Editing for academics, professionals and experts
I am available to proofread:
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reports (e.g. consultation)
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journal articles and submissions
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PhD dissertations (although please note that advance notice and pre-booking will be required)
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expert's reports
Whether you are a native or non-native English speaker (or writer ...) I can assist in improving the accuracy of your text, making it easier to read and understand.
You may have complicated or innovative ideas, arguments and concepts that require clarity of expression in order to make them understood by the reader, whether a fellow academic, professional, colleague or a member of the general public. This clarity is sometimes difficult to achieve when you have been working on a text for some time; your familiarity with the work can cause you to miss typos, errors and inconsistencies. Sometimes there may just be an easier or better, more concise, way of expressing yourself.
Subject areas
I am able to proofread any subject except mathematics and scientific and purely medical works (as opposed to medico-legal reports).
My specific background is in law, and in terms of academic papers, published books, textbooks, expert's reports and law reports, I have worked in areas such as:
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shipping
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maritime/Admiralty
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clinical negligence
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claims handling
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RTAs/personal injury
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professional negligence
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capacity and best interests (Mental Capacity and Mental Health Acts)
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insurance
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arbitration
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property and commercial property
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intellectual property, patents and trademarks
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GDPR
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European Union
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family
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employment
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wills and probate
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legal history
I am also able to assist in more niche areas of law.
My other specialist subjects include:
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English language and literature
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creative industries
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humanities
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business and finance
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war and history
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art and history
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architecture
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design
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family history and memoir
If your subject area isn't listed, feel free to contact me as I will either be able to assist or help you find someone who can.
I have experience with various referencing conventions including OSCOLA, APA and Harvard, as well as Guardian, Economist and The Times style guides.
Limitations
While I can undertake some editing to make the text more readable, I will not be able to substantially re-write your work. Corrections will only be made to spelling, punctuation, stylistic inconsistencies, not statements of fact. I will not be able to reduce word counts, nor check the accuracy of case/legislation citations in works of law. I may be able to assist with formatting, for an additional fee.
Prices
Please email me for a personalised quote. For these projects it is usual to work using MS Word and its Comments and Track Changes function. If you have other requirements, however, I am happy to discuss those.
Please note that any documents will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
Timescales
Ensure there will be enough time between the date you require your files back and your submission/trial deadline to enable you to check the editing.
My clients say ...
“Many thanks for the very good work and the speed of the process. I am very pleased with the result. Many thanks for your service.”
Professor of Law, the Netherlands
“Excellent and thorough edits - as always! I only wish I had your attention to detail.”
Laura, PhD student
Things to consider:
When instructing a proofreader, you may want to consider the following issues:
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How much editing do you need? Is it punctuation and spelling/consistency only, or do you want more intervention and/or suggestions for improvement?
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Will there be a later, second (or third) proofread, perhaps in a different format (e.g. MS Word initial proofread, PDF once typeset)?
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What are your timescales? Is the work urgently required or is there flexibility with timescales?
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Are there any project-specific elements the proofreader needs to be aware of? For example, industry-accepted terminology; academic referencing/style systems; checking pictures/diagrams/tables and/or link-checking; a house style/brand; US English or UK English?
All of the above (and possibly more) will form part of the brief that I will follow, and will help the project to proceed with maximum efficiency.
If you are unsure whether you need a proofreading service or more intensive editing, please get in touch at johanna@ascribe-editing.co.uk and I can advise you.