Structural and copy editing

Editing is vital to ensure the integrity of your copy. If you have written your own material, a professional edit will ensure that:

the document is complete and consistent
your publication is concise, clear and targeted correctly for the intended audience
spelling, grammar and punctuation errors are addressed
content adheres to style guide requirements
information is structured in the most effective manner
facts and references are checked and validated, and
costly errors (in time, reputation and money) are avoided.

WriteCopy can work with you to polish and refine your content – whether it be structural or copy editing.

Structural editing

Structural editing ensures the content and the structure are in synergy by looking at the ”big picture”.

What are the goals of the document? Does the structure support those goals by making the meaning clear? Is the structure appropriate to the intended function?
Who is the audience? Is the language, content and style appropriate for their needs?
What is the delivery method? Is the content a good fit for the chosen medium?

An incorrectly structured document can have an enormous impact on the reader’s ability to gain meaning and derive value – inevitably resulting in a negative response.

Copy editing

Copy editing is the most common form of editing. WriteCopy can work with you to:

examine each sentence, both as a stand-alone sentence and in context, to ensure that the written meaning is clear
ensure the copy delivers on the promise implicit in its title and introduction, and
check your copy for accuracy and sense:
- is the use of terminology consistent?
- is capitalisation applied consistently?
- is the spelling, grammar and punctuation correct?
- is the vocabulary consistent?
- does it contain uncommon jargon?
- is numerical data presented consistently?
- are heading levels assigned correctly?
- are lists formatted consistently or are they a mixture of commas, full-stops and semi-colons?
- is the wording, paragraph and sentence structure relevant to the subject matter?
- is the Table of Contents correct?
- is the document visually consistent?
- do all links work?
- are all cross-references correct?
- are reference lists complete?
- are headers and footers correct?

Corrections are all checked via a verification check (ensuring that corrections have been made without error) and an integrity check (ensuring the document is complete).

A good copy edit will do all of the above, and more.

Note: As per the IPED guidelines, WriteCopy is limited to purely copyediting and proofreading of research theses and dissertations.