Academic copy editing (not for coursework)

Academic Copy Editing (ACE) offers professional, final-stage copy-editing support for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and administrators seeking to strengthen the clarity and quality of their academic writing. Editors polish a range of academic and professional documents, including theses, journal articles, books, grant applications, reports, and career documents. Editors focus on improving grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and overall clarity while preserving the author’s voice and autonomy. Editors provide transparent, constructive feedback by tracking changes and adding comments to explain revisions, highlighting recurring issues, and supporting long-term development of writing skills. Optional post-evaluation meetings are available for clients seeking editing of longer documents. ACE does not rewrite content or provide disciplinary expertise but offers professional editing to support clear, polished, and effective academic communication.

Service Offerings

  • Professional copy editing for academic and professional documents
  • Support for theses, articles, books, grants, reports, and career documents
  • Grammar, spelling, and punctuation correction
  • Sentence structure and clarity improvement
  • Tracked edits and marginal comments
  • Constructive feedback to support academic writing

How to Access

1. Submit a clean Word document through the Academic Copy Editing Request and receive cost and time estimates within two business days.
2. Approve the estimate to proceed and allow time for the copy editor to review the document using tracked changes and comments.
3. Review and accept or reject edits.
4. Book an optional follow-up appointment when requesting editing of longer documents.

Location

Online

Hours of Operation
September - April: Monday - Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
May - August: Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Closed 12 - 1 p.m.

What to Expect

Clients are expected to submit requests in advance, upload a Word document free of mark-up, and implement feedback using track changes.

Cost

Current U of A students and post-doctoral fellows are eligible for a subsidized rate: $2.50 per double-spaced page.
Other clients: Fees start at $5.50 per double-spaced page.
A minimum fee may apply for shorter documents
Pages must be double-spaced, in 12-point font, with one-inch margins.

Special Conditions

  • Final-stage documents are eligible for copy editing
  • There is a modest fee for editing
  • Editors do not work on documents that will be submitted for grading
  • Major rewriting and content expertise are not provided
  • Editors do not review for formatting, citation style, or policy compliance
  • Editing may be paused or declined if text is not ready
  • Clients retain full responsibility for their work and final changes
  • Provide at least 24 hours' notice when cancelling or rescheduling

Contact

editing@ualberta.ca

Relevant Links

Academic Copy Editing
Academic Copy Editing Request

Audience: Graduate students, Researchers

Home Campus: All

Delivery format: Email/Ticket/Form

Access: Access anytime

Service Provider: Student Success & Experience (SSE)

Language: English