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Are your editors qualified?
Our editors are all native English speaking PhD holders with demonstrable experience in proofreading and editing positions and with the academic credentials to be able to offer informed insights into our customers’ research. Most of our editors are also British with extensive experience as academics and researchers in UK universities.
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Can you edit in my academic discipline?
Currently we can provide expert editors across all the major academic disciplines in the sciences (including health sciences), social sciences (including business and management), arts and humanities. Within each of these disciplines there are, of course, many hundreds of specialist fields but, with our unique ability to draw on expertise across the academic world, combined with our experience in editing research for publication, here at Academic Research Editors we are genuinely able to cover the complete range of academic endeavour.
If you wish to clarify our ability to edit your particular field, please contact us to discuss your needs. We also offer a full guarantee that should we receive a work that we subsequently decide we cannot edit for any reason we will provide a full refund.
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What is the difference between proofreading and full editing?
The proofreading service is limited to checking the grammar, spelling and formatting of a manuscript. This service is appropriate where you are confident that the argument is expressed clearly but need the manuscript to be reviewed with fresh eyes to ensure that you have not missed any basic errors.
The full editing service provides a more in-depth structural review including refinement of word choices, rephrasing unclear text, amending the structure of the argument, reducing word counts, checking references and formatting the text to meet the style of specified journals. For a full description of our services see our services overview page.
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Will you be able to reduce / increase the word count of my paper?
Sometimes, when authors have been working on a piece of research for a long time, it becomes difficult for them to identify the really important parts of a paper’s argument. This can lead to papers becoming excessively long. If requested at the time of submission, our editors will endeavour to reduce the word count of your paper, whilst maintaining the key elements of the overall argument. With the advantage of their experience, and of being able to approach your paper “fresh”, our editors are usually able to focus your paper more directly on its key points.
We cannot guarantee to be able to reduce words counts significantly in all cases where a reduction is requested, however; it very much depends on the paper. We also do not increase word counts, except in so far as rephrasing or restructuring may naturally increase the paper’s length slightly. To agree to increase a paper’s length by any stipulated amount would imply that we were adding to your research, which we do not do.
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Do you guarantee the publication of my paper?
Our services can make a vital contribution to making your research more likely to be published. In common with all editing services, however, we do not guarantee that your work will definitely be accepted for publication after editing. Manuscripts may be rejected for many reasons outside of our remit as editors (e.g. fundamental flaws in the research, submission to inappropriate journals or simply because competition for your preferred journal is very intense).
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Will you edit to the format required by specific journals?
Unlike many editorial services, provided you specify your target journal at the time of submission and supply us with either a link to or a document containing that journal’s stylistic guidance for authors, we will format the paper to meet that journal’s requirements for no extra charge (full editing service only).
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What is your Academic Review Report?
An Academic Review Report is a brief report, written by one of our academic consultants, summarising your paper’s strengths and weaknesses. This acts rather like a trial peer review – giving you some insights into what the strengths of your argument are so that you might build on these; whilst providing suggestions for areas that you might wish to consider further before submitting the manuscript for publication.
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Do I need to acknowledge your services in my paper?
We do not believe that our services constitute authorship. Although we may advise grammatical and structural changes and we may identify weaknesses in your arguments, the final decision as to any changes is made by you, not us. We do not therefore claim any authorship of your paper.
Policy as to whether editorial services such as ours should be acknowledged in the acknowledgement section of a paper can vary between disciplines and between journals. We therefore advise that you check with your intended publisher if in doubt. Typically, however, we find that authors report that it is in fact helpful to mention that they have used our services when initially submitting a manuscript to a journal. This is why we provide a certificate of editing, since it gives journal editors additional confidence that your paper will be fluent and articulate.
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How do I use Track Changes in Microsoft Word to evaluate your changes and comments?
Track Changes is a function in Microsoft Word that enables you clearly to see the textual changes that the editor has suggested, and which also allows you to decide whether you wish to accept these changes or not.
If you are not familiar with using track changes further information is available from Microsoft:
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Do you edit theses / dissertations?
If you have a long piece of work such as a PhD or Master’s thesis you are welcome to contact us at enquiries@academic-editors.com for a tailored quotation based on an assessment of the amount of work involved in proofreading or editing your manuscript.
Before submitting a PhD or Master’s thesis to us for editing, however, please check your institution’s policy in regard to editing of work that is intended to be formally assessed. In our experience most institutions allow, and indeed encourage, students to get theses professionally proofread prior to final submission. Policy in regard to more extensive editing services varies, however, so it is important that you are aware of your own institution’s position on this.
Typically, we would advise that our proofreading rather than our full editing service is normally most appropriate for theses. This is because theses are normally subject to regular review with supervisors and therefore the more extensive structural elements of our editing service are often redundant. Professional proofreading, however, is often an important element in the final stages of thesis preparation and we have significant experience in proofreading many successful theses.
Submission of Manuscripts
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How do I submit a paper to you?
Papers should be submitted by using our submit a document form. You will be asked to complete your own details to enable us to contact you. You will also be asked to provide us with information about the level of service you require and any special requirements such as editing for a specific journal or to a specific style. You will then be able to upload your document(s) as well as choose a method of payment. Please note that if you choose the wire transfer payment option editing will not commence until the funds have arrived in our account. Once the submission process is complete you will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your documents, and payment, when appropriate.
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What formats of documents do you accept?
We use Microsoft Word to edit all manuscripts. Please therefore ensure that your documents are uploaded in a format compatible with Microsoft Word (either .doc or .docx formats).
Other supporting documentation (e.g. journal instructions, figures etc.) may be uploaded in a wide variety of formats, although .pdf and .jpeg are the most typical formats. If we have difficulty opening a document we will contact you to ask you to supply it in a different form.
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How do I calculate the word count?
Microsoft Word is able to calculate the Word count for you (normally the word count appears in the bottom left hand of the screen in Word, and also in the document properties box). It is this word count that is used in calculating the price for editing your manuscript. If there is text that you do not wish us to edit (e.g. occasionally, reference lists, although we advise against this) this text should be removed before sending the document to us.
If we find that you have under-reported the word count of your manuscript we will not commence editing your work until additional payment is received. If you have over-reported your word count we will arrange for a refund for the excess amount to be sent to you (but such a refund will only be offered where you have paid through our online facility).
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Should I include figures and illustrations with my submission?
We strongly advise that all figures and illustrations are sent as part of our submission. Our editors need to be able to understand your work in its totality to be able to edit it effectively, and, for this, it is normally helpful to be able to see any figures or illustrations that you refer to in the main text.
If you do not wish us to comment on the clarity of figures please specify this in the any other information box when submitting your documents. Likewise, if you do not wish us to edit figure headings or captions then remove these from your main manuscript but do include them as a supporting document so that our editors are able to refer to them when editing your main work.
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Will my work remain safe and confidential with you?
Academic Research Editors retains your manuscript securely in its computer systems and in those of our storage partner www.dropbox.com. Your manuscript will be deleted from our systems two years after the last date on which you used our services.
At all times you retain ownership of your manuscript and it remains your intellectual property which we have and seek no claim on. Although it is implicit in you contracting us to undertake editorial work that your manuscript will be forwarded to one or more of our editors, all of our editors have signed a confidentiality agreement and neither your manuscript nor the ideas, methods or other intellectual content of your research will ever be forwarded or otherwise communicated by us to a third party. We will also never confirm your business relationship with us without your permission, except in so far as we supply you with a certificate affirming your receipt of our editorial or proofreading services in relationship to a named article. This certificate is for your use, if you wish to affirm that your work has been professionally edited. If you supply the certificate to potential publishers and we are asked by them to confirm its authenticity we will assume your consent to do so.
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Are holidays excluded from your published turnaround times?
Academic Research Editors closes for the Christmas holiday each year on the 25th and 26th December. Occasionally, we also hold training events for our editors which can cause delays in our normal turnaround times. During such periods our express (48 hour) service will be suspended and our standard service may also revert to a 10 day delivery schedule. Any such changes will be clearly advertised on our document submission page so that customers are clearly informed prior to ordering.
Pricing and Payments
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How do I get a quote?
For manuscripts under 20,000 words in length you can easily get a quote by using our price calculator.
If you have a manuscript over 20,000 words in length please contact us at enquiries@academic-editors.com
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Is paying you online safe?
Online payments are processed securely through our payment services provider Paypal. Paypal is the world leader in online payments and provides one of the most secure payment platforms available, using SSL encryption and certified by Verisign, ensuring that you can be confident that your details are entirely safe when you make a transaction. Further details of Paypal’s online security are available here.
Because Paypal acts as a third party payment services provider we at Academic Research Editors never have access to your bank or card details.
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Can I use my debit or credit card to pay you?
You can pay us securely online, through our payment services provider, Paypal, using most major credit or debit cards (including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro and Solo cards).
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What if I don’t have a Paypal account?
You can pay us securely through Paypal but without needing a Paypal account. Simply choose the pay by credit or debit card option and then click on “don’t have a Paypal account” when you reach the checkout page.
If you use our site regularly, however, you are likely to find it more convenient to open a Paypal account. Opening a Paypal account is very straightforward and provides an extremely secure means of online payment. Open a Paypal account here.
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Can I pay by bank / wire transfer?
If you prefer to pay by bank wire transfer simply choose this payment option when submitting your document. You will receive an email within a few minutes confirming receipt of your document. A further email will be sent to you, normally within 24 hours, containing an invoice with our UK bank account details. Please note that we levy an additional fee of $25 for payments by bank transfer in order to cover transfer receipt fees. The invoice you receive will convert our US dollar rate into UK pounds sterling, since payments made directly into our bank account are received in pounds sterling. It is your responsibility to confirm with your bank that the amount you send is sufficient to pay the full amount of our invoice, taking into account any bank charges that might be levied
Please also note that work on your manuscript will not commence until monies have been received into our account. This can take several days and we will only start counting your work towards our seven day and 48 hour service turnaround times once payment has been received.
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What if I am a regular customer?
If you are one of regular customers you may prefer to open an account with us. Using an account saves you from having to make multiple online payments or wire transfers since you will pay for our services out of your pre-paid account balance.
Regular customers in good standing with us may also apply for a credit account facility allowing separate invoicing on a monthly basis, or once your outstanding balance reaches a pre-set level. Credit accounts are only available for trusted customers who have established a demonstrable track-record of business with us, regular accounts, however, are open to all customers. Simply contact us at enquiries@academic-editors.com to discuss account options.
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Do you offer institutional accounts?
If you represent a University, research centre, or academic department that might wish to use our services for multiple articles or other documents on a regular basis, contact us at enquiries@academic-editors.com so that we can discuss your requirements further and provide you with a tailored quotation.
Institutions with a contract with us benefit from a dedicated account manager, special rates and an account facility to make transactions more convenient.
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Can my institution pay on my behalf?
We are aware that the cost of editing services can often be claimed back by researchers from their institutions or grant awarding bodies as an allowable research cost. We are very happy to work with customers to provide invoices or receipts to facilitate expense claims. Some institutions have procedures which require payment to be made directly by them and, once again, we are happy to discuss this on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us on enquiries@academic-editors.com prior to submitting your manuscript if you have any non-standard payment queries.