Which Academic Editing & Proofreading Service is the Best?

Although students often question which academic editing service is the best, no academic editing service is universally the best for all clients. However, a “best” academic editing service exists for each individual student given their unique academic document, editing needs, preferences, communication style, and desired budget. The education, skills, experience, and reliability of academic editors vary, as do the prices and quality of each academic editing service. Thus, each student must find the academic editing service that works best for their individual situation.

 

When conducting a search for an academic editing service, first think about the type of academic manuscript you’re writing. Are you writing a research paper, a journal article, an essay, a book chapter, a statement of purpose, or another type of academic document? Some editing companies and individual editors provide a wide range of editing services, while others may focus specifically on academic editing services or scientific editing services. Some academic editing services and academic editors focus on more specific types of academic documents, such only accepting journal articles or book manuscripts.

 

If you think you will use academic editing services frequently throughout your education (and possibly throughout a career in academia), choosing an academic editing service rather than an individual academic editor may be smart. With an academic editing team, you are able to develop working relationships with several editors and submit documents on an ongoing basis, regardless of whether one specific editor is available at any moment in time. Establishing a relationship with an academic editing team is also particularly useful if your manuscripts vary in style, format, or topic, as you can choose a different editor to work on each depending on who is the best fit for the document. If you will only be using academic editing services one or two times, using an academic editing team may not be as important, and you could find a qualified academic editor to edit your manuscript, perhaps at your university. When submitting any academic document for editing, be sure to verify the editor’s experience, reputation, and reliability.

 

The academic editing service that is the best fit for you is also dependent on the specific instructions you have for editing your academic manuscript. Do you want the editor to provide detailed feedback as they make revisions, or do you want a basic copyedit of your document with limited comments from the editor so you can accept the document as is (after accepting all revisions and deleting any comments)? You should clearly establish your goals and requirements before hiring an academic editor or agreeing to pay for academic editing services. When submitting your document for editing, be sure to communicate your clearly established goals and requirements to the editor so they know how to proceed. Your detailed instructions are important so the editor doesn’t misunderstand what you are looking for and can help you reach your goals.

 

Establishing the time frame in which you need your edited document returned to you is crucial. Some academic editors provide faster editing services and offer a shorter turnaround time than others, while others take longer to edit documents, so you need to ask about the deadline for receiving your edited academic document. You should also know whether the deadline the editor gives you will be reached based on the academic editor’s or academic editing service’s previous projects. It can be disastrous if you anticipate a deadline that the editor is unable to meet.  

 

Communication With Your Academic Editor

If you decide to use an academic editing services company, you also need to think about whether you want the company to automatically assign your document to one of their editors or if you want to choose the specific person who edits your manuscript. You should also ask the academic editing service if you will be able to communicate directly with the academic editor working on your document. This is particularly useful if you have any questions for the editor, or if the editor has any questions for you as they edit your manuscript.

 

One last consideration when choosing the “best” academic editing service for you is the budget available to purchase academic editing services. Before submitting your document or payment to any academic editor or academic editing service, you should clearly understand the total price as well as what the service includes. Does the price you’re given by the academic editing service provide one round of editing, which is often the case, or does it include two rounds of editing, or one round of editing followed by one round of proofreading? Does the editor charge by the hour, or by the word? These details are all important to know.

 

As this article discussed, there is no academic editing service that’s best for all students, scholars, and individuals; however, there is a  best academic editing service for you. Read more about our  comparison of the top academic editing and proofreading services. As a customer investing your dollars in academic editing services, you should fully understand the policies of any individual editor or editing services company you hire before submitting your document for editing. You should also define your editing requirements, preferences, and budget before comparing academic editing services and academic editors, and communicate your requirements with the editor when you purchase editing services.

About Editor World: Academic Editing & Proofreading Services

Editor World provides  fast, affordable academic editing services. Students and other scholars choose their professional academic editor and can communicate with that editor throughout the editing process. All our editors are native English speakers, and our  academic rewriting and editing services are available 24/7. Editor World’s  prices for academic editing and proofreading services are based on one round of editing, with additional rounds offered at a discount (contact  info@editorworld.com for more information).