In our last article on technology for editors we looked at the basic components of a computer and the main differences between a desktop and a laptop computer. This article highlights some of the main problems you might experience with a laptop that indicate it may...
In support of the efforts of Alexis Grewan, our national chairperson, to work towards greater diversity and inclusion in PEG, I offer my thoughts on what this means for PEG and its members and what it requires of all of us as professional language practitioners. PEG...
I recently came across Alexis Grewan’s four-part series, which was posted between November 2021 and January 2022. This post will add my contribution as a follow-on to Alexis’ excellent series. For those who missed her posts, here are the links:...
Editors and websites This straightforward guide by Debbie Emmitt certainly helped me improve my editor website. Debbie is a copy editor and author with over 20 years of experience in web content. She brings together all of her skills in this tidy and easy-to-read...
In a recent coffee conversation with PEG members, we discussed technology and how it could be used better to help us get our work done more efficiently. A number of questions were raised which prompted me to put together a series of blog posts on this mysterious...
Formatting makes it much easier for me to work with the document, it looks professional, and it is much easier for the examiners to navigate (Richard Steele, 2023). In my last blog, I shared my 14-step formatting checklist and how to work through steps 1 to 6: Open...
Why copy editors mull over sentence structure and composition Subject, verb, object (subject + predicate) – may seem like an obvious order for many people, but recognising how words are strung together and in what order they should be placed adds depth and quality to...
We asked PEG members with a particular interest in Plain Language – and a long commitment as PEG members – their thoughts on Plain Language. This blog post is a collaborative effort of several PEG members: it takes us back and brings us forward as we continue to...
We have all met the development of ChatGPT with a mixture of interest, awe, distrust and mild hysteria. What an incredible feat that a group of software engineers have created generative artificial intelligence (AI) that can mine information in the digital public...
Richard Steele said in his recent blog about his take on academic referencing: Formatting “makes it much easier for me to work with the document, it looks professional, and it is much easier for the examiners to navigate … this is a technical issue, not an academic...
Let’s face it: working remotely can be lonely. Yes, we love the independence and flexibility that being a freelance editor or proofreader allows, but there may still be times when we feel isolated while we work alone in our carefully organised home offices. So, how...
It’s the bravery – the courageous stepping into the unknown – that now delights me. There was a time when pedantry could have been my middle name. When misplaced apostrophes, caps strewn among non-proper-noun words with abandon, misspelling, and incorrect use of words...
We took some time away from the business of copy-editing to hear from Hester von Wielligh, a member of PEG since 2006, about her thoughts and her experiences as a long-standing member of the Guild. She, too, is celebrating PEG’s 30th anniversary. Hester is one of...
I have been a supervisor and an examiner of academic texts but am now an editor of academic texts. I offer my services in academic editing because I want the student’s (and the university’s) efforts to be honoured with a well packaged product. This post explains a...
To me, part of the beauty of a comma is that it offers a rest, like one in music: a break that gives the whole piece of music greater shape, deeper harmony. It allows us to catch our breath (Pico Iyer). This post gives the comma its due regard and highlights its...
1994 | In the beginning Almost since its inception, the Professional Editors’ Guild (PEG) has been committed to keeping its members updated and informed through publications. PEG’s first newsletter was a five-page paper document that highlighted events and news...
I tried to find points of reference for this topic (the author's voice) and there were not any in my usual go-to sources. This suggests that the author’s voice is something that cannot be easily quantified or taught in a few easy steps. Maintaining the author's voice...
In part 1 and part 2 of this post, I discussed some of the problems of lack of clarity and of verbosity that are common in academic writing and gave two examples of how typical constructions can be greatly improved in clarity and simplicity by applying Plain Language...
In part 1 of this post, I discussed some of the problems of the lack of clarity and of verbosity that are common in academic writing. What follows are some examples of typical constructions that can be greatly improved in clarity and simplified by applying Plain...
We are all familiar with fusty, complicated, roundabout academic writing – no doubt it filled many of the textbooks you struggled through at school and university; and if you have to read academic texts in your working life, you may dread the task because it is such a...