haraam wealth, and it is not permissible to make use of it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every body that is nourished on haraam things, the Fire is more fitting for it.” Narrated by al-Tabaraani and Abu Na’eem; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami, no. 4519. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: What do you say about what some people do, hiring someone to write reports for them or prepare essays for them, or write reports on some books so that they can get academic certificates? 

He replied: It is most unfortunate, as the questioner says, that there are some students who hire people to write reports and essays for them by means of which they obtain academic certificates, or who write reports on books, so they say to them: Prepare biographies of these figures for me and refer to specific research for me, then they submit the essay and get a degree by means of which they are entitled to become teachers and the like. In fact this goes against the aim of the university and against reality, and I think it is a kind of betrayal, because the aim of that is only to get the certificate, and if he were to be asked a few days later about the subject in which he got the certificate, he would not be able to answer. 

Hence I warn my brothers who write book reports and who prepare essays in this manner of the severe consequences. I do not say that there is anything wrong with seeking help from another person, but not in such a way that the entire essay is the work of someone else. May Allaah help us all to acquire beneficial knowledge and do righteous deeds, for He is All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive. 

End quote from Kitaab al-‘Ilm. 

And Allaah knows best.