Professional editors are hired to assist with the completion of academic papers all the time. The best way to help a professional editor, ensuring the best quality edit for your dissertation, is to request that the editor focuses on specific parts of your dissertation. These instructions provide a guide to questions/requests for your editor.
First and foremost, request that an academic editor work on your dissertation. Don’t hire a general editor!
An academic editor will keep an eye out for specific parts of your dissertation while editing for basic problems such as grammar, punctuation, and clarity. For example, one thing that an academic editor knows to do, but you should always request, is to compare your dissertation’s citations to your bibliography.
Citations
It is important to make sure that anything referenced in-text has a full citation at the end of your paper.
Always have your dissertation editor review your document with an eye to the style guide that governs your paper. Make sure to instruct the editor as to whether your article falls under APA, Chicago, MLA, or any other style guide.
If your school has a school-specific style guide, you must send a copy to your editor. This guideline is especially important if your dissertation includes any tables, charts, or figures, as different style guides request different ways of formatting each inclusion.
Every dissertation has a table of contents, and you should ensure that your table of contents cross-checks with the content/pages of the dissertation, both for the titles/wording of the headings and for the page numbers on which they fall. For many editing services, this is an extra fee, but it is one that is well worth the purchase price.
Request that your editor proofs your long quotes. Despite the fact that you quote this material from a source, there are different ways of formatting (e.g., APA style does not allow for the use of quotation marks in long quotes).
If you need someone with a particular skillset to read your paper (e.g., someone with expertise in statistical analysis), you MUST state this up front. This clarity will help ensure your accurately edits your research.
Please be aware that not all academic/dissertation editors are content-specific editors. Most are experts in the English language, specifically the written word, and have amassed years of acquired knowledge with which to edit your content.
Remember, a good dissertation editor understands that the research, education, and hard work are all yours. The professional dissertation editor only seeks to help you improve/polish your job.
The second set of eyes will help you to ensure that your dissertation reaches its absolute best before submission.
The professional dissertation editors at First Editing are always available to assist you.
Before You Start Dissertation Editing Online
In this internet age, where everything is available at the click of a button, how do you know that what you are buying is the real deal?
This applies to everything – even finding and hiring a good thesis and dissertation paper editor. Many companies are out there, saying that we have the best editors, but how do you know?
Before sending your paper or dissertation away, you can do a few basics yourself to ensure that your manuscript is in good shape. First, use the spellchecker in Word and query any unusual words using the multitude of resources on the Internet.
Second, ensure that all headings and page formats are consistent. You would be surprised at how many people use different fonts and sizes in their work. If you are not familiar with the referencing style you’re meant to be using (i.e., APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.), websites are available that will give you the basics (e.g.,
owl.english.purdue.edu, and
mla.org.)
If you do not have a reference style, then just ensure that the references are consistent. Remember, these days many academic publishers do not employ editors. The instructions to authors indicate that the paper has to be professionally edited. Therefore, these tips should help in this process.
After Self-Editing
So why hire FirstEditing.com? Most of our dissertation editors have a Ph.D. and some academic experience, so they are used to reading and examining dissertations and research papers. Some editors have published in peer-reviewed journals, so they know how a successful paper reads. Also, they have many years of academic editing experience.
Take the stress out of your dissertation and paper writing. If you let us know which reference style you are using, or forward us your journal or university guidelines, then we ensure accuracy. Your manuscript is formatted correctly. We can also add comments where information, such as references, enhance the argument and justify your statements.
Therefore, you know you are putting your work in the hands of an experienced and capable editor. We ensure that your manuscript is of the highest standards, and you can put your mind at ease!
