Academic Writing
Find out everything you need to know about proofreading and editing academic documents. Learn how to spot credible sources, avoid academic plagiarism, format titles, and more. Plus, take a deep dive into referencing and citation styles – including APA, Chicago, and MHRA.
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Editing Tips: How to Format Block Quotes
Editing Tips: How to Format Block Quotes
Last Updated Jun 18, 2020
When proofreading academic writing, you may come across longer passages of quoted text. And while you would not usually edit quotations, most referencing systems require longer passages to be formatted as block quotes. In this post, we look at how that works. What Are Block Quotes? A block quote or block quotation is a quotation […]
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Editing Tips: A Quick Guide to Formal Writing
Editing Tips: A Quick Guide to Formal Writing
Last Updated May 31, 2020
One key stylistic distinction for proofreading is between informal and formal writing. But what is formal writing? What makes it formal? And when should a document use a formal style? In this post, we look at what you need to know to work on formal documents. What Are the Key Stylistic Features of Formal Writing? […]
A Quick Guide to DOIs and URLs
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Should You Edit Citations and References?
Last Updated Jan 27, 2020
You need to know your referencing systems if you’re proofreading academic documents. Knowadays covers several major referencing styles to this end, but we’re often asked how far an editor should go with citations. The answer is But that isn’t a very helpful answer, so we’ll look more at how to edit references and citations below. […]
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Everybody Loves Referencing
Last Updated Dec 13, 2018
You’ve checked the spelling, grammar, and punctuation. You’ve made sure the language is appropriate and flows smoothly. Now comes your favourite bit of academic proofreading. Perhaps you’d like to dress up and pour yourself a glass of wine (alcohol-free, of course: don’t drink and proofread!) before you settle down to the positive treat that is […]
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A Beginner's Guide to MHRA Referencing
Last Updated Jun 15, 2018
Remember when you used to get ‘Too Hot for TV’ videos of your favourite TV shows? Remember how exciting they were? Well, prepare to feel that kind of excitement again in this introduction to MHRA referencing: a system considered Too Hot for the Proofreading Academy Course. Actually, it wasn’t so much ‘too hot’ as ‘too specific […]
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Formatting Titles in Academic Documents
Last Updated May 18, 2018
Although proofreading and formatting are different, they overlap in some respects. For instance, when an essay names a source in the text, it is standard for the proofreader to ensure its title is appropriately formatted. Let’s take a look at how formatting titles works. Italics and Quote Marks Formatting titles in the text of a […]
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Citing Edited Books in Chicago Style
Last Updated Apr 13, 2018
Sound the celebratory trombone and strike the ritual tambourine. It’s referencing time again! And today we’re looking at how to cite edited books again. In this post, we’re going to look at Chicago referencing. There are two versions of this system: Author–date citations and a reference list (more common in the sciences) Footnotes and a […]
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Citing Edited Books in MLA and IEEE
Last Updated Feb 15, 2018
We’re sorry. We’ve made you wait, trembling with anticipation, for the next exciting instalment of our occasional series on referencing. Perhaps your desperation for referencing tips has led you to seek out the darker corners of the internet for dodgy tips cut with misconceptions. Stop. We have the good stuff. And if you’re not sure […]
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Citing Chapters of Edited Books in Harvard and APA
Citing Chapters of Edited Books in Harvard and APA
Last Updated Dec 19, 2017
The Becoming A Proofreader course has an academic referencing module that tells you how books, journal articles and websites should be cited in the Harvard, APA, MLA, Chicago and IEEE styles. But it would take a hefty book to cover all possible sources and referencing styles. So every now and then our blog will focus […]
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A Brief Guide to Vancouver Referencing
A Brief Guide to Vancouver Referencing
Last Updated Oct 16, 2017
It’s happened to us all. A client wants you to proofread their essay or journal article, but you are unfamiliar with the referencing system! Suddenly everything is called into question. Imposter syndrome kicks in. You wonder, can you presume to do this with only Google to guide you? What if the information there is unreliable? […]
