Shouldn't I get someone who's familiar with my topic to edit my thesis?

It's actually worthwhile to hire an editor who's not familiar with your topic. As an editor my role is to focus on readability – making sure it's easy for anyone to pick up and understand your writing. For example, a medical paper should be comprehensible not only to medical peers, but to people outside of the field who may need to access the research – such as lawyers, journalists, students, or even the general public. Because of this, an editor is the perfect 'non-expert' to review your work. Not just a specialist when it comes to written expression, an editor brings a clean slate that allows them to see where you could explain things more clearly. Your supervisor, on the other hand, is a great person to give you advice on content, substance and structure, including interpretation of research and use of specialised terminology. And yes, you should ask them to check your work, too!

academic editing Faq

How long does it take to edit a thesis
or dissertation?

It depends on my schedule and the size and condition of your thesis, but to give an idea, you should allow up to four weeks for the edit and a couple of weeks to review. Contact me with details of your work as soon as possible so we can plan a turnaround time.

Can I write a thesis in a month? Can you edit a thesis in a few days? Is there life beyond this thesis?!

You shouldn't; not very well; there is!

Can I hire you to edit an essay?

Universities allow undergraduate students to hire editors for essays under some circumstances, for example, if the student doesn't speak English as a first language, and if the language skills are not being assessed. Before commencing essay editing work I require written approval from the assessor's university email account.

Do you check the bibliography, references and footnotes?

Yes, I edit footnotes as per the main content; I proofread references and bibliographies to pick up minor errors. These sections must be formatted correctly as per your university's referencing style.

How does payment work?

I accept payment by direct debit or PayPal. Payment is due within one week of completing the work. For lengthy theses or dissertations, I'll likely arrange a payment plan to receive periodic payments.

Will my paper be ready to submit after you've edited it?

Do you fact check and/or check calculations?

No; when you receive your edited document you'll need to review all of the changes and queries before it's ready to submit. It's possible that you'll also need to rewrite some sentences or even add a bit more information for clarity. You should allow a decent amount of time to review your edited document before the due date.

Does the editing process go back and forth, with  multiple drafts?

It depends. In book publishing, a manuscript goes back and forth between the writer and editor multiple times before it's ready for print. When it comes to your thesis or dissertation, I'm available to edit multiple drafts; or you may want me to only look at any new or substantial changes in your second draft; or you might be satisfied with just one round of editing – it's totally up to you.

Do I have to accept your changes?

No; the writer is always responsible for the final piece, so you can accept or reject my suggested changes as you see fit. However, when I edit I often provide brief explanations so you understand the reasoning behind the change. In this way, you also get some free coaching for your next piece of writing!

Although part of an editor's role is to fact check information and numbers, this isn't the case with academic editing. Editors are not permitted to make any changes to the content and substance of academic work. Therefore, no, fact checking or checking your calculations will not be part of your edit.