Skilled and conscientious proofreading and proof-editing
Having your writing checked over by an experienced proofreader can help to take the stress out of preparing your work for publication or submission, and will ensure that your written material is free from those easily missed errors that can undermine the quality of your content and distract the reader.
This is where I can help
I have proofread theses and dissertations in a range of humanities and social science subjects – from conflict transformation in Indonesia through to Śrīvidyā goddess worship in South India; from the politics of burlesque to the politics of peacebuilding in Nigeria – and many more.
Bringing the training of a qualified proofreader together with extensive experience of working with academic language, I can reduce your workload when you are producing written material for submission at university or for journal publication, and help to hone your research proposals, articles and reports.
I will check your text for errors, suggest amendments to improve the flow, and identify the ambiguities, repetition and inconsistencies that can distract from the quality of your content. I will also check for consistency in layout and formatting, and for conformity with relevant style guides.
Contact me for help with:
- dissertations and theses
- essays
- journal articles
- research proposals
- reports
- book manuscripts – chapters or whole publications
I will give your work the personal attention to detail that makes the difference.
I have extensive experience of working with non-native English speakers: if you are writing in English as a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL), I can work with you to help you express your ideas naturally and fluently.
My special areas of interest and experience include:
- social sciences and humanities
- South Asia studies – India in particular
- peace studies
- cultural studies
- sustainability studies
- comparative religion
I am a Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) and abide by their Code of Practice. You can view my profile on the CIEP directory here.
I am also listed on the register of approved proofreaders for Royal Holloway, University of London and for Sheffield Hallam University.
Please Note:
Where your work is an examined text, you will need to check your university’s policy in relation to proofreading and obtain the permission of your supervisor. My work will remain within the ethical boundaries expected in an examined context – in other words, the dissertation/thesis must remain, in all respects, your own work. While I will identify and correct errors and inconsistencies in spelling, grammar and punctuation, and will improve formatting, I will not be able to undertake any rewriting.
How do I work?
I usually work on Word documents, using the Track Changes facility that enables you to easily accept/reject each amendment and using Comments to make suggestions and queries; alternatively, I can work on PDFs using inbuilt tools for amendments and comments. I will check and correct typos and errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation, and check for consistency in spelling, abbreviations, capitalisation and usage of terms and formatting. I will highlight instances where I think you need to clarify your meaning and resolve ambiguities, explaining the problem. Where your work is not an examined text I can additionally draw your attention to areas where you can improve the logical flow or connection of ideas.
As part of my service, and in order to ensure consistency over the whole document, I will compile a style sheet that is specific to your work, which I will return to you along with your proofread document; clients have found these very useful in improving the consistency of their writing.
Please note, you will need to factor in time before your submission deadline to go through my amendments and suggestions carefully.
Rates
As every piece of writing is individual in terms of the amount of work needed and level of intervention, it will help me to see a sample of your work (ideally around 1,000 words) before giving an accurate quote and agreeing upon a timescale. I will proofread the sample for free and return it to you without commitment, so that you can see the quality of my work before you decide to proceed.
What I need to know from you:
- the subject, title, estimated final word count and format (Word, PDF)
- submission deadline
- when the work will be available for proofreading
Contact Me to have a short sample of your work proofread for free, and find out how I can help you. Send an email to: rachel@duncanproofreading.com
View my Recommendations page to find out what previous clients have said about my work.
You can view my profile on the CIEP’s directory by clicking here.