Resources for Dissertation Editors

Here you’ll find straightforward help for the day-to-day work of dissertation editing.

Guild members: When you join, you’ll get templates and tools to use with clients.

Free Editor Resources

Quick Tools and Calculators

• Words per Page Calculator
  Estimate page count using the document’s word count, font, spacing, and margins. For client privacy, enter the total word count instead of pasting the document itself.
• Crossref Simple Text Query
  Paste a reference or reference list to search for missing DOIs.
• Crossref Metadata Search
  Search scholarly publications by title, author, DOI, or other publication information.
• ZoteroBib
  Create and format a bibliography without downloading software or creating an account.
• Compare Two Versions of a Microsoft Word Document
  Use Word’s built-in Compare feature to identify differences between document versions without uploading client files to an outside service.

University Dissertation Guides and Templates

Courses and Continuing Education

Course availability and fees change. Review the provider’s current schedule and requirements before enrolling.

• ACES: The Society for Editing: On-demand webcasts, professional-development programs, conferences, and editing certificates offered with the Poynter Institute.
• Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading: Self-paced and tutor-supported courses in proofreading, copyediting, and other editorial skills. Member and nonmember pricing is available.
• Editorial Freelancers Association Education: Online courses and webinars for freelance editors and other editorial professionals. Most offerings are open to nonmembers.
• Editors Canada Professional Development: Webinars, certification information, conferences, mentorship programs, and training based on professional editorial standards.
• Poynter ACES Certificates in Editing: Online certificate programs covering foundational and advanced editing skills.
• Queen’s University Professional Editing Standards Certificate: Online training based on professional editing standards, with instruction covering multiple areas of editorial practice.
• Simon Fraser University Editing Certificate: An online certificate covering structural editing, stylistic editing, copyediting, proofreading, and the publishing process.
• UC Berkeley Extension Professional Sequence in Editing: Coursework in grammar, copyediting, line editing, and developmental editing.

Software and Technical Help

Before uploading confidential or unpublished work to cloud-based software, review its privacy terms and obtain the client’s permission when needed.

• Adobe Acrobat PDF Accessibility: Instructions for checking PDF accessibility, correcting reading order, and reviewing document tags.
• EndNote User Guide: Official help for managing references, creating bibliographies, and using Cite While You Write. EndNote is paid software, although some universities provide access.
• Mendeley Reference Manager: A free reference manager for organizing sources, annotating PDFs, and creating citations and bibliographies. Some features process information through Mendeley’s cloud services.
• Microsoft Word Accessibility Help: Instructions for using Word’s Accessibility Checker and correcting common accessibility problems.
• Microsoft Word Track Changes Help: Official instructions for tracking, reviewing, accepting, and rejecting changes in Word.
• Overleaf LaTeX Help: Tutorials and technical guidance for dissertations prepared in LaTeX. Overleaf is cloud-based, so confirm that the client permits document uploads.
• Paperpile: A cloud-based reference manager that works with Microsoft Word and Google Docs. It includes tools for organizing sources, managing PDFs, and generating citations.
• Paperpal Reference Checker: A paid, AI-assisted tool that checks uploaded manuscripts for citation mismatches, retracted sources, incomplete details, and questionable references.
• PerfectIt: Paid consistency-checking software for Microsoft Word that helps identify inconsistent capitalization, spelling, abbreviations, and formatting. It is not a reference-list verifier.
• Recite (ReciteWorks): Checks whether author-date citations match the reference list and flags selected APA and Harvard style problems. The free version has document-length and usage limits. Because documents are uploaded, obtain the client’s permission first.
• RefWorks: A cloud-based reference manager commonly provided through university subscriptions. It supports reference organization, collaboration, and citation generation.
• Zotero Documentation: Setup instructions, troubleshooting help, Word integration guidance, and support for managing citation libraries. Zotero’s desktop software is free.

Style Manuals and Official Resources

Some complete manuals require a subscription or purchase. The official sites below also provide free guidance, updates, or citation examples.

• APA Style: Official APA 7 guidance on references, grammar, paper formatting, tables, figures, and bias-free language.
• The Chicago Manual of Style Online: The official Chicago 18 resource. The complete manual requires a subscription, but the site includes a free citation guide and editorial Q&A.
• MLA Style Center: Free, authorized MLA guidance with citation examples, sample papers, and formatting help.
• AMA Manual of Style: Official AMA 11 guidance for medical and scientific writing, editing, and publication.
• The CSE Manual: Scientific style and citation guidance from the Council of Science Editors, including a free citation quick guide.
• NLM Citing Medicine: Free National Library of Medicine reference guide for biomedical and scientific sources.
• ICMJE Recommendations: Current recommendations for preparing, editing, and publishing scholarly work in medical journals.
• EQUATOR Network: Reporting guidelines and checklists for different types of health research.

Guild Member Resources

Guild membership gives dissertation editors access to editable resources designed for real client work, including:

• Client inquiry and project-intake forms
• Editing agreements and scope-of-service templates
• Quote, page-count, and project-estimate worksheets
• Editing schedules and deadline trackers
• Editorial style sheets and author-query templates
• Sample policies for payments, cancellations, confidentiality, and AI use
• A growing library shaped by the needs of working dissertation editors

Spend less time building business materials from scratch and more time doing paid editorial work.