Help Center

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about our services.

At Lexico Editing, we provide comprehensive academic editing services for researchers, scholars, and graduate students. Our team works on a wide range of academic documents, including journal articles, dissertations, theses, research proposals, conference papers, and book chapters across all disciplines. Whether you’re preparing a manuscript for publication or refining a major research project, we ensure your writing is clear, polished, and ready for submission. Our editors are experienced in various academic styles and fields, helping you meet the formatting, language, and structural standards required by journals and institutions worldwide.

Proofreading focuses on surface-level errors: grammar, spelling, punctuation, and typographical mistakes. Editing goes further — it also addresses sentence structure, logical flow, clarity, and academic style. If your document is structurally complete and you need a final language check, Basic Proofreading is the right choice. If you want more substantial improvements to how your ideas are expressed, we usually recommend Academic Editing.

Your manuscript is assigned to an editor with a postgraduate degree (PhD-level researcher) in a relevant discipline. We match your document to an editor based on your subject area — whether that is STEM, social sciences, humanities, medicine, law, or business.

All translations are carried out by native speakers of the target language who hold advanced academic qualifications. For English-to-Turkish translations, the translator is a native Turkish speaker with academic expertise. For Turkish-to-English, the translator is a native English speaker. Every translation is reviewed by a second specialist before delivery.

We support all major academic citation styles, including APA 7th Edition, MLA 9th Edition, Chicago 17th Edition (Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date), Harvard, Vancouver, IEEE, AMA, and CSE. We also work with journal-specific style guides — simply provide the journal's author guidelines and we will format accordingly.

Our detection software cross-references your text against billions of published sources, including academic journals, conference proceedings, institutional repositories, theses and dissertations, internet content, and previously submitted documents. The result is a comprehensive similarity report covering both published and unpublished sources.

Rush Delivery guarantees return of your edited document within 24 hours of confirmed payment. For documents up to approximately 10,000 words, this timeline is standard. For longer documents, we agree on a specific turnaround at the point of order based on current editor availability.

No. The editor improves how your work is expressed, not what it says. Where a passage is ambiguous, they ask you in a comment rather than guessing.

Yes. State the limit when you order. The editor trims wording without removing results or methods you need to report.

Yes. Send the publisher's style guide or your own style sheet and we apply it consistently to every chapter, so the volume reads as one book.

Once you submit your document and complete payment, your order is assigned to an editor with expertise in your subject area. The process unfolds in several stages:

1. Initial Review — Your editor reads through the entire document to understand your argument, identify recurring issues, and note any discipline-specific conventions to follow.

2. Language & Style Editing — Grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and word choice are refined for clarity and precision. Awkward phrasing is rewritten, overly complex sentences are simplified, and vocabulary is elevated where appropriate — all while preserving your academic voice.

3. Flow & Coherence — Transitions between sentences and paragraphs are improved so your argument reads logically and cohesively from start to finish.

4. Formatting & Consistency — Headings, citations, reference style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.), capitalization, and number formatting are reviewed for consistency throughout.

5. Final Proofread — A final pass catches any remaining typos or errors before delivery.

You receive your document with tracked changes enabled (in Word format), so you can accept, reject, or review every edit. An editor's summary note is also included, briefly explaining the main changes made and any areas that may need your attention.

No. Our proofreaders correct errors only — they do not rewrite your arguments or alter your intended meaning. All changes are returned using tracked changes in Microsoft Word so you can review every correction before accepting it.

Yes. Our editors are trained to improve clarity and correctness while preserving the author's voice and intellectual content. They do not rewrite your arguments — they help you express them more precisely. All changes are tracked so you retain full control over the final text.

Yes. Our translators hold postgraduate degrees and have experience in a wide range of academic disciplines, including medicine, engineering, social sciences, law, and the humanities. We match your document to a translator with relevant subject-matter expertise to ensure accurate rendering of technical terminology.

Yes. Style conversion is one of the most common formatting requests we receive. Whether you are converting from APA to Chicago or from Harvard to Vancouver, we apply the new style consistently throughout the document, including in-text citations, footnotes, and the reference list.

Acceptable similarity thresholds vary by journal and institution. Most peer-reviewed journals consider a similarity score below 15–20% acceptable, provided that matched passages are properly cited and the overall originality of the work is clear. We provide guidance on interpreting your report alongside the score.

Yes. Rush orders are handled by our senior editors and follow exactly the same process as standard editing. The only difference is the turnaround time. We do not accept rush orders when we cannot guarantee both the deadline and the quality standard.

Most universities allow professional proofreading and language editing, provided the intellectual content remains your own. Some have specific policies, so check your institution's rules. Your Certificate of Editing documents exactly which service you received.

Yes. Tell us the required headings (for example Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions, or the journal's own) and the editor will make sure each section contains what it should.

No. Book Proofreading corrects errors and inconsistencies. If you want sentences rewritten for clarity and flow, choose Academic Editing.

Turnaround depends on the service level selected. Standard is 5–7 business days, Express is 48 hours, and Rush is 24 hours. Exact deadlines are shown before checkout.

We accept .docx, .doc, .pdf, .tex, and .txt files. We recommend .docx for the best experience, as tracked changes can be returned directly within the document. PDF files are accepted but returned as annotated documents.

Absolutely. Academic Editing is our most popular service among researchers whose first language is not English. Our editors are experienced in improving the fluency and academic register of manuscripts written by non-native speakers, while ensuring that the scholarly content and discipline-specific terminology are fully preserved.

Yes. Academic translations are produced to meet the standards expected by peer-reviewed journals and institutional bodies. For English-language journal submission, we can also combine translation with our Academic Editing service to ensure the translated text is fully publication-ready.

Yes. The Formatting service covers the entire document, including tables, figures, captions, appendices, headings, page layout, margins, and font specifications. Everything is formatted to match the requirements of your chosen style guide or institution.

Detection software flags all matching text, including quoted passages that are correctly cited. These matches are highlighted in the report but are not considered problematic as long as they are properly attributed. Our report guidance helps you distinguish between acceptable matches and areas that genuinely need attention.

We only accept a rush order when we are certain it can be delivered on time. If for any reason a deadline cannot be met — which is rare — we contact you immediately and offer a full refund or an extended deadline at your preference.

After. Editing is most useful on the version you intend to submit. If you make major changes afterwards, new text will not have been edited.

If the full paper is being edited with Academic Editing, the abstract is included. Order Abstract Editing on its own when only the abstract is needed, for example for a conference submission or when the paper itself has already been edited.

Book Proofreading is available at Standard (7 days) and Express (5 days). The calculator shows the exact delivery date for your word count before you pay.

Yes. Every completed order includes a digitally verifiable Certificate of Professional Editing that you can submit alongside your manuscript.

You choose at checkout: Standard (7 days), Express (5 days), Expedited (3 days) or 24-Hour. The exact delivery date is shown before you pay.

The editor's report is a written summary accompanying your edited document. It describes the main types of changes made, highlights any recurring issues identified in your writing, notes areas of particular strength, and may include targeted recommendations for revision. It is typically 200–400 words.

The translated document is delivered in the same format as your original file. Tables, figures, references, and captions are all preserved. For Word documents, the translation is returned as an editable .docx file. For PDF originals, the translation is returned as a Word document.

If reference entries are incomplete (for example, missing page numbers, publication years, or DOIs), we will flag them in a formatting report delivered with your document. We do not fabricate bibliographic information, but we will indicate exactly what is needed so you can complete the entries.

Yes. The similarity report can be submitted as evidence of originality to journals, universities, or funding bodies that require it. Many institutions now routinely request plagiarism reports as part of the submission or examination process.

An overall similarity percentage and the matched passages with their sources. It helps you find missing citations and close paraphrasing before your institution's own check.

Abstracts are short, so all four options are available, including 24-Hour delivery for urgent conference deadlines.

Yes. Tell us the parts belong to the same book so that consistency decisions carry over between them.

We accept .docx, .doc, .pdf, .tex, and .txt files. For the best editing experience we recommend .docx so tracked changes can be returned.

Yes. Every order includes a free Certificate of Professional Editing, issued by LexicoEditing. The certificate confirms that your document has been reviewed by a qualified language specialist and includes a unique QR code for online verification.

Yes. When placing your order, you can specify a citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, IEEE, or a journal-specific format). Your editor will check that in-text citations and the reference list are formatted consistently. For a full reference list audit, consider adding our Formatting service.

Yes. All documents submitted to LexicoEditing — including those for translation — are handled under strict confidentiality. We do not share, publish, or use your work for any purpose other than the translation itself.

Yes. Combining Formatting with Basic Proofreading or Academic Editing is available at a discounted rate. This is the most efficient way to prepare a fully submission-ready document — language accuracy and formatting compliance addressed in a single workflow.

Yes. We can check journal articles, dissertations, theses, research proposals, conference papers, book chapters, and student assignments. The service is available for documents in English, Turkish, or bilingual format.

Yes. Order each chapter separately and tell us it belongs to the same thesis; we will assign the same editor where possible so that terminology and style decisions carry over between chapters.

Absolutely. All documents are treated with strict confidentiality. We do not share, publish, or use your work for any purpose other than editing.

Yes. Tell us US or UK English when you order, or name the journal and we will follow its preference. If you do not specify, we keep the variety that dominates your manuscript.

Yes. Mention it when you order and paste the reviewer's language comments into the instructions field. Your editor will pay particular attention to the issues raised.

The check itself identifies and explains the matches. If you want the flagged passages rephrased, Academic Editing can do this while keeping your meaning and adding correct citations.

If the reviewer's concern is errors, yes. If the comment mentions clarity, readability or "language editing", Academic Editing addresses this more fully.

Usually slightly, because wordy constructions are tightened. If you need to meet a specific word limit, state the target in your instructions and the editor will work towards it without removing content.
Still Have Questions?

Our team is happy to help with any specific questions not covered here.

Contact Us
Quick Links
Place an Order View Pricing Read Our Blog

Ready to Get Started?

Get a Free Quote