Frequently asked questions

 

Certainly. A paper written by several people usually benefits from the fresh eye of someone who has not been involved in the data analysis and development of the draft. We can edit to the style of a specified journal or to a general style such as ICMJE (medical journal ‘Vancouver’ style) or APA (social science style with author–date citations). This will bring your paper up to the standard of those produced by large research centres with their own professional editors, and increase your chance of acceptance by high-impact journals. We also offer a reference check service to ensure that all scientific claims of fact have suitable support and that cited references meet the journal’s requirements.

Yes, we can. Like journal papers, grant applications benefit greatly from a fresh eye. An outside reader will pick up issues that your colleagues may miss. You can plan a project that is methodologically impeccable, well structured and with a realistic budget. You can show that your team can do this project and that you will deliver results. We can help write the application in such a way as to charm, excite and convince your reviewers, to give you the edge over the competition.

Yes. We can follow your style, using your organisation’s branding, or design a suitable style for your report, then arrange printing and binding if required.

Yes. I worked for many years in sexual behaviour research, much of it for HIV prevention—work that also involved editing community reports, writing media releases and designing graphs and tables. Now I have returned to my earlier career of editing and indexing.

Yes. We offer the following services:

  • language editing (for people whose first language is not English, or who have trouble with grammar)
  • copy editing to ensure consistent style (UK/US/Australian spelling, word choice, hyphenation, consistency in terminology, measurements and abbreviations), including construction of a style sheet
  • checking that in-text citations match the reference list
  • editing the references to comply with a style such as medical journal style (Vancouver), APA or MLA, either using EndNote or in Word
  • converting footnotes or endnotes into author–date or numbered reference style
  • formatting to comply with university requirements for typeface, font size and margins, and to ensure consistency in heading sizes and section numbering
  • editing and formatting tables and graphs for consistency and clarity.

In order to provide you with a quote, we will ask you to provide a sample of your work (one or two draft chapters), the contents list and an estimated total word count, and to indicate which of the above services you require. All thesis editing is done in accordance with the 2019 IPEd Guidelines for editing research theses and with the knowledge of your supervisor(s).

As complete editing of a thesis is often beyond the means of research students, we also offer a thesis package consisting of:

  • a review of the chapter headings and some of the chapters of the thesis
  • a full copy-edit of one or two chapters
  • a meeting with you to go through any major writing problems and provide guidance on how to fix them, with notes provided
  • a style sheet for you to follow when preparing the thesis for submission.

This package is more affordable than editing of the complete thesis, and the process is more educational for you, as it will help you address any grammar and stylistic problems in the future.

 

 

 

We can improve the structure, prose style and presentation of a manuscript, but we cannot guarantee that this will address all the reasons for rejection by a publisher. We do not assess manuscripts or act as an author’s agent with publishers.

Many clients who request proofreading actually require copy editing. We also do proofreading (that is, checking copy after it has been put into design format) to make sure that all the copy editor’s instructions have been followed and that no errors have been introduced in layout, captions, illustrations, tables and figures. This can be a stand-alone job or included in the quotation for an editing project.

Rates vary depending on the type of work involved, from simple copy-editing to structural editing of material in our own areas of subject expertise. Similarly, a simple index for a short non-technical publication would cost less than a complex conceptual index for a graduate textbook. Notional hourly rates vary from under $60 to over $100, depending on the expertise required and the urgency of the job. We are happy to provide a firm quotation on seeing the manuscript and agreeing with you on what level of editing you require.

For many decisions that editors make, there is little controversy. Especially in formal written language, there is general agreement among people who speak and read English about what is right and what is ungrammatical, garbled or confusing to the reader. There are also many variant usages in vocabulary (e.g. British ‘pushchair’, Australian and American ‘stroller’) or grammar (such as the American use of ‘gotten’ rather than ‘got’). Neither is wrong; it is the editor’s job to make sure the choices are consistent and suitable for the readers of the document. To make these decisions editors use style manuals, dictionaries and usage guides together with their own linguistic knowledge and experience of the type of text in question, which may be quite specialised (e.g. recipes or scientific articles). Some differences in usage do not affect literal meaning but may affect how the reader views the writer (or the character speaking in a novel)—as foreign, or uneducated, or snobbish, say. Editors take all of these differences into account so that the text makes sense for the reader.

 

 

Contact Juliet to discuss your needs

Mobile 0414 273 234

juliet.richters@gmail.com