To inquire about availability, please contact Strategic Writing Consulting using this form: https://forms.gle/xrwrQkEaxvytSMf87
You may also send a direct email to Rhiannon Maton, Ph.D: strategicwritingconsulting@gmail.com
Ensure Your Dissertation Is Submission-Ready.
Submitting a dissertation is one of the most important milestones of a doctoral program. After years of research, writing, and revision, the final document must meet rigorous standards for clarity, consistency, and formatting.
Strategic Writing Consulting offers high-precision copyediting and formatting for doctoral dissertations, designed to ensure your manuscript is polished, professional, and fully compliant with university guidelines.
This service provides meticulous attention to detail so that you can submit your dissertation with confidence.
What This Service Includes
Each dissertation receives:
(1) formatting for your university's submission system, PLUS
(2) up to two rounds of careful, line-by-line review, including:
Advanced Academic Copyediting and Proofreading
Correction of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and typographical errors
Improvement of sentence clarity while preserving the author's voice
Consistency in terminology, capitalization, and formatting conventions
APA Style Review
Verification of in-text citations and reference list formatting
Alignment with your institutions required Style Guidelines (APA, MLA, etc.)
Cross-checking that all cited works appear in the reference list and vice versa
Dissertation Formatting
Alignment with your university’s dissertation formatting guidelines
Review of margins, headings, tables, figures, and pagination
Formatting of front matter (title page, table of contents, lists of tables/figures)
Document Consistency Check
Review of heading levels and numbering
Alignment between table of contents and chapter headings
Careful attention to formatting details across the entire manuscript
Many clients wish to use their first round of copyediting prior to the pre-defense submission to their dissertation committee, and their second prior to publication in their institution's repository and/or ProQuest. However, it is up to you at what point you utilize the two rounds of copyediting services.
Note that the services cannot be broken up into more than two instances of copyediting in total.
Scheduling
Because dissertation editing requires extensive, careful review, availability is limited.
If you are planning to submit your dissertation in the coming months, I recommend reaching out early to secure a place in the editing schedule.
Dissertation Copyediting & Formatting
WHO THIS SERVICE IS FOR
This service is designed for doctoral candidates who are:
Preparing for their final dissertation submission
Approaching their defense
Completing post-defense revisions
Seeking professional editing and formatting before ProQuest submission
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
Cancellation and Refund Policy All fees are due at the time of booking. Client may cancel services by written notice (email is acceptable) at least five (5) calendar days prior to the scheduled start date, and receive a full refund.
Services canceled within four (4) calendar days of the start date will be refunded at 50% of the full amount paid, due to the reservation of Consultant's time and resources.
No Cancellation After Start Date Copyediting and formatting services are non-cancelable and non-refundable after the start date, due to the reservation of Consultant’s time and resources.
INCLUDED SERVICES
Copyediting and Formatting Services will include:
Correcting spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, word usage, capitalization, typographical errors, and line-by-line editing for clarity and flow.
Ensuring adherence to APA Style (7th ed.) or other Style Guide (MLA, Chicago, etc.) for references, citations, and headings.
Full review of citations and references.
Formatting the dissertation to conform to your university's formatting requirements for the document as a whole, including title page, table of contents, table of figures, margins, and related elements.
Client is responsible for providing Consultant with the most current version of the University’s EdD Dissertation Formatting Guidelines.
Improving sentence structure, word choice, and readability while preserving the author’s meaning and academic voice.
Reviewing in-text citations and the reference list for consistency of formatting.
Cross-checking the reference list against in-text citations to identify apparent omissions or inconsistencies.
EXCLUDED SERVICES
The following services are expressly excluded:
Substantive or developmental editing, including but not limited to reorganizing chapters, restructuring arguments, or rewriting large sections of text. Consultant will not rewrite passages exceeding three (3) consecutive sentences in any single location.
Plagiarism detection or similarity checking.
Fact checking or verification, including the accuracy of research claims, statistical analyses, quotations, or source content.
Reference verification, including confirming the existence, accuracy, or completeness of cited sources.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Consultant agrees to maintain the confidentiality of all non-public information and materials provided by Client in connection with the Services, including drafts of the dissertation and related documents. Consultant will not disclose or share such materials with any third party except as reasonably necessary to perform the Services.
Client acknowledges that Consultant may engage qualified subcontractors to assist with technical, formatting, or administrative aspects of the Services. In such cases, Consultant may share relevant portions of Client materials with those subcontractors solely for the purpose of performing the Services. Consultant will ensure that any subcontractors are bound by confidentiality obligations no less protective than those contained in this Agreement.
Client agrees not to share Consultant’s proprietary materials, feedback, templates, or instructional resources (“Consultant Materials”) with third parties without Consultant’s prior written consent.
No part of any shared file will be edited using Large Language Models (LLM), and no part of any shared file will be used or stored in any way that contributes to LLM data training.
CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Client must send via email the signed Agreement and all necessary Documents to Editor before work can commence. Client may not make changes to Documents for review by Editor while work is under way without agreement in writing by Editor.
Client must respond with unambiguous and definitive answers in a timely manner to Editor’s queries as the work progresses. If Client fails to respond quickly and clearly, it may affect the return date agreed to and other aspects of the project.
By signing the Agreement, Client promises they are the author or co-author and sole owner of all
rights to all submitted material. Client promises that they have the right to include any images, graphs, charts, or quoted material provided for use in the Documents. Client accepts that any material that Editor suspects to be unoriginal will not be edited or returned. Client’s use of any previously published material (including Client’s) is with the written permission of the copyright owner, or publisher, within the doctrine of fair use. Editor will alert Client if any suspected plagiarism is found, but it is Client’s responsibility to resolve such issues.