edit phd thesis

How to edit a PhD thesis (without going mad)

Jun 5, 2020

Your PhD thesis is the culmination of years of coursework and research and it can seem pretty overwhelming. Once you complete a draft, your work is far from over. Editing and proofreading are a significant part of your work on your dissertation, but after drafting your chapters, you might feel like you have no idea where to start editing. 

This is where we come in. We’re going to walk you through the dos and dont’s of editing a dissertation thesis chapter to help the process seem less daunting. If you’re ready to learn about how to edit your PhD thesis, read on. 

Do Walk Away and Take a Break

This might seem counterintuitive. You’re finished with a chapter and now you should walk away? The purpose of  taking a break  is to clear your head. Don’t just take a 10-minute break either. Take a whole day, maybe more if you can spare them, and then come back with fresh eyes and a cleared mind to begin editing. 

Don’t Edit as You Write 

You might be tempted to go back and edit after every few paragraphs or pages, but try to resist that urge. If you wait until you have an entire draft of a chapter ready, you will make things much easier on yourself.

If you can wait, you can then move entire sections, judge the quality of a paragraph or section in terms of the entire chapter, and have a better idea of the full picture of the chapter rather than just a small section.

Do Create a Plan

Before you start editing, have a plan. Start with one chapter (do not try to edit the entire dissertation at once) and lay out what you are looking for.

When you edit the first draft of your chapter, you should ask yourself questions as you go through it. You want to examine how it might be improved, what you need to add, what might need to be removed, and what might need to be moved to another section.

Set yourself up with a list of questions to ask yourself as you review each chapter. Yours might differ based on your discipline, but here are some general questions you can start with:

Whether it’s the introduction, literature review, results, or discussion and conclusion chapters, you had a purpose when writing them. That purpose should be clear at the beginning of the chapter and you should carry that through the entire chapter. Ask yourself:

• What is the purpose of this chapter?
• Did I make that clear? (i.e., is there a clearly stated purpose of the chapter at the beginning?)
• Does this chapter and the material in it logically follow the previous chapter?
• Are there places where things don’t fit or seem to come out of nowhere within the chapter?
• Am I using adequate transitions between paragraphs and sections?
• Have I used existing research to justify your process and/or explained that your research is the first on the topic?
• Is the chapter well-organised and easy to read?
• Have I appropriately used headings and subheadings to help the flow and organisation?
• Do I have a strong conclusion that isn’t just a summary of the chapter and gives the reader an idea of the content of the next chapter?
• Does the writing flow from section to section and chapter to chapter?
• Have I established myself as an academic authority on the subject?
• Can I make the writing more concise?

These questions are relevant for each chapter of your dissertation.

Your PhD Thesis. On one page.

Don’t proofread during the editing .

The editing step is focused more on big-picture items, not line edits. Sure, you can fix typos, but don’t worry too much about the small details. The  thorough proofreading  will come later.

You might even hire a  professional proofreader  to handle the line-item editing for you once your draft is finished and edited. Otherwise, the proofreading comes when the writing is done and the PhD is nearly complete.

Do Edit in Stages

The logical editing process is to focus on each chapter at a time. After each chapter is finished, you can edit it (after you’ve walked away from it a bit).

You can also choose to focus on one editorial issue at a time. For example, you could first go through to check for structure in one editing session and then check for purpose in another (this way is a bit more complex and you often find yourself focusing on everything in an editing session, so try a few different methods to see what works best for you).

Don’t Edit the Entire Thing at Once

Just like you need to walk away from a chapter and give yourself a break from it before editing, you also need to give yourself a break between editing sessions. The thought of sitting down to edit the entire dissertation, which could be several hundred pages, is probably extremely overwhelming. It’s enough to make someone procrastinate the editing process because it seems like such a daunting task.

Don’t do this to yourself! Instead, set goals. Decide how much you will edit in one day and stick to that. This will help you to manage your time and also make sure your eyes and mind are fresh as you edit. As you get fatigued from so much reading and editing, you’ll start to miss things.

You didn’t sit down to write the entire thing in one sitting, so don’t expect yourself to edit the whole thing in one sitting.

How to Edit a PhD Thesis Effectively

Unless you’ve written a dissertation before, chances are you are stuck on how to edit a PhD thesis chapter. Use these tips to make the editing process more manageable and less overwhelming. It’s a lot of work, but so is the writing process. You want your final draft to be the best it can be.

If you’re still stuck or overwhelmed, let one of our PhD-thesis proofreaders take on the editing process for you.  Get in touch  today to book your writing check-up.

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If you’d like, we can run a comprehensive plagiarism scan on your document and provide you with a detailed report that outlines potential plagiarism issues and provides a similarity index. This is included free of charge.

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Below are some of the most popular editing-related questions we receive.

Editing & Proofreading

How do you edit and proofread.

Our editing and proofreading process is 100% manual - in other words, it's handled by a team of highly qualified human editors, not machines . We don't use any automation software or tools, as nothing can beat the quality and accuracy of human editing.

Our editing team consists of a diverse mix of Doctoral and Master's-qualified language specialists . The team is managed by Dr Eunice Rautenbach , who holds both a Master's and Doctoral degree in language practice. All team members have extensive academic editing experience, are native English speakers (from the US, UK and SA) and have worked on numerous dissertations, theses and research projects.

Can I see an example/sample of your editing?

Certainly . You can download a sample editing and proofreading project here .

Will you sort out my references and citations?

Yes . As part of the editing process, we will ensure that your references and citations are in the correct format (e.g., Harvard, APA, etc) as per your university's requirements (you'll need to advise us what these are).

However, keep in mind that we can't fill in incomplete references or find the relevant sources for you (as it's impossible for us to know which sources you've referenced). We also cannot check whether the references you have are accurate or suitable for the arguments you make in your writing.

Can you fix/build my table of contents?

Yes , we can create a table of contents based on the headings and subheadings throughout your dissertation or thesis. This table of contents will include the respective page number for each heading or subheading.

Can you lower my word count?

Yes - as part of the editing process, we will edit your work for concision. However, we cannot guarantee a specific word count or percentage reduction, as this would risk cutting out important content.

Can you check my work for plagiarism?

Yes - we can provide a detailed plagiarism report with every editing and proofreading project. However, please keep in mind that universities use a variety of plagiarism-checking services. Therefore, if your university provides you with a plagiarism-checking facility (as they often do), you should double-check your score on that system.

How long does the editing and proofreading process take?

It depends on the length of the document, the overall quality of the writing (i.e., the number of issues to be resolved) and our project load at the time of submission.

Generally speaking, we can complete a standard dissertation/thesis of 20,000 words within 2-3 days , but this varies depending on the factors above. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you pre-book your editing with us for a specific date. For pre-booked projects, we can provide a guaranteed timeline, which is generally shorter than that of "walk-in" projects. Please email us to pre-book your project.

Can you provide a certificate of editing?

Yes , certainly. We can issue a certificate according to your university's requirements. We can also sign any paperwork required by your university as proof of editing.

Will my document be treated as confidential?

Yes , absolutely. Your work will be treated as strictly confidential and will never be shared or published. We will gladly sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with you if you wish.

How much does editing cost?

Our fee is based on the total word count of the document. This includes the body content and the reference list (as we need to review this). You can also include the appendices if you wish, but it's generally not required.

Click here to view our pricing or book a free consultation to discuss your project.

When should I submit my document to you?

Generally, editing and proofreading should be the very last step in your writing process. This ensures that you don't "undo" any editing work, or introduce new typos or grammar issues.

However, if your supervisor has specifically instructed you to get your work edited before submitting it to them for final review, you should follow their instructions. If you're unsure which approach to take, get in touch with us.

Can you edit my dissertation/thesis as I complete each chapter?

We can, but we don't recommend it . By editing chapter by chapter, consistency is reduced and there is a strong chance that there will be conflicts between document versions in terms of references, page, table and figure numbers, and so on. As a result, a lot of the work will be "undone" and you'll need to spend a lot of time revising and checking each section.

How much time should I factor in post-edit to make corrections?

We recommend that you factor in a day or two to make your final corrections after receiving your document back from us. This is not essential (as you can just accept all our edits "as is"), but it is a good idea to have a buffer in case you want to make any additions or revisions. You might also need to fix issues highlighted by the edit, e.g., regarding clarity of meaning or problems flagged with your referencing.

Can you do a second review of my document after the first edit?

We can review your document as many times as you need , but each review is charged separately. In other words, we cannot provide a second review (after we've edited and proofread) free of charge.

Can you check that my Conclusions and Recommendations represent all my findings?

This is beyond the scope of language editing, as it involves data analysis and interpretation. If you would like assistance with this, we can assist with 1-on-1 coaching , where we review your work critically and provide in-depth feedback (you can view a sample of this here ).

Can you write my abstract (or exec summary) for me?

No , we can't. As part of the editing process, we will improve the quality of your writing, but we cannot write any section for you. Having any section written for you would constitute academic misconduct.

Can you rephrase text to reduce my plagiarism score?

No , we can’t. While we may undertake some very light rewriting of poorly constructed sentences to improve readability and ease of understanding, we cannot revise content to reduce plagiarism, as we are not familiar with the articles/sources being referenced.

Can you arrange the separate sections of my document?

No , we cannot arrange (or rearrange) sections of content on your behalf, as this may impact the core meaning and/or the thread of argument.

That said, if we feel that a section could be structured better for clarity, we will comment on this and make suggestions. Additionally, we will check that your headings and subheadings are numbered sequentially and are consistent in style.

I still have questions…

No problem. Feel free to email us or book an initial consultation to discuss.

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I started using Grad Coach for my dissertation and I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for them, I would have really struggled. I would strongly recommend them – worth every penny!

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When it comes to your dissertation, every word and sentence matters. That's where our Dissertation Editing services come into play. Our team of seasoned editors understands the significance of a well-crafted thesis . With years of academic editing experience, they are able to meticulously review your document, ensuring it adheres to your university's guidelines.

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Rest assured, whether you're handling commercially sensitive data or conducting groundbreaking scholarly analysis, as part of our Dissertation Editing services, your manuscript's confidentiality is our top priority. 

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The cost of dissertation editing services can vary depending on factors like word count, turnaround time, and the level of editing needed. At Scribendi, you can use our instant quote widget to select the cost and turnaround time that best suit the needs of your document, including your word count, and your deadline. Our experienced editors have years of experience editing and proofreading dissertations and theses. We offer competitive prices for our editing services, ensuring your work is polished to perfection. 

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Through direct changes and in-text comments, our thesis editors give feedback on:

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Using Word’s Track Changes feature, you stay in control and decide which changes to accept or reject.

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Besides avoiding language mistakes, your writing should also follow academic conventions. Our editors are specialised in academic texts. They will improve and give feedback on the use of:

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To help you become a better academic writer, your thesis editor will provide an overview of your most common mistakes in grammar, punctuation and style. With our in-depth guides, you’ll learn how to recognise and correct your own errors.

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Structure check.

To avoid structural issues, your thesis editor can review the organization of your thesis. With the Structure Check , you can rest assured that:

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A fresh pair of eyes can spot issues with your logic or clarity. Through in-text comments and two checklists , the editor’s feedback will focus on:

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All Scribbr editors are carefully selected through a rigorous testing and selection process called the Scribbr Academy . Only 4% of applicants succeed in becoming qualified Scribbr editors. That’s how we ensure the highest quality thesis editing!

At Scribbr we try to assign your thesis to an editor who is knowledgeable and passionate about your topic. However, our thesis editors are language specialists, not academic experts in your field.

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Thesis proofreading in 3 simple steps

Upload and select pages

Upload your entire thesis and only select the pages that need proofreading and editing.

Select a deadline and services

Choose between a 12-hour, 24-hour, 3-day or 7-day deadline and select additional services.

Share your guidelines

Share your supervisor’s guidelines and feedback so the editor can take them into account.

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If you’re not completely happy with your editor’s work, we’ll offer you a free second check or a refund – whatever works for you.

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Frequently asked questions

Yes, if your document is longer than 20,000 words, you will get a sample of approximately 2,000 words. This sample edit gives you a first impression of the editor’s editing style and a chance to ask questions and give feedback.

How does the sample edit work?

You will receive the sample edit within 24 hours after placing your order. You then have 24 hours to let us know if you’re happy with the sample or if there’s something you would like the editor to do differently.

Read more about how the sample edit works

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Our customer support team is here to find the solution that helps you the most, whether that’s a free new edit or a refund for the service.

Yes, in the order process you can indicate your preference for American, British, or Australian English .

If you don’t choose one, your editor will follow the style of English you currently use. If your editor has any questions about this, we will contact you.

Yes, you can upload your document in sections.

We try our best to ensure that the same editor checks all the different sections of your document. When you upload a new file, our system recognizes you as a returning customer, and we immediately contact the editor who helped you before.

However, we cannot guarantee that the same editor will be available. Your chances are higher if

• You send us your text as soon as possible and
• You can be flexible about the deadline.

Please note that the shorter your deadline is, the lower the chance that your previous editor is not available.

If your previous editor isn’t available, then we will inform you immediately and look for another qualified editor. Fear not! Every Scribbr editor follows the  Scribbr Improvement Model  and will deliver high-quality work.

Yes, our editors also work during the weekends and holidays.

Because we have many editors available, we can check your document 24 hours per day and 7 days per week, all year round.

If you choose a 72 hour deadline and upload your document on a Thursday evening, you’ll have your thesis back by Sunday evening!

When you place an order, you can specify your field of study and we’ll match you with an editor who has familiarity with this area.

However, our editors are language specialists, not academic experts in your field. Your editor’s job is not to comment on the content of your dissertation, but to improve your language and help you express your ideas as clearly and fluently as possible.

This means that your editor will understand your text well enough to give feedback on its clarity, logic and structure, but not on the accuracy or originality of its content.

Good academic writing should be understandable to a non-expert reader, and we believe that academic editing is a discipline in itself. The research, ideas and arguments are all yours – we’re here to make sure they shine!

Thesis Editing Service

Reliable l Hassle-free l Expert Guided Struggling to draft your thesis with a solid logical foundation and clarity? Our team of experts is standing by to help you succeed!

Meet your Ph.D. & Master's expert thesis editors

We find the best thesis editing expert that matches your needs based on your field of study, choice of service, and preferences. The expert will work on your thesis and send you the edited thesis ready for submission. If our expert has queries or suggestions, they will let you know so you can implement them before submission.

Areas of Expertise

Our Services

You have put in years of hard work toward your Master’s or Ph.D.; the last thing you need is to have your work critiqued due to imperfect language and structure. Our editing experts help you eliminate grammar and language mistakes and enhance the overall presentation of your thesis.  Choose either Thesis Essentials or Thesis Pro service based on your unique requirements.

Make your thesis error-free and submission-ready

Get a thorough copy editing and proofreading service that checks and corrects grammatical and vocabulary errors, improves punctuation and technical terms, and sharpens your thesis writing. Your editor will also provide a summary report and a rate card on your writing style.

• Grammar and Punctuation
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• Expert Commentary USP

Strengthen your thesis with language enhancements

Get smooth transitions, crisp sentences, precise verbiage, and clarity refinements. Your editing experts will also provide an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses in your writing. Get personalized feedback to improve your thesis narrative.

• Clarity Check USP
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Thesis Editing

Our experienced editors will ensure proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, and academic style while improving clarity, concision, and transitions in your writing. Your edited thesis/dissertation will have good readability and a proper academic tone, allowing your examiners to assess your research and studies easily.

Thesis Formatting

We will format your thesis according to your submission guidelines or designated style guide. This includes template application and implementation of page layout, heading, and numbering styles. We can also format your end-list references and check your cross-referencing.

Expert Comments

Our editors will insert comments with suggestions for enhancements and request clarifications at appropriate instances. They will also assess your strengths and weaknesses in the Thesis Rating Card and Thesis Expert Summary to help you sharpen your academic writing skills.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Should i choose thesis pro or thesis essentials +.

Thesis Essentials provides a thorough grammar and language revision, so you won't have to worry about basic language mistakes. It is suitable for students who are confident in their writing and/or under close guidance from their research advisers. Thesis Pro gives you more holistic editing that not only ensures your manuscript is free of error but also enhances its content presentation.

How is Thesis Editing different from other Enago editing services? +

Enago offers 3 academic editing services- Top Impact Scientific Editing ,  Substantive Editing , and  Copy Editing - targeting authors who wish to publish their research in international journals. Two to three editors edit each manuscript in the same research field for precise adherence to academic publishing conventions. These services also provide additional support for journal submission, including revision against peer reviewers' comments.

Will your experts fix issues in the content and structure of my thesis? +

Our thesis services may be equated to proofreading (Thesis Essentials) and copy editing (Thesis Pro). Neither of these services offers content edits or structural reviews. However, our experts will point out the issues they notice in Thesis Pro.

Can you format my thesis as per the required referencing style? Are your editors familiar with citation styles? +

Even though there are many distinct citation/reference formats, they all generally adhere to one of three basic principles: parenthetical, numerical, or note citations. Our thesis editors are well-versed with your institution's regulations and have over 10 years of experience in thesis editing & formatting.

Is there a thesis editing discount? I am a student. +

We offer a flat 15% off on our thesis editing services regardless of the word count of your paper, our thesis editing rates start at 18 cents/word because we understand that students are on a tight budget.

Can I get a Thesis Editing Samples? +

Yes, if your thesis is more than 10,000 words, you will receive a sample of about 200 words. This example edit gives you an idea of the editor's editing approach as well as an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. Alternatively, you can check our editing sample here .  How does the sample edit work? After placing your order via the free trial form , you will receive the sample edit within 24 hours. You will then have 24 hours to let us know if you are satisfied with the sample or if there is anything you would like the editor to change.  

Are you ready for professional thesis editing?

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Whether you’re a scholar or a student, we’ve got you covered by editing articles for publication in scholarly journals, as well papers, theses, and Capstone projects for graduate students.

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Breathe life and vitality into your  AI-written copy. We inject personality, tone, and human experience, through the authentic knowledge of a doctoral-educated lover of writing, not an algorithm.

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We’ve received hundreds of reviews on verified third-party review sites–such as Trust Pilot, the BBB, and Google–in addition to thousands of testimonials directly from customers who are now PhDs, published authors, and improved writers.

We cherish our customers’ success stories and thank you’s, and we showcase them on our testimonials page .

“Edit911 has always been my go-to editing service. Marc and his team have consistently managed to edit myriad papers, articles, manuscripts, and other projects in both a timely and affordable manner. Turnaround times, specifically, have been remarkably quick, efficient, and effective. I recommend them without hesitation.”

“Edit 911 was an excellent experience. They corrected numerous grammar and spelling errors in my academic documents, as well as gave me advice on how to use certain expressions to appeal to my audience. They provided me with high-quality support and guidance in a timely manner. Dr. Baldwin and his staff are excellent professionals. Outstanding!”

“I’ve been impressed with quick turnaround and detailed edits provided by Edit911. Marc is a great conduit and very responsive. I’ve now had three different editors and they all have really helped my manuscripts. Beyond the technical edits which they do well, I’ve most enjoyed the stylistic and redundancy editing to help streamline and prepare manuscripts for submission. Will continue to highly recommend.”

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“I was extremely pleased with Edit911 and received great feedback. I was provided an edited version, clean copy and commentary. I thank the editors for their work with my Section I dissertation and will use them again for the remainder of the paper. Turnaround time was great too – 3 days!!”

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Since 1999, we have edited more than 75,000 dissertations, scholarly papers, books, and various other documents for more than 220,000 clients.

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Thesis Editing Service

Expert Academic Proofreading

Don’t Let Typos Undermine Your Hard Work

You may have worked on your thesis for months or years. It may be the most important academic document you will ever write. So you need it to be perfect. And this means it should be easy to read, fully referenced, and error free.

To make sure this is the case for you, why not ask the professionals? Our thesis proofreading service will help you polish your document, eliminating errors and ensuring the work you put into your research shines through.

Expert Editor

We’re Thesis Editing Experts

Your spellchecker might help you find some errors, but can you trust it with your thesis? Unlike software, our human proofreaders have a passion for academic writing. And, as editing professionals, we have extensive experience of proofreading MA and PhD theses. As such, we’ve been able to help countless students improve their writing and achieve the results they deserve.

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing

Thesis Proofreading

With our thesis proofreading service, we will assign your paper to an expert academic editor. When they have your document, they will:

• Correct any punctuation, spelling, and grammar errors
• Maintain an academic tone in word choice throughout
• Fix issues related to structure and readability
• Make sure your writing is clear, concise, and consistent
• Check that your references are clear and complete

And to help ensure you are always in control of the final draft, whenever possible, we will provide two copies of your edited thesis:

• A ‘Clean’ copy in the original file format
• An MS Word Track Changes  copy

This Track Changes copy will highlight any change we make to your document, so you can review and approve them at your leisure. And if your  chosen file format  doesn’t support Track Changes, we will adapt our process to match.

Lightening-Fast Delivery

You’ll never miss a deadline with our speedy services: our Next-Day Guarantee means we’ll return any document up to 10,000 words long within 24 hours

And if you need a faster turnaround, simply select your desired delivery speed when you submit your document. We have three options:

We can also meet custom deadlines! Just let us know what you need.

*For documents up to 8,000 words 

**For documents up to 3,000 words

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Lightning-fast delivery.

You’ll never miss a deadline with our speedy services: our Next-Day Guarantee means we’ll return any document up to 8,000 words long within 24 hours.

And if you need a faster turnaround, simply select your desired delivery speed when you submit your document. We have three options

We can also meet custom deadlines! Just let us know what you need. 

* For documents up to 8,000 words

** For documents up to 3,000 words

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Our pricing is affordable and transparent – the cost is based on the exact length of your document. Check out our pricing calculator for an instant quote, and rest assured that you’ll receive the highest quality proofreading and editing for the best value on the market.

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Our team includes experts in various referencing styles and systems, including AMA, APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, and IEEE. No matter what style you’re using, though, we can check that your citations and references are correct and let you know if any information is missing. Visit our referencing page to learn more.

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Our team includes over 750 professional editors with backgrounds in a wide range of disciplines, so we’ll always match you with the best editor for your writing, whether you need help with a sociology dissertation, handouts for a music theory lecture, or a biology research paper.

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• Aug 26, 2020

Can A PhD Student Get Their Thesis Professionally Edited?

When I tell people that the majority of my clients are PhD students, the most common question I get asked is whether students are actually allowed to use an academic editor. Aren’t PhD students supposed to tough it out alone? Shouldn’t their supervisor be editing their thesis? Wouldn’t having their writing edited mean they breach their declaration of authorship?

The short answer is: a PhD student can and probably should get their work edited by a professional academic editor . But, as with most things, it does get a little complicated when you look into it. In this post we look at some of the assumptions that might stop a student from getting their thesis edited.

Don’t PhD students work alone?

One of the most pernicious myths about writing a thesis is that students have to go it alone.

Completing a PhD is challenging. Research has shown that mental health difficulties are more prevalent in students completing their PhD than in other similar cohorts and studies have suggested as many as 50% of students experience psychiatric distress .

Unfortunately, part of the picture is that students often feel unsupported. Many university departments do a poor job of encouraging collaboration and mutual support between staff and students working on their theses. The support a student receives usually relies on the specific relationship between the student and their supervisor which, as anyone who has spoken to a few PhD students will know, can vary widely.

This notion that students have to go it alone can be damaging, and collegiate support from faculty staff and fellow students would go a long way to reducing anxiety and stress.

Will getting a professional editor solve this problem? No, of course not. But it’s important that PhD students know what professional services are available to them so that if they feel like they need it, they can reach out for support.

Shouldn’t the supervisor be editing a student’s thesis?

The short answer to this question is yes. Part of the supervisor’s role is to help the student keep the thesis on track, and that includes reading and giving feedback on drafts of the thesis. In an ideal student–supervisor relationship, this feedback is constructive, timely and supportive.

In the early stages, the most important feedback a supervisor can offer is structural; how might the student improve the overall argument, what might they include or remove to improve the flow of ideas? A professional editor should not be required for this kind of feedback and, as we’ll discuss below, getting a professional editor for structural feedback might be a problem.

The problem is that supervisors vary. Some find it difficult to prioritise their PhD students, others lack the skills needed to be an effective support for students working with them. Even the best supervisors may only provide general feedback, rather than worry too much about the details.

Ultimately, it’s the supervisor’s job to give feedback on the structure of the thesis. It’s unlikely they will provide feedback on every paragraph and sentence of a thesis. This is where a professional editor can be useful.

Doesn’t getting someone else to edit the thesis breach the declaration of authorship?

It shouldn’t, but it does depend. This is perhaps the most complex issue.

It is essential that PhD candidates are rigorous when it comes to making sure the research is entirely their own. A successful PhD thesis must be an original contribution of research to a specific field. This means all quotations need to be properly cited, even if they’re paraphrased, to avoid even a whiff of plagiarism.

Most universities will have different policies on when a professional editor can be used and how to ensure the service doesn’t breach a statement of originality. For example, this University of Sydney policy states students are allowed to get a professional editor, so long as they’ve discussed it with their supervisor first.

Practical considerations for using an editor 

To avoid issues of plagiarism or a breach of the declaration of authorship, there’s some practical things to be aware of when using a professional academic editor.

First, the final say over exactly what is in a thesis is up to the student. Any changes made by an editor should be as comments or track changes, and the student must decide what they will or won’t accept (which is why it’s important to leave enough time at the end of the process to review all changes, instead of just accepting them all).

Second, a professional editor should always be included in the Acknowledgments. This isn’t just a professional courtesy (although it is that). The Acknowledgments are, in part, a place for a student to make nice comments about the support they got from their family or their supervisor. But they’re also a place to make clear how others who aren’t listed as the author contributed to the thesis, for instance, by providing financial support. Like citing a reference properly, acknowledging professional services like copy editors and proofreaders, or even just friends who have provided feedback, is an important part of making the authorship of the thesis transparent.

Third, review the university’s policies on submitting a doctoral thesis and share them with the editor. Sometimes they outline specific style and formatting requirements that the editor needs to be aware of but, more importantly, they also provide very clear instruction on what is and isn’t allowed. For example, that point above about structural editing: Most universities will stipulate that a student cannot get structural editing done by a professional editor. This feedback should be provided by a supervisor. Why? In part, because a student shouldn’t have to pay for a service their supervisor should be giving. But also because the relationship between a supervisor and a student is much better at guiding a student to develop their own ideas and arguments. An editor should review the guidelines in full before they start editing a thesis so they know exactly what’s expected of them.

Is it a problem if an editor re-writes an entire sentence or large parts of a paragraph? 

Usually, an editor will make small and uncontentious changes while editing, like fixing grammatical errors. Sometimes they will make larger changes, too, like re-writing sentences or restructuring paragraphs. Is this a problem?

The changes made by editors could be described as falling into two broad categories: fixing errors and suggesting improvements. An academic editor has the responsibility to take a professional approach to their work and, in Australia, this usually means being familiar with the Institute of Professional Editors’ standards for editing practice . Part of the professional standards is knowing how to communicate and negotiate changes with the client which, in the case of editing PhD theses, is usually the author. So how should an editor discuss and negotiate changes like large re-writes?

One approach editors sometimes take—myself included—is to make larger changes in comments rather than as track changes. Why? Track changes are often read as being necessary fixes and can be so easily accepted without the author reflecting on why a change is being made. By putting the re-write in a comment, it puts the requirement on the student to decide whether to simply copy my suggestion entirely, tweak it and make it their own, or to completely ignore it. The comment also gives the opportunity to explain why a larger change is necessary, for example, because the sentence structure is unclear, full of repetition, or is incomplete.

If the author is unclear on why a change is being made, they’re entirely justified in asking their editor. Again, it’s part of the professional standards that an editor can explain and discuss the changes they put forward. Once the student knows the reason a change was made, it’s ultimately their responsibility to accept it or not.

This gives authorial ownership to the student so they can be confident in submitting their work.

Next we outline five good reasons a PhD student should consider getting their thesis edited.

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