High-quality copy-editing and proofreading for academic authors

Professional copy-editing, proofreading and consulting services

With almost 30 years of experience of working with publications targeted towards professional and academic readers, I offer high-quality editing and proofreading services in the social and political sciences and humanities, including international relations, critical security studies, migration studies, area studies, development studies, anthropology, sociology, history, philosophy, theology, peace research and related disciplines.

About the editor

Following a classical education that included seven years of Latin, which left me with an enduring appreciation of clear expression and logical sentence construction, I graduated from the University of Oxford with a BA in philosophy and theology in 1987.

A short period in trade publishing (with VNU Business Publications) was followed by several years with the UK academic publishers Routledge, where I worked as a desk editor in the social sciences and later as an associate commissioning editor in the field of business and management.

From 2000 to 2007, I worked as full-time language editor at the Peace Research Institute, Oslo, where I was responsible for copy-editing and quality control for a range of institute publications, including doctoral dissertations, research articles and annual reports, along with the institute's two peer-reviewed international journals, Security Dialogue and Journal of Peace Research.

In 2007, I left PRIO to provide independent, high-quality copy-editing and proofreading as a self-employed freelance editor. In that role, I have edited hundreds of academic articles, book chapters, books, reports and doctoral theses across a range of different disciplines within the social and political sciences and humanities, including political science, sociology, anthropology, migration studies, critical security studies, education, feminist legal studies, peace research and related disciplines.

Testimonials

John Carville is a singularly talented editor with whom I have worked for the last 10 years. His sharp eye and critical rigor, combined with an uncommon level of professionalism, make him an important component in the success of our work.

J. Peter Burgess
Former editor, Security Dialogue

Once again, you have not only improved my article, but have also sprinkled your magic powder over my language and helped my writing reach heights I could never have achieved myself. During the last couple of years I have published a lot in international peer-reviewed journals, at the highest level, and I am convinced that I could never have had such a success rate if it had not been for your tremendously good work with my English.

Hilde Henriksen Waage
Professor of History
Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History (IAKH)
University of Oslo

Thanks for the exceptionally insightful and constructive questions. I believe I have never experienced copy-editing this helpful. Most often texts are copy-edited too little and ambiguous passages make it into print, and sometimes as an author you get destructive suggestions and questions on passages that actually make sense to the relevant readers. But, in the present case, I have been forced to be more precise in a very useful way.... It is really good that the version in print will be one that has been through this process!

Ole Wæver
Professor of International Relations & Director of Centre for Advanced Security Theory
Department of Political Science
University of Copenhagen

The editing is careful and appropriate.

Bruce Russett
Dean Acheson Professor of International Relations
Political Science Department
Yale University

I'd like to thank you for your fine copy editing. It is wonderful to work with someone who is doing the necessary changes for the language to be correct but without feeling the need to reformulate every single sentence to fit a certain writing style.... Warm regards from Sweden!

Camilla Orjuela
Associate Professor
School of Global Studies
University of Gothenburg

Thank you for your very careful work on my article - I am impressed!

James Cotton
Professor
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
University of New South Wales
Canberra

I have finally had the time to go through you excellent editing, and I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the work you have done with the text. Thank you! It really takes it to another level.

Marte Heian-Engdal
Doctoral Researcher (History)
University of Oslo

As always, excellent! Really, really, useful! I've skimmed through and can't say there's anything which seems unclear, Rather most of the time I'm just wondering how I didn't see the problems myself!

Marta Bivand Erdal
Senior Researcher
Peace Research Institute Oslo

Contact

If you are interested in benefiting from the services of a highly experienced copy-editor and proofreader, please use the online form or send an email to john@manuscript.es.

I look forward to hearing from you!