While many research students go for professional editing help, it is not substantive editing that is always required for your dissertation. If you have native-like command on the English language, then you may not be the one needing substantive editing support. However, it is most required when a student is unaware of basic linguistic rules and academic writing standards. Substantive editing should be availed when you are not confident of your command on the language or you are an ESL (English as a second language) student.

In the above cases, your content and language may not do justice to your hard-done research work. Thus, it will highly require making your work meaningful and logical through substantive editing. This type of editing or review can correct all basic and advanced linguistic errors in your dissertation. Additionally, substantive editing done by a professional editor can make your content more presentable, clear and concise. It can even do fact checking and correct your referencing styles.

If you do not have knowledge about professional styleguides and the writing styles to be adopted in your research area, then it is again time to go for professional help. An editor can assist you in complying with the rules and standards of the style manual recommended by your university. Through substantive editing assistance, you can make your work flawless, as well as can add value to your content. If you do not own a rich vocabulary, then do not worry. Substantive editing improves upon your word usage and paragraph logic too.

Thus, the absence of effective command on the language will not be a barrier for you when you take substantive editing help. In fact, you should go for professional support as soon as you are ready with a rough draft of your dissertation. A professional editor can take care of the rest.

Citation and quoting are the two most important words used in dissertations or thesis which shows that the student or the researcher has done proper work and also made clear that there is no plagiarism. However there is confusion in using these two words in proper way. A citation is something which is used where you have a particular idea of other person. A quotation is used when you are using the same words used by some other author. In simpler terms citation is used when you use your own words and you quote when you use words of someone else and both requires to name the original author. A quotation must be carefully used as it appears in the original text. If the quote requires some changes it can be done using the square brackets for the words which are not in the original passage or text. If the quote requires a substantial change then it is better to cite it rather than buying difficulties.

Failing to do any one of these while using others work leads to plagiarism finally leading to rejection of the report. A quote is used to prove or support a point while a citation is used as an example or proof. Never use many quotes that will over weigh your own analysis and make sure that you quote at least once or twice to support your point or idea. Also do not use back to back quotes and make sure you have your own analysis and presentation in between. Citation always requires a format and there are different formats being followed by different universities or journals. Different citation styles include American Psychological Association (APA) style used for Education, Psychology, and Science works, Modern Language Association (MLA) style used for literature, arts, and humanities, Chicago/Turabian style which is used by used by Business, History, and the Fine Arts people.

The process of examining the collected raw data for the purpose of detecting errors and omissions and also to correct them when possible is known as editing of data. Editing basically involves a thorough scrutiny of the completed questionnaire or schedules that have been already thoroughly examined. Editing fulfils the purpose of keeping data accurate, consistent with other facts that have been gathered, whether they have been uniformly entered, are completed and well organised and arranged to facilitate tabulation and coding.

Field editing is done to review the report forms by the investigator to complete what the latter has written in intelligible form during the time of when the respondents’ response was recorded. This is helpful as individual style of writing differs from person to person.

Central editing happens when all the schedules and forms have been completed and reach the office. This implies that all the complete forms get a thorough editing by a single editor involved in a small study and could be done by a group or team when large number is involved.

Editors must consider the following points:

• They should be familiar with instructions given to the interviewers
• Only a single line should be drawn for the purpose of striking off so that it remains legible.
• Entries in the form must be made in distinctive colour that too in standardised form.
• Editors’ initials with the date of editing should be placed on all the completed forms or schedules.