phd thesis editing australia

Thesis editing for PhD candidates at Australian universities

PhD Editor provides you with friendly, competitive and professional thesis editing and proofreading

Welcome to PhD Editor. The difficulties of academic English can be the final hurdle in a long journey. I will help you clear that hurdle and reach your goal.

PhD Editor is run by Dr John McAndrew, an experienced professional editor with extensive experience working with authors for whom English is a second language.

I specialize in PhD thesis editing and proofreading for students at Australian universities, and all theses editing and proofreading is completed in-line with your university’s guidelines and the Institute of Professional Editors’ (IPEd) Australian Standards for Editing Practice .

In order to give you a free sample edit and proofread and a quote for the work needed, send me a five-page sample (or the whole chapter/thesis). Include the total word count for the document and the time frame you need the work completed in, and I will return the sample edit and quote to you within 48 hours.

Apply for free sample edit and quote.

I am also a PhD coach. To find out how PhD coaching can help you see my other site phdcoaching.com.au .

Universities worked with include:

Academic editing

Brisbane’s thesis editing expert.

Have you written a PhD or master’s thesis, research paper or postgraduate assignment that’s almost ready for submission? I bet you’ve read it a hundred times and pondered over every sentence. Perhaps you’ve grappled with formatting or worried about grammatical errors (especially if English is not your first language). Or maybe you just want to give yourself the absolute best chance of success.

No matter where you’re based in Australia, or what university you’re studying at, I’m here to help. My academic editing services will alleviate stress and showcase your hard work in the best possible light.

Why choose me as your thesis editor?

Having spent more than 16 years working at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), I understand there’s no margin for error when it comes to academic writing. My love for helping students achieve their goals is what led me to specialise in thesis editing.

At QUT, I co-developed a ‘thesis template’ and a manual detailing how to present a thesis using Microsoft Word and led ‘Word for Thesis’ workshops for four years. I’m also a member of the IPEd Standing Committee on Academic Editing, which in 2018 revised the Guidelines for editing research theses . It’s fair to say that thesis editing is my zone of genius.

I mainly edit theses in the fields of education, humanities, social sciences and business, but I can apply my ‘eye for detail’ to most subject areas.

Sydney Academic Editing and Proofreading Services

Elite Editing provides specialised academic and proofreading services to universities, academics and students in Sydney and throughout New South Wales. With a large team of highly skilled, PhD-qualified editors available 365 days a year, we are able to ensure that your document is edited to the highest standard, whatever the deadline.

Editing Excellence

Our editing services include proofreading as well as premium editing of essays, assignments, theses, books, manuscripts, journal articles, conference and research papers, funding applications, book reviews, website content … in fact, we edit all types of documents for academics as well as students.

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Constant availability.

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University professors, lecturers & tutors recommend us.

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Our academic editors work until you are happy.

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We never miss a deadline, or our copyediting is free.

Studying in Sydney, NSW

New South Wales is home to some of Australia’s most prestigious universities, many of which are located in Sydney, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Other campuses across New South Wales are near some of the state’s most pristine beaches, for example, in Wollongong and Newcastle, or next to world-heritage national parks, such as in Armidale. If you are thinking of moving to a university in Australia, read on and discover what New South Wales has to offer.

Australian Catholic University (ACU)

The ACU has two Sydney campuses, one in North Sydney, just north of the Harbour Bridge, and another in Strathfield, 14 kilometres west of the Sydney city centre. The university offers off-campus, apartment-style accommodation in Camperdown, a short commute from both campuses, where students can receive support and attend academic, social and spiritual events on a monthly basis.

Charles Sturt University (CSU)

CSU has New South Wales campuses in Wagga, Albury–Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo and Orange, some of the state’s most vibrant regional centres. It has three main faculties: Arts and Education; Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences; and Science. In terms of accommodation, rooms in apartments or cottages near each campus may be rented through the university.

Macquarie University

Macquarie University is located in Australia’s largest high-tech precinct in the north-western suburbs of Sydney, with 300 leading companies located on or around its 136 hectare campus. Macquarie University has two colleges, Dunmore Lang and Robert Menzies, and it offers townhouse accommodation in its University Village, which has over 900 rooms. Students living on campus are offered academic support and encouraged to be involved in the on-campus community.

University of Newcastle

The University of Newcastle has campuses in Newcastle (city), Newcastle (Callaghan), the Central Coast, Sydney, Port Macquarie and Singapore. The main campus is in Callaghan, 12 kilometres from Newcastle’s beaches and city, and is known as one of the most naturally beautiful campuses in Australia. On-campus accommodation is offered at the Callaghan and Central Coast campuses, with both private and shared facilities available.

Southern Cross University (SCU)

SCU has New South Wales campuses in Sydney and the northern coastal towns of Lismore and Coffs Harbour. The campuses in Lismore and Coffs Harbour are in proximity to some of the most pristine beaches in Australia. On-campus accommodation is provided in four residential colleges located in Lismore and Coffs Harbour.

University of New England (UNE)

UNE is the only Australian University to have been awarded five stars for Overall Experience by the Good Universities Guide for 13 years in a row. Its main campus is in Armidale, in the New South Wales Northern Tablelands, in close proximity to galleries, museums, theatres and music gigs, but also near to heritage-listed national parks, waterfalls and walking trails. UNE has residential colleges, but also assists students to find suitable off-campus accommodation.

University of New South Wales (UNSW)

UNSW is one of Australia’s top-ranking research and teaching universities. Its main campus is located in Kensington in Sydney’s east, seven kilometres from the city centre. With a focus on the scientific, technological and professional disciplines, the university attracts students from 137 countries around the world. It offers on-campus accommodation in six university-run colleges and it also owns a number of off-campus apartments.

University of Sydney

At over 160 years old, the University of Sydney is Australia’s oldest university and it offers the widest range of academic courses of any university in Australia. Its main campus spans the vibrant inner Sydney suburbs of Camperdown, Darlington and Broadway and is home to the beautiful sandstone buildings for which the university is famous. The university offers a range of different accommodation options both on campus in the university’s historic buildings and off campus in one of the world’s top ten student-friendly cities.

University of Wollongong

The University of Wollongong is situated south of Sydney on the coast of New South Wales. Nestled between the mountains and the beach, just to the north of the city of Wollongong, the campus has plenty of open green space. The university also has campuses in Liverpool in Sydney’s south west; in Bega on the south coast of NSW; in Loftus in southern Sydney; in Shoalhaven; and in the Southern Highlands, as well as an overseas campus in Dubai. Student accommodation is provided on the main campus in Wollongong in residential colleges and apartments.

Western Sydney University

Western Sydney University has campuses across Western Sydney in Bankstown, Campbelltown, Parramatta, Hawkesbury and Penrith. It is divided into the following schools: Business; Computing, Engineering and Mathematics; Education; Humanities and Communication Arts; Law; Medicine; Nursing and Midwifery; Social Sciences and Psychology; Science and Health. Western Sydney University offers on-campus University Village accommodation, which is self-contained and fully furnished.

Elite Editing has strong professional links to each of these universities and we are often contacted by academics and students from throughout New South Wales seeking the best possible editing service for their work. Whether you are an academic, a student or a potential student at a university in Sydney or New South Wales, Elite Editing will not only edit and proofread your work to adhere to professional standards, we will also offer you personalised tips about how to improve your writing style, increasing your chances at publication and/or higher grades.

Our Editing Team

We are proud to introduce our stellar academic editing team. As Australia’s largest academic editing service, we have too many editors to list them all here. These are the profiles of a small selection from our large group of talented editors .

Dr Ellen McRae has extensive experience as an editor, scholar and translator. She has worked as an editor for over 25 years, both in-house and as a contractor.

DR ELLEN MCRAE

Rachel Wheeler is a long-time member of the Society of Editors (WA) and the Institute of Professional Editors, and has extensive experience in academic, public policy and postgraduate student thesis editing.

MS RACHEL WHEELER

Dr Sherilyn Goldstone has 12 years of experience in biomedical research, and has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in the specialist literature.

DR SHERILYN GOLDSTONE

Dr Avan Stallard is the author of two books, Antipodes: In Search of the Southern Continent (academic history) and Spinifex & Sunflowers (literary fiction), along with various academic and popular articles.

DR AVAN STALLARD

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Choose 'leave formatting as it is' if you would like us to maintain the current formatting in your document. We will make sure it is neat and consistent.
Choose 'I will upload the formatting guidelines' if you have specific instructions about formatting that need to be followed, for example, if you are submitting a thesis for editing and your university has specific thesis-formatting guidelines. Then, upload these guidelines when you upload your document for editing.
Choose 'Elite Editing House Style' if you would like us to format your document according to our own guidelines, which have been specially designed to meet general university requirements.
Choose 'APA 6th edition' if you want your document to be formatted according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) 6th edition. APA formatting is designed specifically for draft manuscripts of journal articles and certain aspects are not appropriate for a thesis that is divided into chapters and is in its final form. If you are submitting a thesis we will modify APA style according to the preferred thesis style of most universities.

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PhD Editing Services

Phd proofreading services.

Your PhD, Polished By Professionals

Expert Support Throughout Your PhD

A PhD is the sum of years of research and writing. And as well as your final thesis, you may need to prepare a lot of papers during your studies. But whatever stage of your PhD you’re at, your written work needs to be clear and concise so you can make a strong argument. And this is where proofreading can help. So to give yourself the best chance of success, try our expert PhD editing services today.

Expert Editor

Proofreading Professionals

Our team has a world of experience with academic research, making us experts at polishing PhD theses. And to ensure the best results possible, we can even match you with a specialist PhD editor who knows your subject area.

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing

PhD Proofreading Example (After Editing)

As part of our service, your specialist PhD editor can help you:

Perfect your punctuation, spelling, and grammar
Maintain an academic tone and vocabulary in your writing
Check that documents are clear and well structured
Make sure your referencing is correct
Improve your writing style via helpful feedback

And when we check a document, we provide two edited copies:

A “Clean” copy in the original file format
An MS Word Track Changes copy with all edits highlighted

You can then review our work using this “Track Changes” copy, so you’re always in control of the final draft. And if you’re using a file format that doesn’t support Track Changes, we can adapt our process to match.

Lightning-Fast Delivery

You’ll never miss a deadline with our speedy services: our Next-Day Guarantee means we’ll return any document up to 10,000 words long within 24 hours

And if you need a faster turnaround, simply select your desired delivery speed when you submit your document. We have three options:

We can also meet custom deadlines! Just let us know what you need.

*For documents up to 8,000 words

**For documents up to 3,000 words

How We Work With Academics

You’ll never miss a deadline with our speedy services: our Next-Day Guarantee means we’ll return any document up to 8,000 words long within 24 hours.

And if you need a faster turnaround, simply select your desired delivery speed when you submit your document. We have three options

We can also meet custom deadlines! Just let us know what you need.

* For documents up to 8,000 words

** For documents up to 3,000 words

Great Pricing

Our pricing is affordable and transparent – the cost is based on the exact length of your document. Check out our pricing calculator for an instant quote, and rest assured that you’ll receive the highest quality proofreading and editing for the best value on the market.

Referencing Expertise

Our team includes experts in various referencing styles and systems, including AMA, APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, and IEEE. No matter what style you’re using, though, we can check that your citations and references are correct and let you know if any information is missing. Visit our referencing page to learn more.

Subject-Matter Experts

Our team includes over 750 professional editors with backgrounds in a wide range of disciplines, so we’ll always match you with the best editor for your writing, whether you need help with a sociology dissertation, handouts for a music theory lecture, or a biology research paper.

24-Hour Support

Our support team is available around the clock to address any concerns or questions you have about your order. This means you’ll never be left in the dark, no matter where you are or what time it is.

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Looking For The Perfect Proofreader?

We can help you improve everything from journal articles to theses. Let us show you how!

Dissertation editing services

Your one-stop-shop for dissertation editing services.

Bring your PhD dissertation to the next level with the help of Scribbr’s experienced dissertation editors.

2,000-word sample edit is available on request

100% happiness guarantee

Industry-specific editors experienced in proofreading dissertations

Proofreading & Editing
Dissertation Editing Services

Experienced dissertation editors

Within 1 week.

corrected dissertation example with comments

Dissertation Proofreading & Editing Services

Get your dissertation back, free of language errors and inconsistencies.

Standard dissertatio Proofreading & Editing is perfect if you’re confident about your writing but need a second pair of eyes to catch:

Spelling and grammar errors
Inconsistencies in dialect
Overuse of passive voice
Subjective or inflated language

For a more comprehensive edit, you can add one or multiple add-on editing services that fit your needs.

⏰ Deadline	A perfect PhD within 1 week
📄 Texts	Dissertations
⭐️ Rating	based on 13,715 reviews

Add-on services

Customize your editing package to get the help you need, structure check, clarity check, paper formatting, citation editing.

Ensures sections and chapters are structured and focused and your writing is free of redundancies.

Through in-text feedback, your editor will help:
Organize and focus individual chapters and sections
Eliminate repetitive and redundant information
Perfect transitions between sentences and paragraphs
Align titles and headings with the section’s content

You’ll also receive a personalized Structure Check Report meant to help you identify missing elements in each chapter or section and prioritize improvements.

Ensures ideas are presented clearly, your arguments are consistent, and your audience can follow along.

Through in-text comments and checklists, your editor will:

Make sure your text tells a clear and logical story
Check that you’ve clearly presented concepts, ideas, and key terms
Make sure your key takeaways and conclusions are front and center
Highlight contradictions within the text
Ensure you’re keeping your audience’s needs in mind

Ensures a professional look for your document that meets your formatting requirements.

Your formatting expert will ensure consistency for the following:

Margins, spacing, and indentation
Body text and headings
Page numbers
Abstract and keywords
Explanatory footnotes

Choose our Paper Formatting service for a professional finish or our APA Editing Service for the most up-to-date APA formatting.

Citation Editing ensures your citations and references are consistent and meet your style guide’s requirements.

After you provide your document with a reference list, your citation expert will:

Format the layout of your reference page (margins, indents, spacing)
Ensure that your chosen citation style is applied consistently according to the guidelines
Cross-check citations with reference entries
Provide feedback on reference list entries that you need to complete due to missing information

Your expert is familiar with all common citation styles. Find more information about the service and our requirements in our FAQs .

You'll get matched with the perfect editor

All Scribbr editors have completed our Scribbr Academy training program. Their work and experience meet the high standards required to proofread PhD dissertations.

Plus, your deadline is guaranteed. You’ll receive a free text message as soon as your editor is done proofreading, so you can immediately start working on their recommendations.

I have a doctorate in biology and studied a range of life science subjects. I specialize in editing academic texts.

I researched at Harvard, taught English with a Fulbright in Peru, and earned a master's from Johns Hopkins.

I am an academic editor and book reviewer. I am familiar with many style guides and have edited over 6 million words.

I have a bachelor's in electrical engineering and a master's in psychology and am pursuing a PhD in neuroscience.

I am an ESL teacher and academic editor with a research background in the humanities, arts, and culture.

Maximize your dissertation's potential with expert editing

Same day delivery

This deadline works automatically for the following document sizes:

3 hours: less than 3,000 words
6 hours: less than 6,000 words
12 hours: less than 12,000 words

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“Awesome”

Consider this, I scored over 40 on verbal, on the graduate management admission test (i.e., admission test for MBA), which places me at the 83 percentile. In other words, my english is above par. Yet, my revision was filled with comments and adjustments that made my text a lot more clear to the reader. My revision was also ready two days early, which was a pleasant surprise.

How it works

Improve your dissertation in 3 easy steps, upload any time.

Upload your document and easily select the pages that need editing. Next, choose your turnaround time and services and explain your situation and needs to the editor.

Stay in the loop

After placing your order you can keep track of our progress. From finding your perfect editor to potential hand-overs to formatting or citation experts.

Revise and submit

You’ll receive back your document with tracked changes and feedback as well as a personal letter from your editor. The last step is submitting your work with confidence!

Scribbr & academic integrity

Scribbr is committed to protecting academic integrity. Our proofreading service, our AI writing tools ( plagiarism checker , paraphrasing tool , grammar checker , summarizer, Citation Generator ) as well as our free Knowledge Base content are designed to help students produce quality academic papers.

We make every effort to prevent our software from being used for fraudulent or manipulative purposes.

Your questions, answered.

At Scribbr, we promise to make every customer 100% happy with the service we offer. Our philosophy: Your complaint is always justified – no denial, no doubts.

Our customer support team is here to find the solution that helps you the most, whether that’s a free new edit or a refund for the service.

The fastest turnaround time is 12 hours.

You can upload your document at any time and choose between four deadlines:

Yes, in the order process you can indicate your preference for American, British, or Australian English .

If you don’t choose one, your editor will follow the style of English you currently use. If your editor has any questions about this, we will contact you.

Yes, regardless of the deadline you choose, our editors can proofread your document during weekends and holidays.

Example: If you select the 12-hour service on Saturday, you will receive your edited document back within 12 hours on Sunday.

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Your Guide To Thesis Editing in Australia

A background to thesis editing.

Thanks to friends, family, supervisors and fellow students, thesis editing has been around as long as postgraduate degrees, but professional thesis editing services are relatively new, especially in Australia.

As a result of intense competition, higher standards and the ever-increasing demands of academic success, postgrad students wanting to progress in academia, win funding or land a good job now find themselves looking for an edge to increase the quality of their thesis as well as any publications, like journal articles, they write along their journey to graduation.

Professional thesis editors and proofreaders provide this edge by making theses as perfect as possible. A highly trained copyeditor will ensure that the thesis topic, research, reasoning and conclusions are clearly and concisely set out and easy to understand. All this makes a favourable impression on thesis examiners.

The Importance of Thesis Editing for Students

You could have the best thesis topic in the world, with groundbreaking insights, and life-altering conclusions, but if your grammar is sloppy, your formatting inconsistent, and your referencing incomplete, your brilliance will most likely be overlooked.

Perhaps your formatting is clear, and your referencing meets university requirements, but you’re prone to ‘silly’ mistakes (like incorrect apostrophes) or switch between American and Australian English.

You could proofread your own thesis, but your brain tends to compensate for these mistakes by reading correctly what is incorrectly written. Research shows that every time you read a document, your brain automatically uses less energy to do so. It sees what it thinks is there, not what is there. And how many times have you read your thesis?

There are thesis editing apps and programs, which are considerably cheaper than hiring a professional thesis editor to proofread your work. But they tend to miss mistakes and make incorrect suggestions. We are all familiar with the basic errors they miss, such as homophones, where the spelling is correct, but you’ve used the wrong word, like leek instead of leak. But when it comes to the sophisticated level of language that you should be using in your master’s or PhD thesis, a spelling and grammar checker will miss even more because it will often misinterpret your meaning. There’s no AI replacement for the human brain, yet!

A reputable thesis editing company with experienced academic editors and proofreaders will pick up the smallest mistakes and inconsistencies so that your hard work is presented in the best possible way.

The Increasing Popularity of Thesis Editing

Demand for professionals to proofread and edit theses is growing for several reasons.

Many universities have a growing contingent of international students for whom English is a second or even third, fourth or fifth language. They need someone to proofread and edit their work to ensure the language, grammar, and syntax are correct, and the information is clear and well organised. Thesis proofreaders ensure international students are not handicapped by the tricky (and sometimes nonsensical) English language.

Many academic supervisors recommend thesis editing services because they make their lives easier. It’s more pleasant to read error-free writing than work spotted with mistakes that distract and detract from the work and muddy meaning and intent.

Proofreading and editing take a long time, especially if it’s a 100-page undergrad thesis or a 300-page postgrad dissertation. No matter how good they are at writing, it’s remarkably difficult for anyone who isn’t a professional editor to remain focused and conscientious, and to catch every error. Hiring professional editing services saves time, lessens stress and guarantees the 100% focus and attention that your work deserves.

Ethics and Guidelines of Thesis Editing

There is a distinct difference between editing to improve content (i.e., research, ideas, information and sophisticated matters of structure) and editing to correct and improve grammar, syntax, spelling, consistency, formatting and referencing. The first essentially rewrites work and is considered cheating. It’s referred to as ‘substantive editing’ and is prohibited by university guidelines. The second cleans up work to remove ambiguity, confusion and inconsistency in language, citations and cross-references.

Ethical thesis editing abides by the standards determined by professional editing organisations and universities to guide service offerings. Unethical editors throw the guidelines out the window and provide any service students are willing to pay for, even if it is technically plagiarism or cheating.

Always hire editing and proofreading professionals who clearly state their code of ethics and can name the guidelines that they are following. Avoid those who don’t and who dodge questions about their professional academic editing accreditations.

Why Thesis Editing is Permissible by Universities

Thesis editing is permissible for postgraduate students provided you and the professional editing and proofreading service provider you choose abide by the guidelines developed by the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) in collaboration with the Australian Council of Graduate Research (ACGR). These important rules are called the ‘Guidelines for Editing Research Theses’. Universities draw the line at changes to content and sophisticated matters of structure. So editors can correct your grammatical errors, cleaning up your commas and colons, but can’t wholly rewrite your sentences.

Your supervisor or your department’s friendly admin staff might be able to recommend particular professional thesis editing service providers that are familiar with your university’s rules and your specific department’s preferences when it comes to things like formatting and referencing.

Editors and proofreaders eliminate mistakes and ensure consistency. They aren’t there to do your research and write (or rewrite) your thesis for you. Some unscrupulous editing service providers may offer these services. If they do, run a mile because it’s a violation of all academic editing guidelines.

The Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd)

IPEd is the professional association for Australian and New Zealand editors. It provides professional accreditation and helps members stay on top of their craft with ongoing professional development opportunities. It establishes and promotes professional standards, and holds members to these standards.

The IPEd website has a guide to editing research theses, including guidelines for ethical editing specific to academia and creative work submitted for examination purposes. The institute is responsible for publishing any revisions, approved by the IPEd Board and endorsed by the ACGR, to the thesis editing guidelines.

Thesis editors and proofreaders, academic supervisors, and research students themselves must familiarise themselves with the guidelines and follow them, especially regarding restrictions and limitations imposed on academic editing.

Accreditation is not easy to come by, as applicants have to achieve a grade of over 80% in a rigorous four-hour exam. IPEd strongly recommends that editors have more than three years’ full-time experience before they even attempt the exam. Accredited editors must renew their accreditation every five years.

Australian Thesis Editing Companies

You have two options if you want to hire professional thesis proofreading and editing services:

Choose a company that specialises in academic proofreading and editing.
Choose a freelancer that specialises in academic proofreading and editing.

Specialisation is the key: there is a world of difference between editing a corporation’s annual report and a 200-page doctoral thesis. The requirements and standards are like chalk and cheese, as are the rules and ethics regarding what is and isn’t allowed in academic editing.

We’re going to look at four of the top thesis editing companies in Australia and the freelancing option with regard to three points:

Delivery time

1. Capstone Editing

Capstone Editing abides by the ‘Guidelines for Editing Research Theses’, the Australian Standards of Editing Practice and specific rules and guides for each university concerned—no substantive (structure or content) editing for students.
Most of the editors employed are Accredited Editors and Professional Members of IPEd.
The company is a corporate member of IPEd.
The website has a Code of Ethics .

Delivery Time:

There are three delivery options: Standard, Express and Priority.
There is a Last-Minute service available on request—provided a suitably experienced thesis editor is available.
Turnaround time varies according to word count and the level of editing service selected.
The Premium editing service with Standard delivery for 5,000 words is 3 days; Priority delivery is 24 hours.
For 5,000 words, the Platinum package has a Standard turnaround of 4 days and Priority turnaround of 2 days.
Long theses (up to 100,000 words) have a Standard turnaround of 14 days and Priority time turnaround of 7 days.
Capstone Editing has an On-Time Guarantee.
Cost depends on word count and the editing service and turnaround selected.
For example, 5,000 words of Premium editing with a Standard 3-day delivery is $282.49.
On the other end of the spectrum, 80,000 words of Platinum editing with Standard delivery of 14 days is $2,696.11—for the Priority service of 7-days, it’s $3,165.69.
Capstone Editing is the only editing service to offer interest-free repayment plans.

2. Elite Editing

Elite Editing abides by the requirements of the ‘Guidelines for Editing Research Theses’, the Australian Standards of Editing Practice and specific rules and guides for each university concerned—no substantive (structure or content) editing for students.
There are four delivery options: Standard, Express, Urgent and Extra Urgent (if thesis editors are available).
Turnaround time varies according to word count.
Up to 5,000 words, Standard delivery is 5 days, and Urgent is 2 days.
Up to 50,000 words, Standard delivery is 14 days, and Urgent is 7 days.
*More than 50,000 words require a special quote.
Elite Editing has a 100% Delivery Guarantee.
Cost depends on word count and turnaround selected.
5,000 words of with a Standard 5-day delivery is $280.
Higher up the scale, up to 50,000 words with Standard delivery of 14 days costs $1,745 and $2,155 for the 7-day Urgent service.

3. Expert Editor

Expert Editor abides by the Institute of Professional Editors guidelines for editing research theses—will not assist with content.
Students enter a preferred return date, and Expert Editor undertakes to meet that deadline.
Short turnaround times may be accommodated.
If a deadline is too tight, an alternative delivery time is suggested.
Expert Editor has no guarantees regarding meeting deadlines.
Cost depends on word count. Turnaround times need to be negotiated.
5,000 words costs $221.
80,000 words costs $2,080.
Payment is normally upfront. But for large thesis projects (over 80,000 words), it’s possible to pay half up-front and the other half before the delivery date.
Scribbr is a Dutch academic proofreading and editing company that operates internationally.
Not all thesis editing services provided to students are permitted by Australian universities.
It’s up to students to know exactly what is and isn’t permitted and purchase the services allowed by the ‘Guidelines for Editing Research Theses’ and the rules relevant to their university.
Turnaround times are negotiated, with services of 1, 3 and 7 days offered for short documents. The website notes that at least 7 days are required to edit up to 75,000 words, and that more time might be required depending on the quality of the document.
Scribbr has no guarantees regarding meeting deadlines.
Cost depends on word count, level of study, amount of editing services chosen and turnaround selected.
5,000 words with a turnaround time of 3 days costs $245 if you are a master’s or PhD student, or $328 if you add on a Clarity Check—something that is already included in Capstone Editing’s and Elite Editing’s standard editing services.
Going up the scale, 80,000 words will set you back $2,275 for the Proofreading & Editing service only, or $3,155 when you add on the Clarity Check.
**There is a $25 setup fee.

5. Freelancers

Individual thesis editing freelancers determine their own code of ethics.
If in doubt, look for an Accredited Editor who is also a Professional Member of IPEd.
They should abide by the ‘Guidelines for Editing Research Theses’.
Delivery time depends on the freelancer’s schedule and on the student’s needs.
Delivery estimates are worked out on a case-by-case basis.
Students should be aware that if their freelance editor is unable to complete the job for any reason, there may not be anyone in place to replace them automatically.
The cost of editing provided by a freelancer will be determined by that individual, based on factors such as his or her qualifications and experience. The tend to quote per project rather than having set fees, and they might charge by the hour instead of according to word count. Rates can vary widely.
The Institute of Professional Editors has recommended rates for freelance thesis editors and proofreaders.
For example, freelancers with fewer than two years’ experience should normally charge $60 to $80 per hour.
Freelancers with extensive or specialised experience normally charge $110 to $160 per hour.
Many freelancers advertise on niche job websites.

Factors for Selecting a Thesis Editing Service

Your thesis has the potential to set the tone for your career, so you need to research your options and choose the professional editing company that best suits you, your needs and your means.

Google is a blessing and a curse. It will give you thousands of search results, but it doesn’t tell you which of the thesis editing and proofreading companies that come up are genuinely reputable and which might be popular but have no regard for ethics.

There are three important criteria to consider when making your choice:â€¨

Let’s take a closer look.

Does the company abide by the guidelines set by the Institute of Professional Editors and the Australian Council of Graduate Research? These guidelines determine which services are ethical and permissible for postgraduates to use for their academic editing and proofreading and which aren’t.

For example, it’s okay to correct grammar and syntax and ensure consistency and completeness concerning, for example, formatting, references, capitalisation and punctuation.

It’s not okay to change the content or structure of the thesis, and it is certainly not ethical to carry out additional research or rewrite sections. While the thesis editing and proofreading guidelines are standardised in Australia, it’s important to note that some departments may have their own guides that explain what is allowable.

For example, express permission to use a thesis editor may be required, or you may need to show your supervisor both the unedited and edited versions of your thesis. Make sure you know and follow your department’s specific rules.

Delivery Time

Editing delivery time depends on the length of the document or thesis being edited. It also depends on what you want to be done; that is, a standard editing or proofreading service, or one that is heavier and more extensive (while still following the guidelines). For example, it’s not possible for a 25,000-word thesis to be properly edited and proofread in 24 hours.

Some thesis editing service providers have different levels of service, which affects turnaround time. For example, a standard service package at a standard delivery time could take anything from three to 28 days. Many companies offer a priority option, in which case it could take between one day and two weeks.

You might need something more than a standard service, though, especially if English isn’t your first language or you have dyslexia. Extra-strength thesis editing needs extra time. For example, a 25,000-word thesis requiring heavy editing or additional editing services could take a minimum of five days, even with a priority turnaround time.

While you can rely on the quality of work from reputable editors and proofreaders, it’s recommended that you give yourself plenty of time to carefully read the finished product to ensure that everything is as it should be. Depending on the level of service chosen, a specialist academic editor might also provide you with guidance and advice about additional work you need to do yourself to improve or complete your thesis, for example, if references are missing or more support for your argument is required.

The cost will depend on your document’s length, turnaround time, level of service and service provider. It also depends on whether you go with a thesis editing company or a freelancer. Quality and reputation can also affect the price. While expensive services don’t always equate quality, super cheap rates generally indicate shoddy, ethically ambiguous work.

A few cost examples:

IPEd has recommended rates for freelancers; this varies from $60–$80 per hour for someone with fewer than two years’ experience (a level of expertise that would typically not be considered adequate for academic editing or thesis editing) to $110–$160 per hour for someone with extensive experience and a specialisation. (Rates calculated by IPEd in January 2020 and to be reviewed annually.)

If you go with a thesis editing company, you’re looking at (approximately) $370 to $500 for a 10,000-word Honours thesis. For an 80,000-word PhD thesis, you’re looking at (approximately) $2,080 to $3,200.

Capstone Editing is the only thesis editing company to offer payment plans that allow you to pay the service cost over a chosen period (3, 6, 9 or 12 months). This is invaluable for students who can’t come up with a wad of cash in one go, especially scholarship students and international students already paying high tuition fees.

Expert Editor offers undergrad and postgrad students the ability to pay for half of their thesis editing up-front and the remainder upon delivery of the edited service, another helpful option for cash-strapped students.

5 Tips for Writing Your Thesis

Hiring a thesis editor or proofreader is all good and well, but first, you need to have something to send them. Let’s take a quick look at how to write your thesis.

1) Pick a subject you find interesting

You’ll be working on your thesis for a long time, so you better find the subject fascinating. This way, you’re more likely to engage anyone who reads your thesis and make them interested too.

2) Drill beneath the surface to discover your research questions

Once you’ve chosen a thesis subject, you need to delve deeper and discover the questions about it that remain to be answered. You and your supervisor can work together to look for areas that require deeper exploration. While it is acceptable for an Honours research project to simply do something that has been done before in a different way, a master’s or PhD thesis topic must allow your research to make a unique contribution to the field.

3) Tackle your thesis a little bit at a time

Performing your research and writing a thesis is a big project, and it can be daunting; so start with what you know and what you want to prove, and put together a research plan and a basic thesis structure. You can then tackle the larger project one small step at a time.

4) Use the correct formatting and preferred templates

Find out whether your university supplies a template to guide the structure and formatting of your thesis. Some departments even provide a specific Word template for their students to use.

Use the template from the get-go, even for recording your research, so you don’t create unnecessary stress for yourself by having to re-do work later on.

Find out your department’s preferred referencing style and use it from the beginning, at the research stage. Record all the sources you have read and accessed, in the correct referencing style, not just for your own records but also in case you are asked to provide a bibliography rather than just a reference list (which only includes those sources that you have cited in your thesis).

5) Don’t get bogged down by order

When it comes to writing up your thesis, don’t worry about putting it into words in any precise order. Opinions vary, but a general guide is to start with the easiest bits to gain momentum and then finish with the parts you find the most difficult. So long as you have a detailed plan before you begin writing, it doesn’t matter in what order you write your sections or subsections.

Two quick tips before we go:

1) Take advantage of your academic supervisors’ experience, but don’t rely on her or him.

2) ‘Save As’ your work at least once every 20–30 minutes (don’t just ‘Save’ over top of your work!) and back it up on external devices and the cloud. The last thing you need is to lose hours of work because your computer crashed, let alone months or years because—God forbid—your house burned down during your postgrad degree! (Hey, it’s happened!)

Final Points

If you’re looking for a thesis editing and proofreading provider, a quick Google search will show you’re spoilt for choice. However, it takes a little more than a few search phrases to find a quality, reliable, reputable and accredited professional editor—let alone one qualified and experienced enough to edit your doctoral thesis as opposed to a short story or a company’s brochure.

Delivery time and cost are important factors in choosing a thesis editing company or freelancer, but don’t underestimate the value of professional accreditation. Accreditation by itself doesn’t guarantee quality either, but it’s an indication that the company or freelancer concerned is suitably qualified and operates ethically, that is, within universities’ acceptable parameters.

Don’t be afraid to ask editing service providers probing questions, and if you encounter resistance, close the tab and look elsewhere!

Good luck! Use the research and analytical skills you’ve obtained during your degrees in your search for a thesis editor, and we are confident you will end up in good hands!

How to Write an Essay: Part 5

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Should I get an editor for my thesis?

I often get asked if students are allowed to use professional editors. In most universities you can and there are even funds provided for this purpose in some cases. Brendan Brown, Director of The Expert Editor, an Australian professional editing company that specialises in thesis editing, sent me this article recently. I thought the article was useful, so I’m publishing it even though I cannot personally vouch for this service. If you are interested, you can visit their website at www.experteditor.com.au or follow Brendan on Google+.

(editor’s note – I have not personally used this service. One student has reported an adverse experience with this editorial service following this post. Please ask for samples of their work before proceeding and make your own decision.)

Editing is beneficial to a native-speaking student and virtually mandatory if English is your second language. It can enhance the quality of language, remove errors and ensure academic conventions are met. In particular, editing allows ESL students to be marked on the substance of their ideas, not their innate ability to write fluent academic English. Every student should utilise an editor in the final stages of their thesis, either a friend, family member or a professional.

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Graduate Research Hub

Preparing my thesis
Writing my thesis

Getting started on your thesis

The approach to writing will vary by discipline. The best way to make sure you are doing the right thing is to talk to your supervisors, plan the structure of your thesis and start writing early and regularly.

In creative arts disciplines where your thesis may take the form of creative works and a dissertation, you should also discuss the form and presentation of your thesis with your supervisor, to ensure that it is presented as a cohesive whole. You can refer to the thesis with creative works page for further information on formatting , weighting and the examination process for creative works.

Thesis formats, preface and word limits

The rules governing thesis content, language and word limits are contained in the Graduate Research Training Policy while the formatting and preface requirements for theses, compilations and creative works are provided in the Preparation of Graduate Research Theses Rules . You can also refer to the sample thesis title page .

If your thesis includes some of your publications, or material extracted from some of your publications, format requirements are explained under Including your published material in your thesis .

The University repository, Minerva Access , stores completed theses and is a good resource for viewing how others have presented their work. Just browse by types and choose Masters research thesis, PhD thesis or Doctorate .

You will need to add an Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) to your thesis title page. Information on the ORCID and how to apply for one is available from the University Library

If your thesis includes third party copyright material, the Preparation of Graduate Research Theses Rules requires you to include a list of the material and whether or not you have gained permission from the copyright owners to make this material publicly available as part of your thesis. When creating the list, please use the Template for Listing Third Party Copyright Material . For further information on copyright and dealing with the copyright of others, see Copyright & Research .

Check the Handbook entry for your course for specific word limits and, where applicable, for the proportion of the thesis to be presented as a creative work.

The maximum word limit for theses (including footnotes but excluding tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices) are:

50 000 words for Masters theses
100 000 words for a PhD or doctoral thesis.

You should aim to write a thesis shorter than the maximum allowed, for example 40 000 for a Masters thesis or 80 000 words for a PhD. Any thesis that exceeds the maximum limit requires permission to proceed to examination, which must be sought via the Graduate Research Examinations Office prior to submission.

It may have been necessary for you to significantly alter your research plan, due the COVID-19 pandemic or other major disruption. In some cases, this may mean that the thesis you submit is not typical for your discipline. In your thesis, you should discuss any methodological changes you have made and explain how the changes arose because of the disruptions. Theses usually also include discussion of possible future research; you may wish to outline research that could be done once conditions change. Your discussion in the thesis of COVID-19 or other impacts will guide the examiners’ understanding of the reported work and the environment in which it was undertaken.

Acknowledging COVID-19 disruptions in your thesis

This guide discusses how to explain the impact of COVID-19 disruptions in your thesis. You should consult with your supervisors to decide what approach suits your situation best.

What to include or exclude

When you include statements within your PhD, other than in the Acknowledgements, they must be objective and within the scope of matters that examiners consider. You can include statements about the impact of COVID-19 or other significant external disruptions on matters such as the scope of the thesis; experimental design; or access to resources including facilities, collections, cohorts of experimental subjects, fieldwork, laboratories, and performance spaces. Note this list is indicative only. If in doubt, contact your supervisor or advisory committee chair about other relevant inclusions.

It is not appropriate to include emotional statements, how your experience compared to others (examination is not competitive), nor impacts such as the need to work remotely, or personal statements on mental or physical health, family, finances, nor the behaviour or availability of supervisors. Examiners are not asked to consider these matters.

While these factors may have had a profound impact on many candidates during the disruptions, there is no concept of ‘special consideration’ in examination of theses. Challenges to candidature are expected to be managed prior to submission and are not considered by examiners. For example, if access to supervisors was a difficulty, alternative arrangements should have been made. Examiners are not asked to make allowance for such factors.

Major changes to the project

If the disruptions led to significant changes to your project, you could address this in a single location.

For example, you might include a section that addresses the impact that the disruptions had on the entire thesis, or on multiple chapters within the thesis in a systematic and explicit way.

The introduction is where candidates lay out the thesis for examiners and so provides an opportunity to present objective statements regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the thesis. If the disruptions meant that different methodologies were pursued in different parts of the thesis, the introduction is a good place to explain why in a cohesive way.

Alternatively, statements can be added to the preface, to provide context to the work as a whole.

A final conclusions chapter is used to summarise the work and outline future research opportunities. If the disruption prevented you from undertaking particular research activities, you can use this section to highlight these gaps in the study and how they might be addressed.

Carefully explaining how the methodology was shaped by the disruption demonstrates your capacity to think beyond the PhD and to adapt to changing conditions. It can show that you are creative, flexible, and exploratory as a problem-solver.

The skills expected of a strong candidate include an ability to formulate a viable research question and to analyse information critically within and across a changing disciplinary environment.

You have the opportunity to demonstrate these attributes, even if the investigative component of the research was impeded. Remember that the core goal is research training, not the achievement of specific research outcomes.

Impact on specific chapters

If the disruptions impacted just one or two chapters of your thesis, they still need to stand alone as quality research.

One option is to explain the original design and how it was revised, either in the chapter introduction or in the section where it best fits in your narrative. It is important to explain to the examiners why you chose that methodology, particularly if it is unusual for your discipline. For example, the disruption may have affected the number or type of interviews that were conducted or have forced a change from experimental work to computational modelling.

Again, writing a focused discussion of the impact of the disruptions on a specific piece of work is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the qualities and skills that an examiner seeks in a strong candidate.

Impact that was not specific

You may wish to note that your thesis was completed during COVID-19 disruptions, even if there was no specific identifiable impact on the scope of the thesis or the project design. The appropriate location for this note is in the acknowledgements section because it is not examined. Remember that although this is the section where you might offer gratitude for family, friends, supervisors, inspirations, and supports; not every examiner will read the acknowledgements.

Editing my thesis

Your thesis must be your own work, and you must clearly understand your role as well as the roles of your supervisors and others throughout the editorial process.

The Graduate Research Training Policy limits the editing of theses by others to that permitted in the current Guidelines for Editing Research Theses .

As editorial intervention (other than by your supervisors) should be restricted to copyediting and proofreading, as covered on page two of the Guidelines for Editing Research Theses , it is important that you understand the types of editing as explained on the Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd) website.

The University does not maintain a list of editors. If you would like help finding a suitable editor, the Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd) has a register of accredited editors.

If your thesis has had the benefit of editorial advice, in any form, you must provide the name of the editor or company providing the service and a brief description of the service rendered, in terms of the Standards, in the preface of your thesis.

Registering my intention to submit

Prior to submission, or prior to your performance or exhibition of a creative component of your thesis, register your intention to submit by logging into the Thesis Examination System (TES). About 2-months prior to your submission is the ideal time for this. Your estimated submission date, or your thesis submission date, must not exceed your maximum submission date, i.e. your expected thesis submission date as listed on the Graduate Research Details page of my.unimelb .

Registering your intention to submit begins the process of the selection of examiners. You will need to provide a brief (80-word) overview of your research question, methods and results which will be sent to potential examiners. If you are submitting a thesis with creative work, include the weighting of the proportion of the written dissertation and creative component/s. You will also be given the opportunity to name up to two people that you consider to be unsuitable examiners, along with substantiated reasons. You are encouraged to create and enter an ORCID .

Preparing to submit your thesis soon? Download our Thesis Submission Checklist to assist you.

More information

Read the FAQs on using the Thesis Examination System

You must be admitted to the relevant graduate research degree in order to submit your thesis. If your candidature is suspended, cancelled or terminated and you wish to submit, you must first apply for reinstatement and readmission . Before applying for readmission you should contact your supervisor or head of department to discuss your thesis. If your supervisor is no longer available please contact the graduate research team for your faculty , or the faculty nearest in discipline to your former department.

Resources and workshops to help you write

Writing skills
Publication, open access and copyright
Library skills for researchers
Systems and tech tools including - Nvivo, LabArchives, File Management 101, Producing excellent graphs and sessions for a range of reference management software
Communication skills and presentation skills workshops including - Oral presentations, Working with people and managing complex relationships and Working with a supervisor
Upcoming workshops offered by Research@Library including digital skills webinars.
Melbourne talks - a free program for international graduate researchers to the University of Melbourne delivered by the Student Peer Leader Network in partnership with Academic Skills.
The University’s Library Guides provide a resource of library research support information on research, reading and writing skills
We recommend you watch the series of eight short videos on Getting Started with Library Research
The Eastern Resource Centre Library will be regularly updated to include information on when they are hosting structured social writing sessions known as ‘shut up and write’ and library information sessions
Connect to the Thesis Writers’ Community on LMS. Established by Academic Skills, the Community provides information and support through the writing process for graduate researchers
You can join GSA’s regular Shut Up & Write sessions and Shut Up & Write-a-Thons
Book an adviser for individual appointments to help with your thesis
Your graduate school may have writing groups and they may offer 'boot camps' for an intensive writing effort. GSA also runs regular thesis boot camps .
You may also find it helpful to look at theses from past candidates in your field. You can use the Browse “Communities and Collections” function in the University's institutional publications repository, Minerva Access to find the “Theses” collection for your faculty or department (use the “+” symbol to expand the list of communities available). You can also use the search function to find theses with relevant keywords.
Annual graduate research competitions organised by the University such as the Three minute thesis (3MT®) competition and Visualise your thesis competition

Please note: These programs and workshops are subject to change, based on bookings and demand.

Resources for candidates
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Peer activities
Change my commencement date
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Outside institutions list
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Confirmation
At risk of unsatisfactory progress
Unsatisfactory progress
Add or drop coursework subjects
Apply for leave
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Request an evidence of enrolment or evidence of qualification statement
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Change department
Transfer to another graduate research degree
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Withdraw from my research degree
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Extension of candidature
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How to cancel a form in my.unimelb
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Examples of thesis and chapter formats when including publications
Thesis with creative works
Research Integrity in my Thesis
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Depositing multiple components for your final thesis record
The Chancellor's Prize
TES Graduate Researcher FAQs
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Melbourne Research Experience Survey
Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT)
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Prepare your thesis

Throughout your research candidature you will work toward producing your final thesis. There are some key points to keep in mind when you start this process.

Your thesis must be a coherent and cohesive whole. You can submit a thesis including publications but we don't accept thesis by publication. Refer to the relevant Thesis and Examination policy (pdf, 392KB) and discuss this with your supervisor.

There are also certain formatting and referencing requirements that are outlined below.

You can also find more general information on research skills, planning and writing your thesis in the research skills for HDR students page. This includes literature reviews, writing up results and theses including publications.

Proofreading and editing

You can use an editor to prepare your thesis for submission. Make sure you discuss your plans with your supervisor and provide your editor with a copy of the University’s Thesis Submission and Examination Procedures (pdf, 180KB) .

When you use an editor:

include the editor’s name and a brief description of the service provided in your list of acknowledgements at the front of your thesis. For creative work, make sure this information is included when it's presented for examination.
you need to state the editor’s current or former area of academic specialisation if this is similar to your own.

Composition

You will find information on word limits in the below policies and procedures, or in your faculty or school handbook.

Word limits include footnotes and all material in the main body of the thesis. Bibliographies and appendices are not included in the overall word count.

University of Sydney (Higher Degree by Research) Rule (pdf, 877KB)
Thesis and Examination of Higher Degrees by Research Policy (pdf, 194KB)
Thesis and Examination of Higher Degrees by Research Procedures (pdf, 180KB)

If you have questions about formatting, you can speak to your supervisor or postgraduate coordinator.

Thesis frontispiece sections

The frontispiece includes the parts of your thesis before the main content.

Thesis title and abstract

The following upper limits apply to your title and abstract content submitted on RECS for the final lodgement:

thesis title: maximum 250 characters including spaces, in title case not uppercase.
thesis abstract: maximum 2000 characters including spaces.

Login to Sydney Student (go to ‘My studies’, then 'Research details') to update and maintain your thesis title and thesis abstract.

Note that there are no characters limits for the title and abstract in the actual pdf of the thesis.

Your thesis title page should state:

title of the thesis
faculty name
the University’s full name – The University of Sydney
for theses only: A thesis submitted to fulfil requirements for the degree of Doctor/Master of Philosophy (or other higher degree by research)
for theses with a creative component: A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Doctor/Master of Philosophy (or other higher degree by research).
a statement if you have been in receipt of a Research Training Program scholarship: "This research reported in this thesis was supported by the award of a Research Training Program scholarship to the PhD Candidate."

Statement of originality

You need to include a statement of originality, usually placed after the title page, for example:

This is to certify that to the best of my knowledge, the content of this thesis is my own work. This thesis has not been submitted for any degree or other purposes.

I certify that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work and that all the assistance received in preparing this thesis and sources have been acknowledged.

Signature* Name

*you should only include the signature in the copy you submit for examination, not the library copy.

Authorship attribution statement

If your thesis contains material you have previously published, you need to discuss an authorship attribution statement with your supervisor and submit this statement as part of your final thesis submission. It should indicate the name and publication details of the published work, as well as specify your contribution.

Such a statement typically appears in the frontispiece of your thesis.

If the publication in which your work has previously appeared has a convention about author order, then you need to include this information after each relevant attribution statement (for example, Journal of XXXX requires that the lead author must be corresponding author).

This only applies where you have made a substantial contribution to the paper. You cannot present minor contributions to published works in the main body of your thesis – these can only be included as appendices.

Example: Chapters published as papers/edited book chapters

Chapter x of this thesis is published as [citation]. I designed the study, analysed the data and wrote the drafts of the MS.

Chapter y of this thesis is published as [citation]. I designed the study, extracted the data and wrote the drafts of the MS.

Chapter z of this thesis is published as [citation]. I co-designed the study with the co-authors, interpreted the analysis done by A.N. Other and wrote the drafts of the MS.

Example: Published material distributed through the thesis

This thesis contains material published in [citation]. This is section x.y; figure s.t, and pages p-q of section y.z. I did... [describe your role].

Attesting your authorship attribution statement

You and your supervisor need to attest to an authorship attribution statement under the Thesis and Examination Policy and Procedures (pdf, 185KB) . The following are suggested:

In addition to the statements above, in cases where I am not the corresponding author of a published item, permission to include the published material has been granted by the corresponding author.

Student Name, Signature, Date

As supervisor for the candidature upon which this thesis is based, I can confirm that the authorship attribution statements above are correct.

Supervisor Name, Signature, Date

You should refer to the Thesis and Examination of Higher Degrees by Research Procedures (pdf, 180KB) for information about the inclusion of published material you wrote, or contributed to as an author. This includes use of citations and quotations.

If your thesis contains material you have previously published, an authorship attribution statement, outlined above, may be included.

More information can be found in the Thesis and Examination of Higher Degrees by Research Policy (pdf, 194KB) and the University of Sydney (Higher Degree by Research) Rule (pdf, 877KB) .

The responsibilities of all researchers, academic staff and students are outlined in our Research Code of Conduct (pdf, 484KB) . This defines research misconduct and breaches of the Code related to plagiarism.

File type for submission

You need to submit your thesis as a pdf file. This is the required format for us to submit your thesis into Turnitin for similarity detection. If we receive a file in another format, then the conversion to pdf will not be controlled by you and may result in unacceptable or undesirable formatting changes. Be aware, once a thesis file is submitted for examination, it is not possible to withdraw it for revisions unless under the provisions of the Thesis and Examination of Higher Degree by Research Students Policy .

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How to edit a PhD thesis (without going mad)

Jun 5, 2020

Your PhD thesis is the culmination of years of coursework and research and it can seem pretty overwhelming. Once you complete a draft, your work is far from over. Editing and proofreading are a significant part of your work on your dissertation, but after drafting your chapters, you might feel like you have no idea where to start editing.

This is where we come in. We’re going to walk you through the dos and dont’s of editing a dissertation thesis chapter to help the process seem less daunting. If you’re ready to learn about how to edit your PhD thesis, read on.

Do Walk Away and Take a Break

This might seem counterintuitive. You’re finished with a chapter and now you should walk away? The purpose of taking a break is to clear your head. Don’t just take a 10-minute break either. Take a whole day, maybe more if you can spare them, and then come back with fresh eyes and a cleared mind to begin editing.

Don’t Edit as You Write

You might be tempted to go back and edit after every few paragraphs or pages, but try to resist that urge. If you wait until you have an entire draft of a chapter ready, you will make things much easier on yourself.

If you can wait, you can then move entire sections, judge the quality of a paragraph or section in terms of the entire chapter, and have a better idea of the full picture of the chapter rather than just a small section.

Do Create a Plan

Before you start editing, have a plan. Start with one chapter (do not try to edit the entire dissertation at once) and lay out what you are looking for.

When you edit the first draft of your chapter, you should ask yourself questions as you go through it. You want to examine how it might be improved, what you need to add, what might need to be removed, and what might need to be moved to another section.

Set yourself up with a list of questions to ask yourself as you review each chapter. Yours might differ based on your discipline, but here are some general questions you can start with:

Whether it’s the introduction, literature review, results, or discussion and conclusion chapters, you had a purpose when writing them. That purpose should be clear at the beginning of the chapter and you should carry that through the entire chapter. Ask yourself:

What is the purpose of this chapter?
Did I make that clear? (i.e., is there a clearly stated purpose of the chapter at the beginning?)
Does this chapter and the material in it logically follow the previous chapter?
Are there places where things don’t fit or seem to come out of nowhere within the chapter?
Am I using adequate transitions between paragraphs and sections?
Have I used existing research to justify your process and/or explained that your research is the first on the topic?
Is the chapter well-organised and easy to read?
Have I appropriately used headings and subheadings to help the flow and organisation?
Do I have a strong conclusion that isn’t just a summary of the chapter and gives the reader an idea of the content of the next chapter?
Does the writing flow from section to section and chapter to chapter?
Have I established myself as an academic authority on the subject?
Can I make the writing more concise?

These questions are relevant for each chapter of your dissertation.

Your PhD Thesis. On one page.

Don’t proofread during the editing .

The editing step is focused more on big-picture items, not line edits. Sure, you can fix typos, but don’t worry too much about the small details. The thorough proofreading will come later.

You might even hire a professional proofreader to handle the line-item editing for you once your draft is finished and edited. Otherwise, the proofreading comes when the writing is done and the PhD is nearly complete.

Do Edit in Stages

The logical editing process is to focus on each chapter at a time. After each chapter is finished, you can edit it (after you’ve walked away from it a bit).

You can also choose to focus on one editorial issue at a time. For example, you could first go through to check for structure in one editing session and then check for purpose in another (this way is a bit more complex and you often find yourself focusing on everything in an editing session, so try a few different methods to see what works best for you).

Don’t Edit the Entire Thing at Once

Just like you need to walk away from a chapter and give yourself a break from it before editing, you also need to give yourself a break between editing sessions. The thought of sitting down to edit the entire dissertation, which could be several hundred pages, is probably extremely overwhelming. It’s enough to make someone procrastinate the editing process because it seems like such a daunting task.

Don’t do this to yourself! Instead, set goals. Decide how much you will edit in one day and stick to that. This will help you to manage your time and also make sure your eyes and mind are fresh as you edit. As you get fatigued from so much reading and editing, you’ll start to miss things.

You didn’t sit down to write the entire thing in one sitting, so don’t expect yourself to edit the whole thing in one sitting.

How to Edit a PhD Thesis Effectively

Unless you’ve written a dissertation before, chances are you are stuck on how to edit a PhD thesis chapter. Use these tips to make the editing process more manageable and less overwhelming. It’s a lot of work, but so is the writing process. You want your final draft to be the best it can be.

If you’re still stuck or overwhelmed, let one of our PhD-thesis proofreaders take on the editing process for you. Get in touch today to book your writing check-up.

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Finding theses

University of sydney theses, higher degree by research theses.

We hold theses written by the University’s Higher Degree by Research (PhD or Masters by Research) students in our collections.

You can find a University of Sydney thesis by searching the Library catalogue . Select the “Advanced search” and then select “USYD Theses” from the “Material type” dropdown menu.

You can also find digital theses by searching directly in the Sydney eScholarship repository .

Access a digital or digitised thesis

Many of the University’s digital and digitised theses are openly available for download through the Sydney eScholarship repository .

Theses marked “University of Sydney Access” are only available to current University staff and students. Libraries and private researchers can request to purchase a copy of a University of Sydney Access only thesis for AUD$18.50 (incl. GST, within Australia) or AUD$40.00 (international requests).

To purchase a digital thesis, you need to complete one of the relevant request forms below and submit it to [email protected] :

Individuals requesting a thesis, or library requesting on behalf of an individual
Libraries requesting a copy to be included in their collection

All requests for copies of material held at the University of Sydney Library must comply with the Copyright Act of 1968 .

Access a hard copy thesis

Theses that are only available in printed format can be viewed in the Rare Books and Special Collections Library , Level 1, Fisher Library.

We are currently running a project to digitise hardcopy theses. You can request an update to find out where a particular thesis is in our digitisation queue by emailing [email protected] .

We don’t digitise theses on request.

Honours or postgraduate coursework theses

Search for an honours or postgraduate coursework thesis in the repository , then use the filters on the left side of the results page to narrow by “Type”.

You can also search the Honours and Postgraduate Coursework theses collection for a faculty, school or discipline (if available).

There are limited numbers of honours theses in the Sydney eScholarship repository as we have strict requirements for submission of honours theses . If you can't find the thesis you're looking for, we suggest contacting the relevant faculty office.

Theses from other Australian and New Zealand universities

Find a thesis from other Australian or New Zealand universities by searching:

Australian theses via Trove
Libraries Australia for Higher Degree theses awarded from 1989 onwards
Education Research Theses for citations and abstracts from theses submitted from 1919 onwards.

If you’re interested in a thesis that isn't available online, you can request the item through our Resource Sharing Service .

International theses

For theses written and submitted at universities outside of Australia, try the following resources:

Open Access Theses and Dissertations
DART-Europe E-theses Portal
British Library Electronic Digital Thesis Online Service (EThOS)
EBSCO open dissertations
French Thesis-On-Line Repository
History Online – postgraduate theses in History submitted in the UK since 1995
Index to Theses – listing of theses with abstracts accepted for higher degrees by universities in Great Britain and Ireland since 1716
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations – North American theses
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global

Related information

For more help finding and accessing theses, speak to our friendly library staff.

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Cost depends on word count. Turnaround times need to be negotiated. 5,000 words costs $221. 80,000 words costs $2,080. Payment is normally upfront. But for large thesis projects (over 80,000 words), it's possible to pay half up-front and the other half before the delivery date. 4.
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There are clearly defined guidelines for thesis editing in Australia. Accredited editors should adhere to these guidelines, which are called the Guidelines for editing research theses. The guidelines were originally developed by the Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies (DDOGS) collaboratively with the Council of Australian Societies of ...
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PhD Editor is run by Dr John McAndrew, an experienced professional editorwith extensive experience working with authors for whom English is a second language. I specialize in PhD thesis editing and proofreading for students at Australian universities, and all theses editing and proofreading is completed in-line with your university's ...
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We help a diverse range of clients from Australia and overseas, including PhD and Master's students with theses or dissertations, academics seeking publication in journals or books, and postgraduate and undergraduate students with essays. The Expert Editor's four academic services: Thesis Editing; Journal Article Editing
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Transcript Hi, I'm Dr Lisa Lines, from Capstone Editing. If you're watching this video, chances are you are nearing the end of writing up your thesis, and you're beginning to look at your options for professional academic editing. Having your thesis professionally edited is an extremely important part of finalising your thesis,…
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Overuse of passive voice. Subjective or inflated language. For a more comprehensive edit, you can add one or multiple add-on editing services that fit your needs. ⏰ Deadline. A perfect PhD within 1 week. 📄 Texts. Dissertations. ⭐️ Rating. 4.6 based on 13,690 reviews.
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A Background to Thesis Editing. Thanks to friends, family, supervisors and fellow students, thesis editing has been around as long as postgraduate degrees, but professional thesis editing services are relatively new, especially in Australia. As a result of intense competition, higher standards and the ever-increasing demands of academic success, postgrad students wanting to progress in ...
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Thesis editing is ethical and permissible. There is a misconception about the efficacy of professional editing for Masters and PhD student theses. One school of thought is that editing is akin to cheating and is therefore not allowed. This view is incorrect. Thesis editing is permissible as long as your editor follows relevant guidelines.
Writing my thesis
The maximum word limit for theses (including footnotes but excluding tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices) are: 100 000 words for a PhD or doctoral thesis. You should aim to write a thesis shorter than the maximum allowed, for example 40 000 for a Masters thesis or 80 000 words for a PhD.
Prepare your thesis
Your thesis must be a coherent and cohesive whole. You can submit a thesis including publications but we don't accept thesis by publication. Refer to the relevant Thesis and Examination policy (pdf, 392KB) and discuss this with your supervisor. There are also certain formatting and referencing requirements that are outlined below.
How to edit a PhD thesis (without going mad)
Do Create a Plan. Before you start editing, have a plan. Start with one chapter (do not try to edit the entire dissertation at once) and lay out what you are looking for. When you edit the first draft of your chapter, you should ask yourself questions as you go through it. You want to examine how it might be improved, what you need to add, what ...
Finding theses
Libraries and private researchers can request to purchase a copy of a University of Sydney Access only thesis for AUD$18.50 (incl. GST, within Australia) or AUD$40.00 (international requests). To purchase a digital thesis, you need to complete one of the relevant request forms below and submit it to [email protected]: