Academic Editing & Proofreading

"Editing" means different things to different people, and in academic work the difference matters. Many universities allow a third party to proofread or edit language, but set limits on how far that help may go. This page explains what we change and what we leave alone.

What it means

Proofreading is a final check for surface errors: spelling, punctuation, typing mistakes, repeated words and inconsistent capitals or numbering. Language editing goes a step further. We may correct grammar, suggest a clearer way to phrase a sentence you wrote, smooth a transition, or flag a word that does not mean what you intended. In both cases the meaning of each sentence stays yours.

Rewriting changes what the work says, for example by adding points, reordering sections or strengthening a conclusion. We do not offer it for assessed work, because it would make someone else a co-author.

Problems it addresses

• Sentences that are grammatically correct but hard to follow, often because they are long or translated directly from German or French
• False friends, such as actual used for current, or eventually used for possibly
• Inconsistent terms, abbreviations, hyphenation, capitalisation and number style
• Informal phrasing, contractions or absolute claims in an academic text
• Mixed British and American spelling
• Headings, captions and lists that do not follow your template

When you might need it

• You have finished a Bachelorarbeit, Masterarbeit or mémoire and want a careful language check before submission.
• Your feedback mentions "expression", "clarity" or "proofreading" rather than argument.
• You are confident in your content but less sure about your English.
• Your university permits proofreading and you want a clear record of every change.

How the guidance works

1. Check your university's editing rules. Many institutions publish a proofreading or third-party help policy. Send it to us if you have one, and we work within it.
2. Send your finished draft. An editable Word file works best. Tell us your English variant and referencing style.
3. Agree scope and quote. We confirm whether the work is proofreading or language editing, and what it covers.
4. Receive tracked, explained edits. Changes appear as tracked changes, with comments where something needs your decision.
5. Accept or reject each change. Nothing is changed silently, and you have the final word on every edit.

What to prepare

• Your completed draft in an editable format
• Your university's proofreading or third-party help policy
• Your template, style guide or formatting instructions
• The referencing style and English variant you use
• A short list of specialist terms that must not be changed
• Any language comments from your supervisor

What you receive

Depending on the scope agreed in your quote, this can include:

• tracked language edits in your document, with short explanations for recurring patterns
• margin comments where a sentence is unclear and we need you to confirm what you mean
• a feedback summary of your most frequent language issues, so you can watch for them next time
• a note of consistency decisions applied, such as spelling variant or number style
• a discussion of the edits by message, if included

Outside the scope

• Rewriting content, adding ideas or changing your arguments and conclusions
• Restructuring sections or moving paragraphs
• Checking the accuracy of your facts, data or sources
• Paraphrasing or "humanising" text, including AI-generated text, to avoid detection
• Promising any similarity score or AI-detector result

If we cannot tell what a sentence means, we do not guess. We ask you. See our academic integrity page for why.

An illustrative example

Frequently asked questions

Will you make my writing sound more academic?

We flag informal phrasing and suggest more precise wording for sentences you wrote, but we will not replace your voice with a different one. Our academic vocabulary guide helps you build this skill yourself.

Can you edit a draft that is not finished?

Language editing works best once your content is settled, so effort is not spent on sentences you later delete. If you still need feedback on argument or structure, ask about that first.

Can I check my own work before sending it?

Yes. The proofreading checklist and clarity checker help you catch common issues, and our academic editing guide explains how to self-edit in stages.