Academic Editing
An archive of posts related to editing and proofreading academic writing, including student essays. Find out how to edit academic work effectively.
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A Guide to Secondary Citations (AMA, APA, Chicago and MLA)
A Guide to Secondary Citations (AMA, APA, Chicago and MLA)
Jun 28, 2020
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A Guide to Proofreading LaTeX Documents
A Guide to Proofreading LaTeX Documents
Jun 21, 2020
If you do a lot of academic proofreading, you will almost certainly encounter LaTeX at some point. And no, this doesn’t have anything to do with rubber gloves or clothing! To find out about the LaTeX system and what you need to know as proofreader, check out our guide below. What Is LaTeX? LaTeX (pronounced […]
Editing Tips: How to Format Block Quotes
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How and When to Use Sic in a Quotation
Jun 11, 2020
When proofreading, you might see the term ‘sic’ used in a quotation. However, many people misuse this term or use it when there is an alternative available. As such, proofreaders and editors should make sure they know how and when to use this term in a quotation. What Does ‘Sic’ Mean? And When Is It […]
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Editing Tips: A Quick Guide to Formal Writing
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? […]
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A Quick Guide to DOIs and URLs
May 17, 2020
Many referencing systems require a DOI or URL for online sources. But what exactly is the difference between DOIs and URLs? And how should you approach them as a proofreader? What Are DOIs and URLs? DOIs (digital object identifiers) and URLs (uniform resource locators) are both ways of linking to content online. So, what exactly […]
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Editing Tips: Should You Edit Citations and References?
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
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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MHRA Referencing
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 [PDF] referencing: a system considered Too Hot for the Proofreading Academy Course. Actually, it wasn’t so much ‘too hot’ as […]
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Formatting Titles in Academic Documents
Formatting Titles in Academic Documents
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
Citing Edited Books in Chicago Style
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 […]