FAQs

Attention to detail is so important in academia, in scientific research, and in publishing. Allow your research to shine without the distraction of careless mistakes or awkward wording, and increase your chances of success!

If you’re already a researcher, you’re probably more than capable of editing your own manuscripts - but do you really have the time and the headspace? Imagine never combing through a reference list again! Be more efficient at work and more relaxed at home by outsourcing those tedious jobs to an experienced editor, and take back some control over your schedule.

If you’re a student, you might not be familiar with the standards that examiners and peer-reviewers have for the quality and professionalism of your writing. You may also be running out of time and unable to allocate energy to the finer details...but you still want to do a good job.

If English is your second language, you may not notice small language errors or nuance that can change the meaning of sentences. This is especially true in scientific writing where wording choices are crucial. An experienced academic editor who is also a native English speaker can help polish your writing before you submit.

Many scientists and students outsource the editing of their manuscripts to professional editors, prior to peer-review or submission. What a relief it can be to cross that task off your list and receive a tidy document back at the end!

While artificial intelligence (AI) can be helpful for things like basic language editing, it can’t compete with the mind and experience of a real scientist. Scientific writing has a particular style, context, intent and meaning that AI simply isn’t designed for. As a scientist and editor I have been in your shoes before, published several papers in a diversity of peer-reviewed journals, and am familiar with what's expected of your work at a scholarly and scientific level. This allows me to have the insight your writing may need.

What’s more, I am available for you to directly communicate with, providing constructive comments and feedback to help further refine your writing in the long run. As one of the first readers of your work, I can notice phrases that don't quite make sense or that need further clarification from a scientific point of view, tightening up all the little details before you send it further.

I specialise in the biological sciences and I edit academic research materials like Masters and PhD theses, scientific journal article manuscripts, academic book chapters, research reports and more.

My copyediting service will:

• help to improve the clarity, consistency and readability of your writing

• detect and remove errors of grammar, spelling, punctuation and formatting

• ensure your document (including your reference list) is formatted to the correct university or journal style guidelines

Let me handle the details while you get to work on other things (or enjoy some well-earned breathing-space)!

STEP 1. REACH OUT

Simply reach out to Donna with any queries. There's no obligation to go further and I’m happy to chat!

STEP 2. SAMPLE AND QUOTE

Send a copy of your document (or representative sample) and I will provide a quote based on the word count and depth of edit I think is required. The price is quoted in full upfront so there won't be any surprises at the end. The quote will be in the form of an Agreement for Editing. If you want to proceed, a 25% deposit is payable to enter the agreement, then work can begin at the agreed time.

STEP 3. RELAX WHILE I EDIT!

I will perform the edits to your MS Word document using Track Changes, while you are free to relax (or at least free from combing over that dreaded paragraph for the 100th time)! Track Changes are the perfect way for you to see my suggestions and comments, and you are free to accept or reject any of them. I can also perform a markup in PDF instead, if requested.

STEP 4. EDITED DOCUMENT RETURNED

When the edit is complete, I will return your Word or PDF file to you with the Track Changes or markup, together with an invoice for the remaining balance of the project as per the agreement/quote. Job done!

At Caria Editing I am happy to work with you to find a service that meets your budget. The price is based on indicative rates for academic editing (scroll to the table) guided by the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd). My academic copyediting service is usually charged at $40 - $55 per 1000 words (including references, if you want me to edit them), and depends on the depth of editing and/or formatting required.

For example:

• Journal articles of 6,000 - 8,000 words: ~ $240 - $440

• Chapter (from a book or thesis) of 10,000 words: ~ $400 - $550

• Whole theses attract a slightly reduced rate, starting from $1,800 for 50,000 words

To reduce turnaround time or cost, clients may request that I only edit the main body of text and not the references (or vice versa). Or, you might request that I only edit the core experimental chapters of a thesis but not the General Introduction/Discussion (or vice versa).

For theses, my copyediting service usually includes applying university formatting guidelines, but if you request formatting only (without copyediting the text), the price is approx. $1.50 - $2.00 per page.

My proofreading service is charged at approx. $20 - $30 per 1000 words.

If you're not sure what level of service is right for you, feel free to ask. I will provide a personalised, obligation-free quote upfront before any work begins, so you'll have no surprises.

Copyediting of manuscripts like journal articles up to 10,000 words usually requires 3-4 business days. For longer theses up to ~80,000 words, it can take up to 12-14 business days. If your project is urgent, I can sometimes arrange a faster turnaround, so feel free to ask. Proofreading usually requires roughly half the time of copyediting, but this can be project specific.

The exact timeline will be determined by the depth of edit required, word count, service and my schedule. The return date will be agreed to upfront in the Agreement for Editing, so rest assured your edited document will be returned on time!

The earlier you can get in touch and book me in the better! Simply reach out to let me know your deadline and your type/size of document, and I'll let you know my availability.

To best manage your time, it's ideal to book me in early but to actually send your work for editing only when it’s as finished as possible. This will minimise the chance of re-introducing further errors after the edit. You'll need some time to review the edits and make the changes before your deadline, and the time you allocate to this task is totally up to you.