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What I offer
Specialist editing services for health and medical texts
I provide professional editing services for health and medical texts, supporting authors in preparing clear, accurate English for publication and professional use. Each project is handled with attention to structure, language and meaning, while respecting the original text and the author’s voice.
Depending on what you, the journal or the publisher want, I can provide:
- Copyediting
- Line editing
- Developmental or structural editing
- Language editing
Any one of these may also be known as ‘proofreading’.
Copyediting
It can be hard to tell the difference between the different types of editing services. Copyediting is mainly about identifying errors of all kinds (spelling, formatting, spacing, punctuation, missing references, etc) and making sure the text meets the style which the publisher (say, an academic journal) specifies. But I will also be looking at how you have expressed yourself to see if the flow of language can be improved.
Line editing
Line editing digs in deeper to how the text is written. I examine it line by line to improve the flow, style and readability, and also to see if the overall argument is well expressed. For instance, would certain sections of your manuscript benefit from more or less emphasis? Would it help if the text was broken up differently, with more or fewer headings? I enjoy helping to make your ideas as clearly expressed as they are convincing.
Developmental or structural editing
These are two different names for the same type of editing. Here I consider the following questions:
Does the structure support the arguments?
Are the arguments strong and clearly expressed?
Would the information benefit from a different presentation?
Is the vocabulary appropriate for the intended audience?
Are there gaps, duplication or problem areas in the text?
Language editing
If English is not your first language a journal may ask you to have your text checked before submission or after peer review. The journal may refer to this as English language editing, English correction, a language check, ESL editing or a native speaker check. This type of editing focuses on improving clarity, accuracy and readability, helping to strengthen your text for publication in reputable scientific journals. It is important that I not only check your English but also retain your voice – it is still your text.
Some texts benefit from more than one type of editing – say, copyediting and line editing, or language editing and developmental editing. The appropriate approach depends on your text and your goals, and the final decision is always yours.
Thinking of using an editing tool instead of a human editor?
Automated editing software may be free, but you risk:
- Confidentiality: you are letting your ideas out into the world for others to copy freely
- Errors entering your text: AI software can hallucinate new ‘facts’; it can also simply delete parts of your text
- Inadvertently causing offence or embarrassment: AI tools don’t pick up on subtleties or nuance
- Existing errors being overlooked: a human editor will spot mistakes like missing references and citations which an AI tool can’t be trusted with
- Loss of contextual awareness and personality in your text: AI software operates based on probability so tends to flatten writing – your voice may well disappear
A human editor – me – will bring judgement and experience to your text that a machine cannot have.