Are the footnotes included in the word count?

The footnotes are not automatically included in the word count.

If you want the language errors in your footnotes to be corrected by the editor, you can indicate this in step 3 of the upload process. The words in the footnotes are then automatically added to the total word count.

Need help with your references?

If you use the APA reference style, you can use our free APA Citation Generator or the articles about APA in our Knowledge Base.
If you’d like us to check your references for consistency, you can use our Citation Editing Service.

Frequently asked questions: Proofreading and editing

How can I contact Scribbr?: We are here to help you daily via chat, WhatsApp, email or phone between 2:00 am to 10:00 pm CST.
Can you help me meet my word count limit?: Yes! Our personal statement editors can help you reduce your word count by up to 25%. You can choose to receive this feedback through direct edits or suggestions in comments – just select your choice when you upload your personal statement.
Can I choose between the 6th and 7th editions of APA Style?: Our APA experts default to APA 7 for editing and formatting. For the Citation Editing Service you are able to choose between APA 6 and 7.
Can I reserve a time slot for my edit in advance?: It is not necessary to reserve a time slot for your edit. As soon as your document is ready to be proofread, you can upload it at any time via our website. Based on your chosen deadline, our editor(s) will then proofread your document within 24 hours, 3 days, or 7 days.

If you are unsure about the availability of our services or are planning to upload a very large document (>13,000 words) with a 24 hour deadline, we recommend that you contact us beforehand via chat or email.
Is Scribbr still operating despite COVID-19?: Scribbr is following the preventive measures announced by the WHO (World Health Organization) to prevent any further spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus. As an online platform, all our services remain available, and we will continue to help students as usual.

Can I still place an order? Will my order be completed within the deadline?
Yes, you can still place orders and orders will be delivered within the agreed upon deadline. Scribbr is an online platform – our proofreading & editing services are provided by editors working remotely from all over the world. This means Scribbr can guarantee that we will process your order with the same diligence and professionalism as always. The same holds true for our Plagiarism Checker.

Can I still contact customer support?
Yes. The staff of our Amsterdam headquarters is working from home following the recommendations of the Dutch government and the WHO. Our support team is available from 09.00 to 23.00 CET and happy to answer any questions you might have!
Can I get a sample edit?: Yes, if your document is longer than 30,000 words, you will get a sample of approximately 2,000 words. This sample edit gives you a first impression of the editor’s editing style and a chance to ask questions and give feedback.

How does the sample edit work?

You will receive the sample edit within 24 hours after placing your order. You then have 24 hours to let us know if you’re happy with the sample or if there’s something you would like the editor to do differently.

Read more about how the sample edit works
How does the sample edit work?: When you upload a large document (30,000+ words), we will ask your editor to send a sample edit of approximately 2,000 words as soon as possible. This sample edit gives you a first impression of your editor’s editing style and what you can expect from the service. You will receive it within 24 hours after uploading your order.

Why do we provide you with a sample edit?

We always aim to make you 100% happy, and Proofreading & Editing is a complex service. We want to make sure that our editing style meets your expectations before the editor improves your entire document.

Our editors are trained to follow Scribbr’s academic style. However, your preferences might deviate from our conventions. The sample edit gives you the chance to provide feedback – you can let us know if you’re happy with the sample or if there’s something you would like the editor to do differently.

How does the sample edit work?

Once your editor has completed your sample edit, you will receive a notification via email. You have 24 hours to reply to this email and provide us with feedback. If we receive your feedback in time, your editor will go the extra mile and adjust the edit according to your input.

What sort of feedback can you give?

Give us feedback that will help your editor meet your requirements. For example:

“I am completely happy. The editor can continue editing like this.”

“I forgot to mention that my school has the following rules for gendered pronouns.”

“The editor changed the spelling of a technical term, but my professor spells it differently. Please keep the original spelling of this term.”
Can I order a Structure Check, Clarity Check or Paper Formatting service separately?: The Structure and Clarity Check can only be purchased in conjunction with Proofreading & Editing. Providing feedback on structure and clarity requires extensive knowledge of the text, which the editor acquires while proofreading and editing your text.

However, our Paper Formatting Service, Citation Editing Service and Plagiarism Checker can be purchased separately.
My document includes an abstract in another language. Does Scribbr also proofread this summary?: Yes, Scribbr will proofread the summary in another language as well.

Who will proofread my summary?

If your document contains a summary in a different language, we will send this part to another editor who is a native speaker of that language. The editor will check your summary, applying our standard Proofreading & Editing service.

If you ordered any additional services, such as the Structure Check or Clarity Check, the editor will not apply them to your summary. This is because the summary is a translation of your abstract – you already receive Structure and Clarity feedback on the text in the original language. Therefore, when proofreading your summary, the editor will focus on making sure your language and style is correct.

How does it work?

We will create a new assignment within your order and send you a confirmation email. This also means that you will receive a separate email/SMS notification from us when the editor has finished proofreading your summary. Once your summary is proofread, you can download it via your Scribbr account and read the editor’s feedback.
Can I receive a certificate of proofreading?: Yes, we can provide a certificate of proofreading.

As soon as the editor delivers the edit, you can email us at [email protected] to request a certificate.

Please indicate the following in your email:

Your order number

Your full name

The title of your work

We will create a PDF certificate and email it to you as soon as possible.
What type of documents does Scribbr proofread?: Scribbr specializes in editing study-related documents. We proofread:

Essays

Papers

Theses

PhD dissertations

Research proposals

Personal statements

Admission essays

Motivation letters

Reports

Reflection papers

Journal articles

Capstone projects
Can I use the edited document as the final document to hand in at my university?: Yes, when you accept all changes and delete all comments your document is ready to be handed in.

How to accept all changes:

Word 2013

Word 2010

Word 2007

Word 2003

Word for Mac 2011

Accept changes (Word 2013)

Accept changes (Word 2010)

Accept changes (Word 2007)

Accept changes (Word 2003)

Accept changes (Word for Mac 2011)

How to remove all comments:

Word 2013

Word 2010

Word 2007

Word 2003

Word for Mac 2011

Delete comment (Word 2013)

Delete comment (Word 2010)

Delete comment (Word 2007)

Delete comment (Word 2003)

Delete comment (Word for Mac 2011)

When you’ve finished this, others will no longer be able to see the changes made by the editor.

Two tips

Read your last version one last time to make sure everything is the way you want it.

Save your document as a .pdf file to come across more professional and to ensure the format of your document doesn’t change.
Can I choose between American, British and Australian English?: Yes, in the order process you can indicate your preference for American, British, or Australian English.

If you don’t choose one, your editor will follow the style of English you currently use. If your editor has any questions about this, we will contact you.
Can I upload my thesis in sections?: Yes, you can upload your thesis in sections.

We try our best to ensure that the same editor checks all the different sections of your thesis. When you upload a new file, our system recognizes you as a returning customer, and we immediately contact the editor who helped you before.

However, we cannot guarantee that the same editor will be available. Your chances are higher if

You send us your text as soon as possible and

You can be flexible about the deadline.

Please note that the shorter your deadline is, the bigger the risk that your previous editor is not available.

If your previous editor isn’t available, then we will inform you immediately and look for another qualified editor. Fear not! Every Scribbr editor follows the Scribbr Improvement Model and will deliver high-quality work.

However, every editor has a slightly different editing style, so you may notice small inconsistencies in editing choices. As with every proofreading order, be sure to carefully review your editor’s changes and suggestions as you finalize your text to ensure that everything is as you want it.
How fast can Scribbr proofread my document?: The fastest turnaround time is 24 hours.

You can upload your document at any time and choose between three deadlines:

24 hours

3 days

7 days
What is Scribbr’s 100% happiness guarantee?: At Scribbr, we promise to make every customer 100% happy with the service we offer. Our philosophy: Your complaint is always justified – no denial, no doubts.

Our customer support team is here to find the solution that helps you the most, whether that’s a free new edit or a refund for the service.
What types of editing does Scribbr offer?: Every Scribbr order comes with our award-winning Proofreading & Editing service, which combines two important stages of the revision process.

For a more comprehensive edit, you can add a Structure Check or Clarity Check to your order. With these building blocks, you can customize the kind of feedback you receive.

You might be familiar with a different set of editing terms. To help you understand what you can expect at Scribbr, we created this table:

Types of editing Available at Scribbr?

Proofreading
Correction of superficial mistakes, such as typos, misspellings, punctuation errors and consistency errors. Yes!
This is the “proofreading” in Scribbr’s standard service. It can only be selected in combination with editing.

Copy editing
Focus on grammar, syntax, style, tone and the conventions of the field. The editor also considers the internal logic of the text and flags any obvious contradictions. Yes!
This is the “editing” in Scribbr’s standard service. It can only be selected in combination with proofreading.

Line editing
Focus on language, style, concision and choices. The editor helps you strengthen your story, polish your sentences and ensure that your use of language drives home your ideas. Yes!
Select the Structure Check and Clarity Check to receive a comprehensive edit equivalent to a line edit.

Developmental editing (i.e. content editing, substantive editing)
This is the first step of the editing process and applies to very early drafts. The editor helps you structure your ideas, decide what story to tell and find direction for your writing. No.
This kind of editing involves heavy rewriting and restructuring. Our editors cannot help with this.

View an example
Which languages are supported by the Scribbr Proofreading & Editing services?: Scribbr not only specializes in proofreading and editing texts in English, but also in several other languages. This way, we help out students from all over the world.

As a global academic writing proofreading service, we work with professional editors – all native speakers – who edit in the following languages:

English

German

Dutch

French

Spanish

Italian

Danish

Finnish

Norwegian

Swedish

This way, you can also have your academic writing proofread and edited in your second language!
Can Scribbr proofread my document during weekends and holidays?: Yes, regardless of the deadline you choose, our editors can proofread your document during weekends and holidays.

Example: If you select the 24-hour service on Saturday, you will receive your edited document back within 24 hours on Sunday.
Can I get a free trial edit?: To keep our prices competitive, we do not offer a free trial edit. However, if your document is longer than 30,000 words, we are happy to provide you with a sample edit of 2,000 words to ensure you are satisfied with the editor’s editing style.

Rest assured, our customers are very satisfied with our proofreading services. We’re proud that they have rated us with an excellent 9.7 on Trustpilot. In the unlikely event that you have a less positive experience, we’ll solve that with our 100% happiness guarantee!
How do I receive my thesis when the editor has finished the edit?: After your thesis has been edited, you will receive an email with a link to download the edited document.

The editor has made changes to your document using ‘Track Changes’ in Word. This means that you only have to accept or ignore the changes that are made in the text one by one.

It is also possible to accept all changes at once. However, we strongly advise you not to do so for the following reasons:

You can learn much by looking at what mistakes you have made.

The editors do not only change the text, they also place comments when sentences or sometimes even entire paragraphs are unclear. We therefore advise you to read through these comments and take into account your editor’s tips and suggestions.

Because of the many changes, sometimes there may be double spaces, double periods, or other minor mistakes in a sentence. Checking the changes one by one, you can easily detect these minor errors.

We have written a manual in which we explain step by step how ‘Track Changes’ works.

Check out an example
Can I contact my editor directly?: No, you cannot contact the editor directly. Contact with the editor will always be via the Scribbr support team.

Questions about our services

If you have any questions about our services, you can contact our support team via the chat, phone or e-mail ([email protected]).

Ask questions and pass on demands from the supervisor when uploading the document

When you upload your document, you can write down all questions you have for the editor and discuss your supervisor’s demands. You can also send us your supervisor’s feedback in a separate document. We will make sure to pass on the information to the editor.

Questions about the edit and comments made by the editor

If you have any questions about the editor’s work, you can e-mail these questions to [email protected]. We will make sure that the editor answers your questions.

Tip: Write your questions in comments in your Word-document. This way, the editor can answer your questions directly in your document.
Can you guarantee that my thesis will be 100% error free?: Our editors are very experienced and will do their utmost to correct all errors in your thesis.

However, with our current rates, an editor can only check your thesis once. This may cause an editor to overlook an error. We can therefore not guarantee that your thesis is 100% error free after you have had your thesis edited.
How does ‘Track Changes’ work?: The editor uses ‘Track Changes’ in Word when editing your thesis.

Don’t know how this works? Then read the following guide in which we explain step by step how ‘Track Changes’ works.
Do you provide a clean copy of my document?: No, we do not provide you with a clean copy. You will always receive a file edited with tracked changes.

We do this for two main reasons:

In most papers, there are sentences that the editor cannot edit without additional information from the author. In these cases, your editor will provide guidance but leave you to implement the feedback. If we were to simply accept the changes for you, then these issues would be left unaddressed.

We believe students should be accountable for their work. Our editors can correct language errors and coach you to be a better writer. However, the end product belongs to you and should reflect your ideas and decisions.

Check out an example
Does the editor understand my field of study?: All Scribbr editors are language experts with interests in different subject areas.

You can indicate your field of study when you upload your document. We’ll make sure that the editor who proofreads your work is familiar with your discipline and its specialist vocabulary.

These are the fields of study you can choose from, and examples of the main subjects in each field:

Business and Management: Business Administration, Hotel Management, Accountancy, Marketing

Economics: Business Economics, Econometrics, Finance

IT and Engineering: ICT, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Applied Mathematics, Civil Engineering, Industrial Design, Electrical Engineering

Natural and Life Sciences: Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Chemistry

Geography, Agriculture and Environment: Ecology, Earth Sciences, Environmental Studies, Urban Planning

Health and Medical Sciences: Medicine, Obstetrics, Pharmacy, Nutrition, Dentistry

Arts and Humanities: Philosophy, History, Literature, Cultural Studies, Theology

Law and Policy: Law, Political Science, Public Policy, Human Rights

Social and Behavioral Sciences: Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Communication Sciences

Other

Editors don’t have to be experts in the content of your paper, but they do know how to present it in the best way possible! Our goal is to improve your writing and give you feedback on the readability, structure, logic, and clarity of your text. We know from experience that the most effective editors are specialists in language and academic writing.

We’ve carefully selected and trained all of our editors to proofread theses and other academic documents. Once they’re qualified, we continue to carefully monitor their work to make sure we always deliver the highest quality.

Types of editing	Available at Scribbr?
Proofreading Correction of superficial mistakes, such as typos, misspellings, punctuation errors and consistency errors.	Yes! This is the “proofreading” in Scribbr’s standard service. It can only be selected in combination with editing.
Copy editing Focus on grammar, syntax, style, tone and the conventions of the field. The editor also considers the internal logic of the text and flags any obvious contradictions.	Yes! This is the “editing” in Scribbr’s standard service. It can only be selected in combination with proofreading.
Line editing Focus on language, style, concision and choices. The editor helps you strengthen your story, polish your sentences and ensure that your use of language drives home your ideas.	Yes! Select the Structure Check and Clarity Check to receive a comprehensive edit equivalent to a line edit.
Developmental editing (i.e. content editing, substantive editing) This is the first step of the editing process and applies to very early drafts. The editor helps you structure your ideas, decide what story to tell and find direction for your writing.	No. This kind of editing involves heavy rewriting and restructuring. Our editors cannot help with this.