what i do
When I receive your work, I switch on Microsoft Word's "Track changes" feature which will record every single change made to your document. Then I start reading. I carefully read every single word and sentence of your manuscript. The first thing I check is the overall sense of your work. This is one of the key benefits of using a proofreading service, and especially an academic proofreading service tailored to your particular subject; in contrast to a colleague or collaborator, a proofreader will look with fresh eyes, and it will almost certainly be the first time they are reading some of the ideas and theories in your work. This means they are in a very good position to assess how well you have explained yourself. They can easily pinpoint any confusion or lack of clarity in your work, before you present it to a reviewer or examiner. I note down any queries as comments in the text, so that you can rewrite if necessary to ensure you get your meaning across more clearly.
In addition to checking the overall sense of your academic writing, I also check and correct any errors in English grammar, spelling and punctuation. This ensures that your manuscript looks professional and that examiners or journal reviewers will find your work easy to read. Finally I look at your vocabulary choice - one of the most common errors made by non-English speakers - and ensure it is suitable for the context - particularly important in academic writing, where certain standards and conventions tend to apply.
For academic writing, the proofreader's job is not just to create a more polished and professional-looking manuscript, but also to ensure the English is of a sufficiently high standard that the reviewer or examiner can easily read and assess your work. This means that they are more likely to judge your work on its academic content and the value of the research you have carried out. In short, a good proofreading service will eliminate any unclear meanings and English language errors, which might make your writing difficult to read.
When carrying out research based on statistical tests or numerical results, such as is common in research in the finance, economics or management fields, where there may be less words in an article than in other subject areas, it is often even more important to ensure your English language is accurate and that you avoid any confusion in meaning. You need to be able to describe your methodology, results and conclusions with clarity. Any slips in grammar, spelling, vocabulary choice, and even punctuation, can stop a reader in their tracks, as they struggle to make sense of your words.
I started my proofreading service for academics and students 3 years ago. I specialise in correcting English language in dissertations and academic papers in the fields of business, management and economics. I started out working for non-English speakers at Manchester Business School but have also worked for clients across the UK (University of Central Lancashire, Durham University, Lancaster University Management School) and abroad (University of Piraeus, Greece).
If you think your work could benefit from my academic proofreading service, please contact me today at: