When to send a thesis for editing?

Every few weeks a doctoral student emails to ask at what stage their thesis should be sent for editing. The answer is simple: as late as possible, because if you introduce amendments and additions afterwards there is a risk of introducing mistakes as well.

Although the answer is simple, the logic behind it bears examination and comes down to the role of the thesis editor.

Where a doctoral thesis is concerned, the student is demonstrating the ability to prepare, carry out and report a piece of original research according to the conventions in force. The process is guided by a supervisor who gives expert advice. It has something in common with the mediaeval apprentice's masterpiece, produced to prove proficiency in the skills taught by the master craftsman. The thesis has been researched and written up, chapters have been discussed, reshaped, returned and honed. It is only at the very last stage that the editor should become involved.

Why so late? Because the thesis editor's role is, of course, neither to write nor to guide: it is to advise on presentation, not on content, which is why the content needs to be finalised before editing starts.

The editor makes sure that the examiners can read the thesis with their attention focused on the research, without being sidetracked and annoyed by errors of presentation. This final stage therefore addresses the detail: the typing errors, layout problems, grammatical slips, inconsistencies, confused sentences, referencing howlers and other minutiae. Making changes after editing is likely to introduce new errors, an odd fingerprint or two to mar the highly polished surface of the masterpiece.

Although editing the thesis is the last stage, this does not mean the last minute! Any editor worth their salt is likely to have a schedule of jobs booked in, and is unlikely to be waiting to take on your work at a moment's notice. If that sounds heartfelt it is: definitely a sore point and possibly the subject of another post!