Standard proofreading is carried out by our experienced proofreaders who are native speakers of the target language. Many of our proofreaders have advanced degrees (e.g. Master’s) in linguistics or a related subject. The text is carefully checked for proper use of grammar, punctuation, spelling, word choice, and overall sentence structure. Standard proofreading is primarily aimed at texts of a non-technical nature which can be understood by a lay audience.

Specialised proofreading is a service we have developed specifically for academic researchers who intend to send their texts to international peer-reviewed journals. Our specialist proofreaders all hold a PhD (or equivalent such as Doctor of Medicine) and the majority are active publishing scientists. All our proofreaders are carefully selected by the Head of Scientific Proofreading at eCORRECTOR, dr hab. Mark J.Hunt. They are well aware of the high standards required by both reviewers and editors and often provide suggestions that can strengthen the manuscript.

We will not alter the intended meaning of the text. However, since all manuscripts are carefully read by a proofreader with expertise in the same or a closely related area then, if a statement appears to be incorrect, a comment will be inserted in the appropriate place in the body of the text. Ultimately of course it is the author who makes the final decision as they know their own work best.

Almost all journals now require that reviewers evaluate the standard of English during their review. It goes without saying that a properly proofread manuscript has better chances of being reviewed in a more positive light than a manuscript containing typos and unclear sentences. However, of course the key findings and conclusions are what forms the basis of a manuscript being recommended for acceptance. The purpose of our specialised proofreading service is to ensure that the manuscripts are written in a clear way and not rejected on grounds of language alone.

Authors will receive a tracked (showing where the changes have been introduced – which should be verified by the author) and a clean (changes-accepted) version. We recommend that authors do not change the file once it has been proofread. If authors require any clarification on the changes introduced to the manuscript they are able to contact us with 14 days of receiving the text and we will be happy to provide all further explanation that is required.

Reviewers do actually quite frequently suggest language improvements, even on manuscripts written by native speakers of English. If a manuscript, which has been proofread (and was not edited further before journal submission) is rejected on grounds of English we will re-proof your text a second time. This only applies if the complete text, submitted to the journal, was proofread and was not later modified by the author. We take a discretionary approach to any re-proofing, on a case-by-case basis, if complaints are raised in other circumstances.

The vast majority of papers are not accepted at the first attempt. Indeed, many journals can only accept 10% of the submissions they receive, so you are definitely not alone in this situation. Since we work closely with scientists publishing in similar fields to many of the authors we proofread for, we may be able to offer advice (depending on the field) on which journals to target and possibly restructuring of manuscripts.

Texts around 3000-4000 words can usually be proofread in 4 to 5 working days. If the document is longer, the deadline is changed accordingly. For express service, i.e. if a text needs to be proofread in 1-2 working days, please contact us. Then, express rates (+30%) would apply.

Yes, our specialist proofreading service includes a certificate of proofreading. The document confirms that the manuscript bearing this title has been proofread by a native speaker of English who holds a PhD in a specific field. Certificates can be uploaded in the [other] section when uploading images alongside your submission.

Please indicate any specific issues you would like addressed in the text, such as word count, at the time you send the files to us.

All text (excluding the references – unless this is requested) content is proofread including text in any figures and tables. If an image is not directly editable and mistakes are found, then an explanatory note will be included as a comment in the file.

We work with a large number of scientists from a variety of different Institutes and may be able to offer group discounts. Please contact us at info@ecorrector.com for more information.

Almost all manuscripts are sent in MS Word format. This enables clear tracking of the changes made during the proofreading process. However, we can also handle a number of other formats, like PDF, LaTex, InCopy, Excel. If your text is in a less common format, you can always ask us about it.

Yes, we cooperate with proofreaders proficient in American and British English (and other languages, if necessary). Unless stated otherwise, we proof according to the dominant form of English used in the text.

A plagiarism check ensures that the text you submit is original and you are not plagiarising other people’s work. This can give you confidence in the authorship of your work. We use well-validated software to run our plagiarism check and the full report is sent to the author.