English language service
The Applied Research Centre for the Humanities has a team of English native-speaking medievalists spread around the globe, co-ordinated by Tyler Cloherty in the USA.
We know that English is increasingly the medium for worldwide scholarly exchange in Medieval Studies. Non-native-speakers can be at a disadvantage in presenting their research and work in idiomatic English for a specialist audience.
While scholars are not expected to compose like Shakespeare, they still want to present their work favourably to a global audience, particularly one where almost half of the scholars are native-speakers of English. We hear from many fellow medievalists:
• There is a limit to how many times I can ask a colleague in Britain or the States to tidy up my text. I now feel I am a burden and imposition, but where else can I go?
• I can’t trust the translation bureau I’ve been recommended: either they are not native-speakers or they are not familiar with the technical vocabulary used by medievalists and people in my own small field. And they are so expensive!
• I see colleagues from my own country making typical errors with English articles, syntax, tenses and the like. I know I’m much better, but I just hope I don’t do the same.
• My English is pretty good, certainly good enough to write public talks at conferences, but I’m sure it isn’t good enough for publication.
• My department or project’s website is bright, colourful and technically good, but we have devoted no budget to having the English text checked and proofed, and it reads poorly.
What we can provide for you:
1. A revision of your English, when you (and we) consider that it is generally fine and publishable, but we agree it needs some tidying to make it fully idiomatic.
2. A very careful reworking of your text, including the checking of references and citations against library catalogues, to ensure your material is in a definitive state ready for publication.
3. Proofreading and revision of the English on your website. We can make the text bright and snappy, but also appropriate to an audience of medieval scholars worldwide.
4. Affordable rates and prompt, professional service. We ensure that your text will be publishable by making it conform to:
(i) The rules of internal consistency, in terms of spelling, punctuation and referencing.
(ii) The proper idiom and register for academic English used in publications worldwide.
(iii) The norms for proper nouns and technical vocabulary used by medievalists in the English-speaking world.
Arc-Humanities and Medieval Press comprises a team of scholars who have gained doctorates in medieval studies, or have graduated from prestigious universities in Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Australia, and who also have extensive experience as copyeditors, freelance translators, and publishers of their own material in reputable series by Brill, Boydell & Brewer, Brepols and others. This service builds on the pioneering, very positively received work done by Claire Mabey in New Zealand and her WordNun team.
For all enquiries, kindly contact Tyler Cloherty at tcloherty@arc-humanities.org.