You will need to check with your academic advisor about engaging the services of an external editor. Different universities have different policies in relation to the editing of student work, many being concerned that the student who can afford the services of an editor has an unfair advantage over those who cannot, and that editorial services may misrepresent the student’s academic ability.
Academic supervisors of research students also need to be clear about the role of the professional editor as well as their own editorial role. In Australia, the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) has published a document called Guidelines for Editing Research Theses, which was developed in collaboratively between the Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies (DDOGS) and the Council of the Australian Society of Editors (CASE). This document has been written with reference to Australian Standards for Editing Practice (ASEP), by CASE. These documents can be found at the IPEd web site.
The ASEP document defines standards in a number of areas. In relation to editorial advice, academic advisors are referred to:
- Standard C, Substance and Structure
- Standard D, Language and Illustrations
- Standard E, Completeness and Consistency.
Professional editorial intervention must be restricted to Standards D and E, and only suggestions and examples can be provided in relation to substance and structure (Standard C).
Material for editing and proofreading should be submitted in hard copy, since it is considered too easy for students who receive electronically edited copy to accept changes without thinking about their implications. Also, the name of the editor and a brief description of the service rendered should be printed as part of the list of acknowledgements in your thesis.
