Get your thesis ready for submission

You’ve been working on your master’s or PhD for years, you’ve been writing and revising, and you’re nearly done. Your supervisor has likely read your chapters more than once, too.

You’re familiar with your work, and that’s where having a new reader can help.

Whether you’re a native English speaker or English is your second, third, or fourth language, your thesis will benefit from a fresh pair of eyes.

I can help pick out those fiddly bits of grammar and untangle wordy sentences. And I can help make sure your headings, tables, figures, and references are formatted correctly.

My aim is to help you communicate your thesis in a clear, logical way. When you choose me as your editor, you get the following services.

What you get

1. Copy edited thesis

Copy editing involves:

• checking spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• untangling wordy, ambiguous, or unclear sentences
• checking for appropriate use of idiom, style, and tone
• checking for consistency in the style of language, numbers, symbols, shortened forms, capitalisation, italics and other mechanics of text according to your specified style guide (e.g., APA and 7^th, CMOS 18, MLA 9^th, and the New Zealand Law Style Guide
• formatting tables, images, and captions to your chosen style.

I mark up your thesis using Word’s track changes feature and comment bubbles.

2. Style sheet personalised to your thesis

Using your style guide as the foundation, I will build a style sheet that details:

• how numbers are presented
• how headings are presented
• which type of English is used (UK/NZ English or US English)
• how tables and figures are laid out
• how sources are cited
• how discipline-specific words and abbreviations are spelled.

Read more about style guides and style sheets.

Optional: Reference checking

In addition to copy editing your thesis, I can also review your reference list and in-text citations to make sure they adhere to your chosen style guide.

Sounds great! What’s next?

I know you are working to tight deadlines, so the earlier you get in touch, the smoother the process will be.

1. Please fill out my enquiry form.
2. If it sounds like we will be a good fit, I will ask for a copy of your thesis so I can complete a free sample edit. The sample helps me work out my quote and lets you see the types of changes and comments I make.
3. I will complete the sample edit and give you a price.
4. If you are happy with the sample and price, we can sign the editing agreement and you can confirm your spot paying a deposit.
5. Send me your thesis by the agreed date; I’ll edit it and return it to you by our agreed completion date.

I recommend giving yourself as much time as possible between receiving my edits back and submitting your thesis. Going through the tracked changes can take more time than you think.

What I don’t do

My commitment to academic integrity means I cannot write or rewrite your thesis, or provide advice on the structure or order of your thesis.

I follow the Institute of Professional Editors thesis editing guidelines and any guidelines set out by your university.

I do not review equations or formulae, nor do I check that data in tables add up correctly (but if something looks particularly off, I will leave a comment).

I enjoyed the friendly and open communication throughout the editing process. My thesis is now almost ready for submission, and I have saved lots of time on fixing tricky errors I may not have noticed myself.

Working with you really helped me feel certain I will be ready to submit, and especially that my references will be correct.

– Jodie Worthington, master’s thesis

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost?

The cost depends on how long the thesis is, how much editing is needed, and how much formatting needs to be done. I work out the price based on my sample edit.

As a guide, you can expect the price to be around the following:

• approximately 60,000 words: from $4,000
• approximately 100,000 words: from $6,000

Reference checking

I quote reference checking separately to copy editing because it is involved and fiddly work, even if you’ve used citation software like EndNote.

Reference checking involves checking that:

• in-text citations or footnoted citations are included in the reference list
• each entry matches the required style (e.g., APA 7, MLA, CMOS 18)
• each entry contains the correct details (author, title, journal and issue number, page ranges, year, URLs, DOIs, etc.).

As such, reference checking is priced at $1.50 per reference.

How long does it take?

I require about five working days per 20,000 words.

• 60,000 words will take around three weeks
• 100,000 words will take around five weeks

Give yourself as much time as possible between receiving my edits back and submitting your thesis. Going through the tracked changes can take more time than you think.

When should I seek an editor?

Talk to your supervisor and see what they think. Editing can happen at different stages, such as

• before sending the thesis to your supervisor for their review
• after your supervisor has reviewed your thesis and you have worked in their suggestions
• before you submit your thesis to your university.

What disciplines do you edit?

I edit most disciplines, as long as the content is not too maths heavy! Examples of disciplines I edit:

Humanities: art history, classics, English, gender and women’s studies, geography, history, law, linguistics, philosophy, social sciences, theology.

Sciences: biochemistry, biology, biomedical sciences, computing, dentistry, food science, human nutrition, nursing, physiotherapy, preventative and social medicine, psychology, science communication.

Business: accounting and finance, economics, management, marking, tourism.

What experience do you have?

I have a bachelor of arts with honours (first class) in philosophy from the University of Otago. My fourth year dissertation was in feminist philosophy and epistemology. Along with philosophy, I also studied political studies and biblical studies (both Old Testament and New Testament).

I am a professional member of the Institute of Professional Editors, and I am an IPEd accredited editor. This means I passed the accreditation exam that tests professional competence and understanding of editing standards, skills, and knowledge.