When you edit an academic document or receive a proofreading service for a scientific or technical piece of writing, the process is slightly different compared to when you edit a blog post.
In proofreading services or editing services for academic work, the fact that the style is more formal compared to a blog adds some complexity to the service.
If you find yourself needing to engage in academic editing, it is always worth opting to work with a professional editor rather than a proofreader, should you not decide to complete the task yourself.
One of the reasons for this is due to the way that editors improve your manuscript in many more ways compared to proofreaders. However, this also means that editing is usually more expensive than proofreading.
If you decide to complete the task of academic editing yourself, there is a set of key tips you should pay close attention to. If you don’t, you risk a significant reputational hit when you publish your work.
1. Use a consistent style
When you write an academic paper, there are many formats and styles you can choose between. Therefore, when you complete the task of academic editing, it is important to choose a style that works well and make sure that it is applied consistently in the manuscript.
One of the well-known styles used in several scientific disciplines is the American Psychological Association (APA) style. If you are writing a paper in the humanities, it is unlikely that you will need to use APA style, but you may need to use another, such as Harvard style.
2. Mind your language
When you write an academic paper, the journal or university to which you are submitting your work will have a set of guidelines to follow.
You will need to follow these guidelines, ensuring that your manuscript and its contents satisfy them. For example, the guidelines may ask you to include specific information on the title page or to ensure your article’s abstract meets a certain word count.
Your journal or university will also ask you to avoid offensive language and deceptive or false statements in any written work you produce. Fact-checking, which you can purchase along with a proofreading service, can help you solve this.
3. Structure and length
A key element to pay attention to when editing an academic piece of writing, such as a scientific article or philosophy essay, is the issue of structure. At the same time, and in a sense related, the length of the document is a key concern for an editor.
Ideally, the structure of the document should be coherent; it should roughly follow the standard and logical structure of having an introduction section, followed by main information (e.g., methods, results, discussion), and lastly some concluding statements.
Regarding the issue of length, it is the editor’s responsibility to ensure that any word count requirements are met. One useful way to meet a word count limit is to rewrite your sentences avoid wordiness and duplication.
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