Doctoral candidates’ scholarly treatises are edited and proofread by dissertation editors. Dissertation editors are employed by universities or academic editing service companies, or they work for themselves. A strong command of written language, as well as the ability to correct errors in structure, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other areas, is required to work as a dissertation editor. Expert knowledge of scholarly writing format styles is also required. Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), Turabian, and other style manuals are commonly used in dissertation preparation; individual school departments may have their own style guides, so being able to quickly learn new styles is also important.
The educational requirements for becoming a dissertation editor vary. If you want to work as a dissertation editor at a university, you’ll almost certainly need a bachelor’s degree in English or another language, or in a specific field of study, and more advanced education is often preferred. It’s also possible that you’ll need some teaching, academic publishing, or research experience. Working for an academic editing service will almost certainly necessitate at least a bachelor’s degree as well as strong editing skills that have been tested. Some academic editing firms may require prior experience as an instructor or academic writer.
You don’t need a college degree to work as a self-employed dissertation editor if you have strong writing and editing skills, but a college degree can help you gain knowledge and appear more professional to potential clients. You can advertise at universities in your area that offer doctoral programs and in student publications once you’ve become familiar with academic style guides. Prepare a list of references and a portfolio of your editing work if you have extensive professional editing experience but are new to dissertation editing. If you don’t have any professional editing experience but have the necessary skills, consider offering your dissertation editing services at a discounted rate until you have more experience. You can also create a website to promote your editing services and attract customers from a wider geographic area.
If you want to work as a dissertation editor, you must be able to use computers and editing software. Flexibility in editing methods may also be required. Some people would rather have their dissertations edited the old-fashioned way, with a pen or pencil on paper. If you want to work as a dissertation editor, you must have excellent organizational skills and a keen eye for detail. It’s also important to have good communication skills in order to explain recommended editing changes in a clear and professional manner.