WHAT IS ‘ACADEMIC PROOFREADING’?
How does proofreading work?
The role of a proofreader is to check documents for errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. I proofread by reading an electronic version of the text (usually in Word) and using the Track changes and Comment functions to record all the changes and comments that I make. This means that you can review what I have changed, and are free to accept or reject my suggestions.
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How is academic proofreading different from other sorts of proofreading?
If you are a student, your writing is assessed as part of your degree, and this places limits on how far a proofreader can go in making changes to your text. In this sense, academic proofreading is not the same as other types of proofreading, where you might expect a proofreader to ‘perfect’ the text, making all necessary changes for you. A good academic proofreader will not re-write sections of text for you, nor make it completely ‘perfect’.
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Can a proofreader help with the content / subject knowledge?
No; I am an expert in English language and academic discourse. You are the expert in your subject area. My role is to help you to make the English as good as you can make it, and to let you know when a non-expert reader might not understand what you’ve written.
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Can a proofreader help with academic style and structure?
Writing a good academic text is not simply about using ‘correct’ English. You also need to get the tone right, using a fairly formal style of writing. You need to make your argument clear, and the text needs to be formatted properly. Having worked in academia for many years, I can advise you on these aspects of writing, but I cannot do them for you. In other words, I cannot change the content, or add / delete sentences. I cannot move text around or change the structure. This is partly for ethical reasons; your tutors expect that your work is your own, written entirely by you, and partly for pedagogical reasons; learning to develop your own communication skills, including writing, is a crucial part of studying at university.
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If I spot things in your text that are unclear to me as a reader, I will add a comment explaining why I think there is a problem. I might also suggest that you consult your supervisor or tutor. It is then your job to work on improving those parts of the text. You can ask for clarification if you are not sure what I mean and you are free to ignore my suggestions if you don’t agree.
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Can a proofreader help with referencing?
Academic writing also involves referencing, which your tutors will expect you to do correctly. Again, learning how to use referencing conventions is part of being a student, and it is important that you do this yourself. If I spot problems with referencing in your text, I will point them out to you, but direct changes will be limited to minor things like missing full stops, obvious spelling mistakes and so on. You are responsible for checking that you have used the correct style (e.g. APA, Harvard, etc.) and for ensuring that you have included all the necessary references.
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What if I’m writing for publication?
The advice above is mainly aimed at students, whose writing will be assessed. If you are writing for publication rather than for assessment, do let me know, as this will influence the standard of writing expected and the sort of comments and changes I can make.
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A note on confidentiality
All texts are considered confidential and no documents or information contained within them will be shared with third parties or used for any purpose other than proofreading. Proofreading is done on a private, password-protected computer with anti-virus software installed. Upon receipt of payment (or by an agreed deadline) documents will be securely deleted from my computer.