High-quality proofreading service for students and academics

 

enhancing quality, maximising clarity

​

A native English (UK) proofreader with a passion for language and languages, I offer a high-quality, tailored proofreading service and am a member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP). 

​

Publications: theses, academic books, journal articles, conference presentations by non-native speakers of English, business documents, websites and exams.

​

Disciplines: education, English as a Foreign Language, applied linguistics, teacher education, business, management, social sciences, humanities and cultural studies.

​

Clients: research students, individual academics, self-publishing authors, publishers, examination boards, businesses, non-native speakers of English.

​

Nobody is a 'native speaker' of Academic English. We all – both native and non-native speakers of English – have to learn it.  

 

I will check your thesis, journal article or book chapter for ACCURACY of the language, CONSISTENCY of the language and layout, and CLARITY of the meaning. This will help you to get it ready for submission to your university or a publisher.

​

I also proofread Bibliographies in German and Spanish. 

​

I work at a high level of quality and integrity at all times and in accordance with the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading's Code of Practice.

​

Contact me now for a free short sample proofread of your text and a personalised, no obligation fee. My prices are based on the CIEP's recommended rates. 

WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL A PROOFREADER MAKE TO YOUR THESIS?

​

You have spent years working on your doctorate, but do you sometimes wonder whether your sentences could be clearer and whether your ideas flow clearly?

 

The final version of your thesis that you hand in to your supervisors and the external examiner will have an immediate effect on them when they start reading it, either positive or negative. Your thesis may also eventually become a publicly available document in your University’s online library. The errors and inconsistencies in non-proofread work can give a negative impression about your attention to detail, which may make the reader doubtful about the quality of your actual research itself. That’s why the checking of accuracy, consistency and clarity during the proofreading stage is important. See the 'Reasons' pdf, where three research students give their views. 

​

If you send me a draft chapter from your thesis (preferably the literature review), I will send you a short sample proofread so you can see for yourself whether your sentences are clear and whether the ideas flow clearly. 

​

Sally Pearse, Principal Lecturer, recently sent me this email comment on the day that I returned her proofread and formatted thesis to her:

 

I have received my final thesis and it feels like a momentous day, as I started this process five years ago. The final proofread and formatted versions [in Word and pdf] look beautifully professional and I wanted to thank you and your subcontractor for the prompt and responsive service you have offered. I have felt very safe and supported in your capable hands and I will have no hesitation in recommending you to other academics.

​

SUMMARY

 

• proofreading/proof-editing

• doctoral theses

• journal articles

• book chapters

• conference presentations

• bibliographies in Spanish and German

• subjects: education, English as a Foreign Language, applied linguistics, internationalisation, employability, business

• exams: English as a Foreign Language, Spanish and German

• attention to detail

WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL A PROOFREADER MAKE TO YOUR JOURNAL ARTICLE OR BOOK CHAPTER?

​

Here is the view of a former doctoral student at Leeds University and current lecturer in China:

​

In the last four years, I have had three journal articles, six book reviews and two book chapters accepted for publication. Dawn has proofread every one of them. As well as checking the language, such as spelling, punctuation and grammar, she raises questions and makes suggestions about points which may not be clear from a reader’s perspective. Without these suggestions, which have always led to an improvement in the clarity and flow of ideas, I very much doubt that so much of my writing would have been accepted for publication.

​

TESTIMONIAL

​

Dawn brought a meticulous professionalism to the proof-editing of my 75,000 word book and did it at express pace to meet a tight deadline. She has a great eye for detail and the academic background to understand the conventions which should be followed. I felt so much more confident about the presentation and layout of the book after Dawn had worked on it.

(Dr Ivor Timmis, Reader in English Language Teaching)

​

BIOGRAPHY

​

As a linguist, former university lecturer and fully qualified English language teacher with many years of experience in working with British and international students in the UK and overseas, I am well aware of the language issues writers of several different first languages may face when writing in English. I have also published and presented myself, mainly on subjects relating to languages, English language teaching, independent learning and employability, so I am well aware of academic conventions. In fact, I used to teach Academic Writing to university students.

​

I am an English (UK) native speaker, a qualified proofreader and a member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading.

​