Style
In these posts, we look at how proofreaders and editors should approach different writing styles and document types. Let us know if there are any style issues you'd like us to cover on the blog.
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When Can You Use the First Person in Academic Writing?
When Can You Use the First Person in Academic Writing?
Dec 05, 2021
Many students are taught not to use the first person in academic writing. But is it always the case that you shouldn’t? And when should a proofreader change or comment on the point of view in scholarly work? In this post, we’ll explain the basics, including: For more advice on all of the above, read […]
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Editing Tips: Editing IMRaD Essays
Editing Tips: Editing IMRaD Essays
Nov 11, 2021
If you do a lot of academic editing or proofreading, chances are you will come across an IMRaD essay. Indeed, you may have worked on several without even knowing it! The term IMRaD stands for Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, which is a method of structuring essays. It’s worth yourself with this structure because it’s […]
Proofreading Tips: Parentheses and Square Brackets in Chicago Style
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Proofreading Tips: Dos and Don'ts for Proofreading Academic Writing
Nov 04, 2021
Academic proofreading is a common source of work for many freelancers. However, there are some specific rules and requirements for proofreading academic documents that set them apart from other types of documents. With that in mind, we’ve put together five dos and don’ts for proofreading academic writing: Do correct informal language. Don’t change the content. […]
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Proofreading Tips: How to Proofread Quotations
Oct 23, 2021
Academic writing accounts for a significant portion of many freelance proofreaders’ work. And, along with some other non-fiction, academic writing often relies heavily on quotations. It is thus important to know how to proofread quotations. In this post, we give an overview of things to consider when proofreading quotations in academic or other non-fiction writing. […]
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Proofreading Tips: Numbers in AP Style
Oct 17, 2021
Created by journalists to help public-facing writing in 1953, The AP Stylebook is still one of the most commonly used American English style guides around. As a proofreader, you’ll often need to check the formatting of numbers when working with a client who writes in AP style. This post will take you through how to […]
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Proofreading Tips: State Abbreviations in AP Style
Sep 26, 2021
The Associated Press is a popular style guide for public-facing corporate communication. Proofreaders will most likely encounter it while working with journalists or PR specialists in the US. And the AP Stylebook has some pretty specific rules for abbreviations, including state abbreviations. As a proofreader, then, you should be on the lookout for any instances […]
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A Guide to Referencing and Religious Texts
Jul 17, 2021
Religious texts, whether published as books or accessed online, often play by different rules when it comes to referencing. So, as a proofreader, you’ll need to pay particular attention to referencing if your client is citing the Bible, the Quran, or any other sacred text. Here, we set out the rules for citing religious texts […]
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Proofreading Tips: Abbreviations in AP Style
Jul 11, 2021
AP style is commonly used by journalists, marketers, and PR specialists, whose writing often includes abbreviations. So, if you’re proofreading a document that uses AP style, you’ll need to know how abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms should be presented. With that in mind, then, this guide covers how abbreviations should be used in AP style. Becoming […]
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Editing Tips: Fact-Checking Fiction
Editing Tips: Fact-Checking Fiction
Jul 03, 2021
Fiction is all about the suspension of disbelief, and factual errors can be distracting. Thus, when editing or proofreading a novel, you might need to raise issues of factual accuracy for your client, especially when a work of fiction is set in the real world. In this post, then, we set out some tips on […]
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Proofreading Tips: Punctuation in MHRA Style
Proofreading Tips: Punctuation in MHRA Style
Jul 01, 2021
The MHRA Style Guide is often used in the humanities, especially in the UK. But what does a proofreader need to know when working on a document that follows this style? In this post, we will look at the rules for punctuation in MHRA style, including: General guidelines about the overall punctuation conventions in MHRA […]