A Beginner’s Guide to Editing a Master’s Thesis
A Beginner’s Guide to Editing a Master’s Thesis: BERF (Not a dance move. Before Ethics Receive Finish)
Join PEG for a webinar on the Big Four (BERF): Before, Ethics, Receive, Finish: a beginner’s guide to managing the stages of editing a master’s thesis.
This is a two-part webinar. The dates and topics are:
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- Part One: Thursday, 27 March 2025: We examine Before and Ethics
- Part Two: Thursday, 10 April 2025: We examine Receive and Finish.
We are therefore offering a special discount to members who wish to attend both webinars in this series. See the special pricing below.
Date: Thursday, 27 March 2025
Time: 18:00–20:00
Place: Online (Zoom meeting)
Presenter: Vanessa-Lynn Neophytou
Level: Introductory
CPD hours: PEG members will earn CPD hours according to the criteria published on the PEG website. Attendees of the live presentation will receive a certificate confirming their attendance and the duration of the webinar. Those who are unable to attend the webinar live may submit their receipt as proof of having received the recording.
Prerequisites/foundational knowledge: Some basic knowledge of editing academic documents.
Pre-webinar materials: Questions on ethics will be provided for discussion purposes, particularly on the role of the editor. When we look at ethics, we consider the PEG code of conduct, why POPIA is important, and how you ensure you are always ethical.
About our presenter
Vanessa-Lynn has been editing academic texts for nine years. Prior to this, she lectured in the Humanities Faculty at UKZN, in the sociology department since 1995. Her interest was in theory and gender, with a particular focus on gender-based violence. In addition, she coordinated and lectured in the Working Life Programme, allowing mature adults with life experience who lacked formal education to gain a B.SocSc. Vanessa-Lynn resigned in 2015 and undertook the short course Copy-Editing and Proofreading Course through the South African Writers College, followed by the Copy-Editing Course through UCT’s GetSmarter programme. She joined PEG in 2016.
About the webinar
Drawing on her own experience, Vanessa-Lynn will guide you through the stages of editing a master’s thesis using a thesis as an example (with her client’s permission). In part one, Vanessa-Lynn will present Stage one of her guide, which she calls the Big Four: Before, Ethics, Receive, Finish (BERF). Stage one: Before and Ethics will entail looking at what we do Before we start editing. For example, arranging editing dates with our clients, drawing up quotations (rates and guides) and editing agreements (complying with POPIA ), and securing payment. Being ethical runs throughout every process, including what we do and how we behave; thus, Ethics will be woven into our entire discussion. We will discuss practical problems that arise, for example, what to do when clients don’t stick to schedules or what to do when a style guide is not provided. We will consider the ethics of editing from the moment a client makes contact and we reply, as well as the ethical issues that arise when editing master’s theses, as these are examinable texts. There are boundaries we must not cross, but are they apparent to us and to the client?
Cost
| Affiliation | Early-bird registration fee (one webinar)1 | Full registration fee (one webinar)2 | Early-bird registration fee (two webinars)3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEG members | R295 | R380 | R500 |
| Members of affiliated organisations4 | R495 | R580 | – |
| Non-affiliated members | R695 | R780 | – |
1Early-bird registration fee: Before or on Wednesday, 19 March
2Between Thursday, 20 March and Tuesday, 25 March
3Should you register and pay for TWO webinars in advance in one transaction before the early-bird deadline of the first webinar you wish to attend, you will qualify for a discount on the total package: For example, instead of 2 × R295 = R590, PEG members receive a discount of R90. The total cost for the two webinars, paid for simultaneously, will therefore be R500. This discount applies only to PEG members and only to an early-bird registration for the BERF webinars.
4Association of Southern African Indexers and Bibliographers (ASAIB), Professional Journalists’ Association of South Africa (ProJourn), Southern African Freelancers’ Association (SAFREA), South African Science Journalists’ Association (SASJA), the South African Translators’ Institute (SATI), Publishers’ Association of South Africa (PASA), Society of English-language professionals in the Netherlands (SENSE), Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd), Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and Nordic Editors and Translators (NEaT).
Take advantage of the early-bird special: save money and secure your spot at this webinar by registering early!
Please register by completing and emailing the registration form.
Deadline for registrations: 12:00 on Tuesday, 25 March.