What Your Dissertation Editor Should Promise, and What He/She Should Not

What Your Dissertation Editor Should Promise, and What He/She Should Not

The dissertation editor you hire should be able to make three promises to you, related directly to the three areas of concern he or she should be helping you to address.  First, your editor should promise to take a disciplined, diligent approach to editing your dissertation, to identify any issues in the logic and quality of your content.  Second, your editor should promise to correct any issues in the text that detract from a scholarly tone.  Finally, your editor should promise that he or she will be able to support any corrections made or not made with specific references to the style guide you are required to follow, including any particular guidelines your program has requested.

One particular promise you should be wary of is any guarantee that your dissertation is approved.  What should be guaranteed instead, for example, is that there will be no issues with adherence to the APA style or with the scholarliness of the writing that will keep the dissertation from being approved.  When considering which editor is the right one for your dissertation, make sure that what your dissertation editor promises falls within his or her ability to deliver.