ACADEMIC EDITING AND PROOFING IN PRETORIA

For a good number of years now, I have served university students as a specialised editor, for Masters and PhD dissertations, treatises and assignments. I have worked - and continue to work - across a range of universities, including (but not limited to) Stellenbosch, Western Cape and even Namibia. It is, of course, essential that a full technical and language edit is done on your work, as this is required by your lecturer or course supervisor prior to handing it in. Editing your own thesis can be difficult. After looking at a thesis several times, words tend to run together and mistakes are hard to see as your mind naturally fills in the blanks. A fresh pair of unbiased eyes is needed to help your work be perfect. This includes bringing your work up to final print quality, including your tables, figures and other images that you may be using. An editor offers an educated opinion and recommends changes to allow your manuscript to clearly say what you want it to say, and look the way you need it to look, including aligning it with the university or journal's specific guidelines (be it Harvard, Vancouver or APA, for example). Of course, as the author, you have the final say on all suggested changes. A Technical Edit involves creating the document or dissertation to the exact guidelines presented by the school; this includes your fonts and indents, page margins, and lists of tables, figures and contents. It also includes bringing your tables and figures up to the standard required by the school and, should your figures be inadequate, these are re-drawn or re-sourced. An all-important area is the Reference List: not only are these formatted to the correct formats (Harvard for most SA schools) but also checked against the in-text references and sources to ensure consistency and correct use. A Language Edit is just that: language. Not only is spelling, grammar and punctuation checked, your document is checked for consistency: which time convention, which number convention? A more detailed Language Edit would also include flow, how the words move from one area to another, enabling your reader to gain more understanding and enjoyment from your work. Fact-checking is also important here, ensuring that you have our dates, times and quotes correct. Finding help, when you can no longer see your own work anymore, is a mere click away. Simply contact me and I will arrange a quote that suits your specific project.