I work as an independent contractor offering editing services for journal articles, books, grant proposals, and other types of academic papers. I tailor my services to your needs.
I can help you at any or all points in the publication process.
For some authors, I edit a manuscript many times: an initial draft (for example, before a conference), a revised draft after feedback from colleagues, a draft before sending to a journal/publisher, a draft incorporating peer review, and a final draft after acceptance. Other authors may only send me their draft right before submission to a journal or publisher. In that case, I may only see the manuscript once. It just depends on your needs.
Generally, while editing, I identify and correct typographical errors, punctuation errors, misspellings, and errors in word choice and usage. Additionally, I ensure consistency in point of view (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person), verb tense, and level of formality. I also rephrase or rewrite awkward sentences and comment on areas where you are unclear or where your meaning could be interpreted multiple ways. Any comments I add to the paper are helpful (not vague, like “awkward” or “unclear”). If your meaning is unclear, I try to explain what is unclear about it and offer possible solutions to the problem, depending on your meaning. I also add comments when I change a sentence but want to call your attention to my changes, lest I misunderstood your meaning. If the paper has tables and figures, I check the numbers in the text against them and comment on any differences.
I am proficient in all major styles: Chicago, APA, MLA, AP, Turabian, Harvard.
I check the in-text citations against the reference list and note any differences in spelling, dates, or author names. I also ensure that the paper, including references and citations, adheres to the style of your choice. Just let me know which journal you are targeting, and I will look up its style requirements.
I can edit in Word or Overleaf/LaTeX, or I can mark up your PDF.
If the paper is a Word document, I track changes while I edit so that you can easily see my changes and accept or reject any of them. If your paper is in Overleaf/LaTeX, I track changes while I edit so that you can easily see my changes and accept or reject any of them. Note that tracked changes is only possible in the paid version of Overleaf. If your paper is a PDF, I edit it using the Adobe Acrobat editing tools. Note that you will need to input these changes into your document yourself.
The Scholarly Editor 