What: Panel Discussion on the do's and dont's of thesis editing
Where: Park Plaza Hotel, Utrecht
When: Saturday 1 February
Time: 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Costs: Free for members. €25 for non-members
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Editing student work: what would you do?
Editors working in or for academia will, sooner or later, be asked by a student to ‘proofread’ a thesis, essay, dissertation or journal article. But what does ‘proofreading’ mean in this context? And how far should we – as editors and proofreaders – go when editing texts that will be submitted for credit or count towards a degree? After all, getting an academic education is not just about learning how to do research, but also how to communicate about it.
How do you deal with the differences between single-author and many-author chapters in PhD theses? Or graduate and undergraduate student work? What about students for whom English isn’t their first language? At what point does editing become, well, you know…cheating?
We all know there aren’t any fixed rules. But what are the best practices?
How the University of Essex developed its proofreading guidelines, and what we can learn
We’re proud and glad to announce that Nigel Harwood and Liz Austin will kick off the afternoon and discussion.
Nigel Harwood is senior lecturer in the Department of Language and Linguistics at the University of Essex, where he teaches modules relating to materials and textbook design, English for specific and academic purposes, genre analysis, and second language writing. He has published articles in various journals, including Journal of Second Language Writing, Written Communication, Journal of Pragmatics, and Journal of English for Academic Purposes, and has edited two books on teaching materials and textbooks. He is co-editor of English for Specific Purposes.
Liz Austin is Senior Lecturer at the University of Essex, and Director of the University Skills Centre. She runs modules in Academic Literacy and Assignment Writing skills. She also works with a network of local, free-lance proofreaders who offer their services to Essex students.
Panel discussion with and for academic editors
The afternoon is a definite must for all SENSE members (and non-members) who edit academic texts.
Editing student work is rife with grey areas – you’ll meet PhD students whose work needs heavy editing to be fit for publication, ambitious Master students who want more help and attention than their supervisors are willing or able to give, and students at all levels faced with the decision of spending money on an editor or having to pay another year of tuition. Some students want to learn from every change you propose, while others just want you to ‘fix it.’ And how much responsibility do you have for not accidentally breaking university restrictions?
What can you expect from the afternoon?
A lively, open discussion on the experiences, approaches, and ethical views on editing student work in academia, with plenty of room for questions and input from the audience.