Question 1

Why not use AI to proofread my thesis / dissertation / journal article?

Accepted Answer

It is tempting to believe that AI can quickly polish up your article or thesis ready for submission, and these tools can be helpful for catching obvious grammatical errors and offering quick suggestions. However, it is important to understand that AI relies on patterns learned from large and varied language data – the good, the bad and the indifferent – rather than a consistent understanding of academic conventions. For high-stakes projects such as a PhD thesis, or a journal article submission, the level of attention and consistency that a human copy editor or proofreader provides can make a significant difference to both the readability and the credibility of the final result.An experienced academic writing specialist:Brings contextual understanding, subject-matter awareness, and the ability to identify and query ambiguous phrasing – something AI cannot currently doTakes a careful, informed approach to the entire text, ensuring clarity, coherence, and consistency from beginning to endMakes nuanced judgements about what reads as natural, idiomatic academic English and what is appropriate for your disciplineEnsures that all elements of the document meet institutional requirementsUnderstands current institutional and journal policies on AI use, ensuring that all editing supports academic integrity
In contrast, an AI tool will struggle to:Evaluate the clarity or logic of an extended argumentUnderstand the nuances of your academic disciplineMaintain a formal academic tone consistently throughout a documentApply a single style guide (e.g., APA, Chicago, Harvard) consistently throughout a long documentCheck document-wide features such as cross-references, figure and table numbering, and formatting consistency
AI and academic integrityMany reputable academic institutions and journals require students and contributors to disclose how AI has been used in the preparation of a thesis or article, and some prohibit its use in the writing process entirely. If a student uses AI to generate content and presents it as their own, they may face charges of academic misconduct. Examiners and reviewers are increasingly expected to be alert to signs of AI-generated content, and at many institutions have the right to request a discussion of how AI was used. While policies vary by institution, the prevailing academic position is that undisclosed use of AI to generate content constitutes academic misconduct.

Question 2

What ethical standards does a good academic proofreader follow?

Accepted Answer

Working with a copy-editor and proofreader who is mindful of the ethical issues implicit in their role can make a significant difference to both the readability and the credibility of the final text, without compromising your claim to authorship.An experienced academic writing specialist will:Bring contextual understanding, subject-matter awareness, and the ability to query ambiguous phrasing or unclear authorial intent, improving the clarity and credibility of the final textTake a careful, informed approach to the entire text, ensuring clarity, coherence, and consistency from beginning to endMake nuanced judgements about what reads as natural, idiomatic academic English and what is appropriate for your disciplineRespect the confidentiality of your work
An ethical academic copy-editor will not:Change ideas or meaningsWrite your text for youShare your work with others
Your authorship is a valuable asset and an important building block in your academic career. Working with an experienced academic writing specialist protects the value of that asset, develops your writing skills, and helps supervisors feel confident in the integrity of your finished text.AI and academic integrityMany reputable academic institutions and journals require students and contributors to disclose how AI has been used in the preparation of submitted work, and some prohibit its use in writing entirely.If a student uses AI to generate content and presents it as their own, they may face charges of academic misconduct. Examiners and reviewers are increasingly expected to be alert to signs of AI-generated content, and at many institutions have the right to request a discussion of how AI was used.While policies vary by institution, the prevailing academic position is that undisclosed use of AI to generate content constitutes academic misconduct.

Question 3

How do examiners assess a thesis or dissertation?

Accepted Answer

After years of work, long nights, and missed holidays, it is time to submit your PhD or master's thesis. You have done endless drafts and redrafts, received feedback from your supervisor, and now you are as ready as you will ever be to submit your work for examination.What are examiners looking for?Above and beyond the quality, originality, and potential impact of your research, examiners want to see evidence that you have mastered the fundamental skills of an academic. They want to be confident that you have earned your place in their scholarly community.The fundamental academic skill set:Your argument is clearly set out and readers in your discipline can follow it with ease – with no overlaps, gaps, or contradictionsYour literature review is current, comprehensive, and credibleYour language is clear, appropriate to your discipline, accurate, and grammatically correctYou have complied with the often highly detailed requirements for formatting, referencing, and layout that characterise credible research
A professional copy-editor can help ensure your research is understood and evaluated on its true merits – particularly for writers for whom English is an additional language..  Download a free submission checklistSubmit a writing sample for review

Question 4

English is not my first language. What kind of support do I need for my thesis / dissertation or journal article?

Accepted Answer

Many talented researchers struggle to express complex ideas clearly in English. This is especially true if you are writing in English as an additional language. Professional academic copy-editing and proofreading can help ensure your thesis / dissertation / journal article is understood and evaluated on its true merits.Common challenges for EAL academic writersThe issueThe copy-editor's roleOverly long academic sentences. Sentences that exceed 30 words, or more, can lose focus and accuracy and are difficult for the writer to control.Help you write more succinctly and directly so that your meaning comes through. Academic writers often understate or overstate their findings, which can undermine the impact of their writing.Help you use hedging language appropriately, to fine-tune the degree of confidence you wish to communicate about your argument or findings.Unclear paragraph focus. Sometimes a paragraph contains several ideas and the reader can lose track of your argument. Spot the lack of focus and suggest ways to formulate your thoughts more clearly. Academic tone. Some writers accidentally use informal language or combine words in ways that may sound unnatural.Identify discrepancies in tone and academic language and collocation.Grammar issues that impact meaning or clarity. These are easy mistakes to make and worth checking.Quickly pick up errors in, for example, subject-verb agreement, tenses,  and singular/plural/uncountable noun use.Wordiness and redundancy. Academic writers often use a lot of words to say a little.  This can impact clarity.Suggest ways to reduce wordiness and help the message come through more clearly. Ambiguous references. Pronouns can be especially difficult to manage and sometimes make sentences unclear or non-inclusive.Help you clarify your meaning and write more precisely and appropriately.Out-of-date vocabulary. Language is constantly changing, and some writers may unintentionally use language that is no longer appropriate, or which has changed its meaning or application.Advise you on the language choices you have made and suggest alternatives. Submit a writing sample for review

Question 5

Which service works best for me - copy-editing, formatting, or proofreading?

Accepted Answer

The service you need depends where you are in the final journey towards submission.Step 1: Copy-editing ServiceYo​u’ve finished a full draft of your PhD thesis / dissertation or journal article and you are generally happy with the content. Now you need to go back through your work to check the clarity of your argument and the consistency of your language, to correct any errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, vocabulary choices, academic conventions, referencing, and so  on.This check picks up: Clarity of the argument: this includes structure, logic, spotting gaps, overlaps and inconsistencies Academic tone: checking that the tone of voice is appropriate, and that terms are consistently and correctly usedGrammar and punctuation: spotting grammar and usage errors or inconsistencies that may impact meaning and clarityLanguage refinement: checking nuance, expressions of certainty and unnecessary wordinessCopy-editing increases readability and  academic credibility. Step 2: Formatting ServiceYou are happy with the clarity and cohesion of your writing. Now it needs to meet the rigorous standards that show examiners you have earned your place in the academic community. ​Your institution, journal, or conference may provide you with detailed guidance on standards and expectations. Most will require you to use widely accepted referencing systems - like APA, Harvard etc, - but some may have more challenging expectations that you need to consider.  Your document will need a clear hierarchy of headings that are consistently applied, and if you have a lot of tables and figures, this can involve using a multilevel number system, which can be tricky. Referencing systems are very specific and detailed, and making sure that you consistently follow the required style can be challenging.  All of these formatting conventions require great attention to detail and often some serious word processing skills. It is quite easy to run into problems that might take hours to fix.Step 3: Proofreading Service​Error-free work gives the reviewers or examiners a good initial impression of you as a student or academic and allows them to focus solely on the quality of the content of your work. Every minor change or reformat earlier on in the writing journey has the potential to inadvertently introduce a new error. That is why proofreading is always the final check before you submit your work. Proofreading checks all the 'mechanics' of your thesis:All spellings – correct and consistent All formatting, spacing, layout, fonts etc – a professional-looking documentPunctuation – correctly and consistently used and in line with the variety of English that you are using (e.g. Australian, UK, US) Proofreading does not: Change words or meaningsMove sentences, alter structure or reword content
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Question 6

What is the project process and what are the turnaround times?

Accepted Answer

Before I start working with a student or academic on their thesis, dissertation or journal article,  I like to see a sample page of their writing so that we can both be clear on the kind of support needed. This shared understanding of the task ensures that I meet the standards you require and that there is sufficient time to complete the work. It is also important to share the submission requirements for the academic institution, journal or conference you are submitting to,  and any other relevant constraints or standards. This initial review is free of charge. Based on the review, I will provide a quote and, when accepted, we will agree on a timeline. This will include agreed times for you to send drafts and a delivery date for the completed work. PhD chapters can be sent one by one if that helps you complete the task. Depending on my current workload, there may limited flexibility if you need to change your schedule. In my experience, a hard deadline can sometimes help, however! Turnaround timesAs a guide:Copy-editingJournal articles or individual thesis / dissertation chapters: 5-7 daysA full thesis / dissertation: 14-21 daysFormattingJournal articles or individual thesis / dissertation chapters: 1-2 daysA full thesis / dissertation: 2-3 daysProofreading (a last check before submission)Journal articles or individual thesis / dissertation chapters 3-4 daysA full thesis / dissertation: 7 daysSubmit a writing sample for review

Question 7

What does it cost to copy-edit, format or proofread my thesis / dissertation / journal article?

Accepted Answer

Copy-editing, formatting and proofreading can be discrete skills, but there can also be degree of overlap. Sending a writing sample will help me advise you on the kind of support you need. Exploring the Services page and trying the quick quiz might help you clarify the kind of help you are looking for.Pricing is based on:Complexity of taskUrgencyWord countA price per word Any additional support agreed – for example, formatting a document with a non-standard referencing style, or providing documents in multiple styles. Once I have reviewed a page of your work, I will send you a quote that specifies the estimated overall cost and details the kind of work that is required (e.g. copy-editing, proofreading, or a mix). To give you an example, a PhD student sends me their thesis / dissertation and requests a quote. I take a look at the sample. The writing is generally very accurate, with minimal errors. I recommend my proofreading service and I quote a fee of $ 0.02 per word (Australian dollars). The final document I receive for proofreading is 72, 000 words, so the total cost is $ 1,440 (approximately USD 992,  EUR 871, GBPS 751).  Submit a writing sample for review

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