Why Post-Graduate Proof-Reader Beats AI at Proofreading Academic Work

As artificial intelligence tools continue advancing at a rapid pace, you might be wondering what value professional proof-readers like us can add to your postgrad thesis. However, when it comes to work that is as important as your amazing research, the human proof-readers at PGPR offer a better service than even the most advanced AI available today.

 

Superior accuracy

AI proofreading tools are getting better all the time when it comes to catching basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. However, PGPR’s friendly and professional team remain more accurate and can catch some subtle errors that AI tools miss.

We can spot things that AI might miss. Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash

Our team of friendly proof-readers has a deeper understanding of the intricacies and nuances of language, which we have gained from our academic and editorial backgrounds. We can identify and correct complex sentence structure issues, convoluted phrasing, unclear arguments and inconsistencies in tone. We’ll correct issues with tense, pesky Oxford commas and jarring language in a way that AI just can’t handle.

 

We have the expertise…

PGPR was invented to help postgrad students who are using qualitative methods. As such, our team includes experts in interpretative phenomenological analysis, thematic analysis and grounded theory. However, we also have editors with experience in psychotherapy, education, creative writing, history and comms.

 

If you book one of our team for feedback, we might point out that a key piece of research is missing from a literature review or use our expertise to question assumptions that you have missed due to your closeness to your topic. We will also offer detailed thoughts on your analysis, data and use of methodology. We can delve deeper and provide specialised insight to strengthen your important work. AI tools lack this critical thinking and depth of subject matter expertise.

The PGPR experts are happy to share their knowledge with you. Photo by KOBU Agency on Unsplash

 

When it comes to qualitative research, that human touch is always going to be several steps ahead of AI. Qualitative data and analysis are nuanced, messy and very human. That’s what makes them fun, right? As advanced as AI gets, it won’t be able to spot the linguistic and thematic intricacies that we can help you with.

 

If you book one of our video consultations, you can talk over your questions with one of our team, who will be able to use their knowledge to look at your data and offer their expert thoughts on the challenges you’re having.

 

Clear communication for improved learning

One common complaint about AI proofreading tools is that students might not fully understand why a particular change is suggested or how to fix an identified issue. While AI flags problems, it doesn’t explain them. This provides little opportunity for you to improve your writing skills.

 

PGPR’s proof-readers take the time to communicate clearly with clients to explain identified issues and provide guidance on strengthening your academic writing. We tailor our feedback and instructions to your level of understanding so that we can help maximise your learning. Our aim is not just better papers now, but better writers for the future. Plus, if you have any questions after you receive your work, we’re always happy to answer or explain.

 

Customisation for individual needs

Every client and assignment is unique. Our proof-readers customise their editing style, comments and approach based on what you need. For advanced students, we may focus on refinement and polishing. We provide more guidance on structure, style and basic grammar for those newer to academic writing.

PGPR’s help is tailored to snugly fit your needs. Photo by Salvador Godoy on Unsplash

 

We have recently introduced a light proofreading service, as well as our standard proofing, plus you can also book PGPR for feedback and video consultations. Get in touch and chat with our wonderful admin assistant Layla to find out what is the best service for you.

 

The human touch

Completing a postgrad project can be lonely, especially if you’re the only student using qualitative methods in your department. Working directly with a caring, encouraging human proof-reader will give you a personalised experience that builds confidence and relieves stress. We can answer questions, alleviate worries, provide positive reinforcement when needed, and instil confidence in anyone who might be feeling intimidated by academic writing conventions.

 

Having an expert understand the thought process you were having when composing your paper and what you’re aiming to achieve can take much of the isolation out of writing. Our one-on-one interactions are tailored to each client’s needs. The human touch that AI lacks helps students feel supported while improving their work.

The friendly humans at PGPR are always happy to help. Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

 

Proven trust and reputation

PGPR has helped hundreds of clients over the years to earn better grades and advance their academic careers. Our experienced team has a strong reputation built on proven results that you can trust. We have received extensive praise and feedback; you can read case studies from some of our satisfied clients here.

 

In conclusion…

PGPR’s team of academics, editors, researchers and language experts provides a customised proof-reading experience with a human touch that artificial intelligence just can’t replicate. For any student who needs to submit their absolute best work, our proven expertise, nuanced understanding and caring supportive approach remain invaluable. AI has its uses, but when the crucial elements of your thesis are on the line, PGPR’s human insight can offer you the best service. Get in touch to hear more about our services.

How to use Track Changes

If you work in any profession that involves writing, you’re almost certainly going to be using Word’s Track Changes feature, or the Google Docs/OneDrive equivalent. Academics and postgrad students, who spend a lot of time writing and sending documents back and forth between teams, supervisors and journal editors will definitely need to use this handy function. Track Changes is a powerful tool that allows users to collaborate and review documents seamlessly.

As proof-readers, we use Track Changes all the time to ensure that our clients can check the changes we’ve made to their work and ensure that they are happy with those amendments. This tool is reasonably intuitive, but if you’ve not used it before, it can be confusing. And, like many Word functions, even if you’re used to the basics, some features can be hard to wrap your head around.

In this blog, we’ll explore the various aspects of Word’s Track Changes function, including switching between simple mark-up and all mark-up, as well as displaying revisions in balloons or in line.

  1. Enabling Track Changes

To begin, open the Word document you wish to edit and navigate to the “Review” tab at the top of the window. In the “Tracking” group, click on the “Track Changes” button to enable the feature. Alternatively, if you use a PC, you can use the shortcut “Ctrl + Shift + E” to toggle Track Changes on and off. If you’re on a Mac, use “Command + Shift + E” to do this.

  1. Simple Markup vs. All Markup

By default, Word displays changes using the “Simple Markup” option, which just uses a red line to indicate that some changes have been made in that section. However, you can switch to the “All Markup” mode to view a more detailed representation of the revisions made. To switch between these two modes, click on the drop-down arrow next to the “Display for Review” option in the “Tracking” group. Select “Simple Markup” to view changes discreetly, or choose “All Markup” to see specific revisions in detail

These images show you the difference between simple and all mark-up modes, using examples from my own PhD.

Simple mark up
All mark up
  1. Displaying Revisions in Balloons

Word offers the flexibility to display revisions and comments either in balloons or in line with the text. In ‘all markup’, Word will default to using balloons, as you can see in the image above. Balloons make it simpler to see what text you will end up with, whereas inline revisions (see next point) can be tricky to follow.

However, if there have been extensive changes made to a piece, the text that is visible in balloons contracts, meaning you can only see some of the changes that have been made. As you start accepting the changes, you will see more and more of the edited text in the balloons.

To enable balloon display, follow these steps:

  1. On the “Review” tab, click on the small arrow in the “Balloons” button within the “Tracking” group.
  2. Choose the desired option from the drop-down menu. “Show All Revisions Inline” displays edits in the text, while “Show Revisions in Balloons” presents changes in the margin.
  3. To specify the type of revisions shown in balloons, select “Balloons” again and click on “Show Revisions in Balloons.”
This image shows you how to display revisions in balloons
  1. Inline Display of Revisions

You can also choose to display revisions in line with the text. This is particularly useful when working on shorter documents or if you want to see every single change that has been made.

To display revisions in line, follow these steps:

  1. On the “Review” tab, click on the small arrow in the “Balloons” button within the “Tracking” group.
  2. Choose the “Show All Revisions Inline” option from the drop-down menu.

The two images below show the difference between balloon and in-line revisions for the same (poorly written!) piece of text. Sometimes it’s useful to switch between these two modes. I generally work using balloons, but if I’m working on a heavily edited piece and there is one sentence where I really want to see what’s been amended, I’ll go to inline – and then almost always switch back again.

This image shows what balloon revisions look like when a lot of changes have been made
Inline revisions
  1. Managing Revisions and Comments

Track changes provides various options for managing revisions and comments efficiently. Here are a few essential features:

  1. Accept or Reject Changes: To accept or reject a specific revision, right-click on it and choose “Accept” or “Reject” from the context menu. You can also choose to accept all comments and stop tracking if you wish to. It’s worth doing this now and then with a document which is going backwards and forwards many times in a big team, or it can become too messy and jumbled to read.
  2. Reviewing Changes: Use the “Previous” and “Next” buttons in the “Changes” group to navigate through revisions quickly.
  3. Adding Comments: Click on a specific section of text and select “New Comment” in the “Comments” group to provide feedback or clarifications.
Take back control with the Track Changes feature!                                                                                                                                                                                                        Photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash

Getting to grips with Track Changes can help streamline the proofreading process and help you communicate with your supervisors more easily about your ideas. By switching between simple mark-up and all mark-up, as well as choosing between balloons or in-line display for revisions, you can feel in control when you revise your beautiful thesis or paper. Whether you’re an academic, a postgrad student or a researcher, understanding the versatility of Track Changes can make your life easier.

If you have any questions about using track changes, or want us to use track changes to make your language sing, get in touch with the friendly team of PGPR experts using the box below.

Mental health resources for students

As we’ve stated in two of our previous blogs Five tips for looking after your mental health as a postgrad and Five tips for carrying on with your research when things are tough, postgrad work can be isolating and stressful. Sometimes, that stress can impact our mental health. If that happens, it’s important to know that you’re not alone and that it’s OK to ask for help.

We’ve put together a list of resources that postgrad students can use if they are struggling with their mental health.

  1. Your university’s wellbeing team

Most UK universities have professional counsellors on their staff with whom you will be able to make a free appointment to talk. On a personal note, PGPR owner Johanna has had counselling at almost every university where she has studied or worked (which is quite a few) and she has always found university counsellors to be excellent. There is often a short waiting list as well. Of course, this might not be the case at your uni, but it’s a solid place to start.

  1. Your GP

GPs are also a good starting point if you need some support with your mental health. They can talk over how you’re feeling and refer you to a mental health specialist. Additionally, this NHS page has some useful ideas for improving your mood.

  1. Student Minds

Student Minds is the UK’s mental health charity for students. They empower students to develop the knowledge, confidence and skills to look after their own mental health, support others and create change. They offer peer support and workshops. You can read more about the support they offer here.

  1. Mind

Mind are a UK charity who offer support to anyone struggling with mental ill health. Their website is chock full of useful blogs, stories from people who are living with various challenges and ideas for better wellbeing. You can also call their helpline on 0300 123 3393, or email them on info@mind.org.uk

  1. Mental Health UK

This charity provides support and services for those dealing with various  societal challenges, including money problems, navigating the system to get the right support and understanding loneliness and isolation. Like Mind, their website has lots of useful resources and ideas. Their wellbeing plan and five top tips for good mental health might be useful starting points; you can download them here.

  1. The Samaritans

The Samaritans run a free, 24-hour helpline which is there to support people going through mental health crises, including suicidal feelings. You can ring them any time on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. You can read about other ways to contact them here.

Additionally, it’s important to know that if you ever feel that you are in danger of hurting yourself, you can call 999 for help.

Your mental health matters, and it’s always OK to talk about not being OK.

Seven Steps to a Marvellous Method Section

Whether you’re preparing a thesis, a paper or an essay, if you’re reporting on a study you have conducted, the method is crucial. This is the section that your readers will use to check how you conducted your research, so it’s vital that you clearly demonstrate what you did and how you did it. You can have the most beautifully nuanced findings in the world, but if the reader doesn’t know how you got to them, they won’t be able to trust in the validity of your work.

This sounds super serious, but don’t panic – although important, methodologies are one of the easier sections to write, as they tend to follow a specific structure and are all about reporting what you did. The good news is, you did that stuff! So you are the most uniquely qualified person to write about it. Check you out.

The level of detail you need in your method section will vary depending on the type of paper you’re writing. For example, a systematic review will need a much longer and more detailed method section than a small interview study. The following tips will be useful no matter what type of method section you’re working on.

  1. Write your method first; in fact, start whilst still doing the study

When you’re in the midst of recruiting participants, juggling interview schedules or scouring databases for papers, it can feel like you will never forget the steps you took to get from A to B (and then to C and E and H). However, you’d be amazed at how quickly these details can vanish if you haven’t been taking careful notes. As such, we recommend starting to write your methodology section almost in real-time – as you’re doing the actual study. Yes, you’ll need to edit it later, but getting those key facts down while they’re fresh in your mind can save you a whole host of hair-pulling further down the road. Additionally, since the method can be straightforward to write, this is a great way to combat empty page syndrome. Yes, you’ve still got some of the longer sections to write, but you’ve made a start, and that’s always a good feeling.

A woman sits on the floor surrounded by lemons
Juggling the different parts of the methodology can feel like a struggle, but getting those key facts down while they’re fresh in your mind can save you a whole heap of time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Photo by Marije Woudsma on Unsplash
  1. Follow the subheadings set out by your target journal or your institution

In their guidance for authors, journals often include a list of subheadings that they expect to see in a method section. This can be helpful, as the headings make it clear exactly what you need to include and what you can leave out. If you’re writing up a thesis, check with your supervisor or in your institution’s handbook to see if they also suggest subheadings. If they do, use them. Start by writing each subheading into a Word document, then make bullet points of all the relevant info for each one. You can shape those points into paragraphs in the next step.

  1. Succinctly provide enough information so that someone can follow the steps you took and (where possible) replicate the study

Traditionally, the point of the method section is to give your readers enough information to replicate the study if they want to. This idea is more suitable for quantitative experiments – where you have a certain amount of control over the various variables – than qualitative research, which is led by participants and their stories. However, the principle still applies. Following the suggested subheadings, as per the point above, should help with this.

A woman relaxes in a chair reading a book about storytelling in design
Telling the story of how you designed your study is an important step!                                                                                                                                                                                                             Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

You need to tell the story of what you did and how you did it. How did you contact and recruit participants? Where did you conduct your interviews? How did you record them? Which methodology did you use to analyse your data? Did you use any software to help you? Who gave you ethics clearance? All these questions will need to be answered. And, importantly, they should be answered using as few words as possible. This section is about presenting the facts, not flowery language. If you’re writing for a peer-reviewed paper, you’re likely to have quite a tight word count. If your method section is concise as possible, this frees up more words for your findings.

  1. Think carefully about anonymisation vs information about participants

If you’re writing up a qualitative study, as most PGPR clients are, you need to think carefully about how much information you’re going to provide about your participants. Demographic details about the participants which have a bearing on the research question need to be provided, but participants’ identities must be protected. This information will often be presented in a table. Let’s say you’re writing up a study about what it’s like to give birth to your first child. Your table might include participants’ pseudonyms/ID numbers, their age, the age of their child and their ethnicity. You might choose to leave out where they live and their occupation. However, if your study is about young working mothers, occupation is more important, so you would include that, but perhaps leave out other details. Always check your consent form to be sure you’re not conveying any information that participants haven’t given you permission to share.

  1. Ensure you provide enough info about the fit between your research question and your method

Unfortunately, there are still quite a few reviewers and examiners out there who don’t understand or trust qualitative methods. As such, you need to ensure that your justification for using the methodology you’ve picked is ironclad. You may only need a sentence or two, but do include some lines to explain why qualitative methods are the perfect fit for your study, even if it seems really obvious to you!

You need to ensure that your justification for using the methodology you’ve picked is ironclad.                                                                                                                                                                                    Photo by John Salvino on Unsplash
  1. Save discussion of difficulties for the limitations section

Research is unpredictable. Things go wrong, and that’s fine. You might not have been able to recruit as many participants as you’d hoped. Some interviews might not have recorded perfectly. You might be new to qualitative methods and have struggled with analysis. None of these are reasons to beat yourself up; we’re all learning, all the time. If things have gone less than brilliantly, state that plainly in this section. You can then go on to talk about the implications of those hiccups and what you might do next time in your limitations section, all whilst reminding yourself that even the most esteemed professors run into difficulties at times. You’ve still completed your study and that is brilliant.

  1. Contact PGPR

If you’re struggling with your method section – or any other area of your write-up – just get in touch with us via the box below. We’re a friendly team of qualitative and mixed methods experts who can help you with feedback, proofreading and word reduction on this and any other section of your thesis or paper.

Five tips for carrying on with your research when things are tough

Postgraduate research is hard work. You need to design a study. Pass ethics. Find participants. Gather and analyse data. Write up your findings. Get into journals and conferences. And, usually, do all this whilst you’re also juggling work, family and occasionally trying to have a bit of fun.

If something goes wrong – and sooner or later with research (as with life in general), something will go wrong – it can be hard to carry on. Perhaps you’re having to jump through a hundred hoops to get ethics clearance, or maybe participants keep cancelling on you. It could be that your supervisor is pushing you extra hard. In situations like this, you might find yourself wondering why you’re bothering.

It can be hard to find the motivation to carry on after months of hard graft!

Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

Does the world really need another piece of qualitative research? (Answer – yes it does!) Do you really have something to say? (Answer – absolutely, you do, you total badass!)

If you’re struggling to carry on with your postgrad research, here are five tips from PGPR to help you get back into the swing of things.

  • Take a break

Put your pen/laptop/tablet down and go outside. Look up at the sky (as long as it’s not raining of course). Read a good book, watch some reruns of Jane the Virgin. Gather your mates or your kids and go for a pizza. When you’re in the thick of a PhD, it can feel all-encompassing, but a good first step to tackling any research problem is to get things back into perspective. Other things in life can bring you joy – take a week off and go have some fun.  

There is very little a pizza party with friends can’t solve!

Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash
  • Try reading around the problem

Whatever issue it is that you’re facing, you can bet your bottom dollar (whatever THAT is) that someone else has had the same problem. Whether it’s a logistical issue or an analytical one, have a poke around on the internet, do a Google Scholar search and see if you can read a bit about how others in your situation have solved similar problems. Postgrad research can feel pretty lonely, but there are many other people out there doing what you’re doing, and we can all help each other.

Academic Twitter is (in my experience anyway) a pretty darn supportive place, so it might be worth asking a question on there. Trying using the hashtag #AcademicTwitter or tagging @AcademicChatter and hopefully, both answers and support will come along shortly.

  • Break the problem down into steps and tackle them one at a time

Challenges can feel overwhelming if we try to solve them all at once. Try instead to break the problem down into small, manageable chunks. Can you face the first one? Great – do that, then have a bit of chocolate. Leave part two till tomorrow. Rinse and repeat until the problem is dealt with. By the time you’re into the swing of it, I bet you it won’t feel as unsurmountable as it did to start off with.

Indulging in a few choccy treats as a reward for doing a bit of work is a-ok in our book!

Photo by Michele Blackwell on Unsplash
  • Make a list of the successes you’ve had

Another problem with – well – problems, is that when we have one, we can make it mean something personal about us. I couldn’t write a great discussion section the first time around, so I must be a failure and a terrible person. Try to stop thinking like that, because trust me, you are not a failure. Anyone who is doing postgrad work is a superstar and a brainiac to boot. This work is meant to be difficult, so the fact that you’re occasionally finding it difficult means that nothing has gone wrong. And it certainly doesn’t mean that you are anything other than amazing.

If you’re finding that hard to believe, try making a list of all the successes (big and small) you’ve had since you started your research career. Include everything from acing that undergrad exam to being accepted onto your master’s to recruiting your first four participants. You could also include cooking a lovely dinner for your family last night and mastering that impossible-looking posture at yoga.

Once you’ve mastered your research, you can do anything!

Photo by Oksana Taran on Unsplash

If you managed all of those things, you can definitely manage this one too!

  • Book a PGPR VC

If you’re still feeling stuck with any element of your qualitative postgrad research project, a great solution could be to book a video consultation with PGPR. In these VCs, we spent an hour looking over your work and notes before the session, and then another hour talking the problems through with you via Zoom or Teams or whatever platform you like. Discussing the issue with one of our friendly team of qualitative experts is a great way to brainstorm, gain confidence and beat whatever issue is stopping you.

Get in touch with us via the button below to book.

How to use the new IPA terminology

Whether you are new to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) or have been using it for a while, you may have noticed some differences in the language associated with this qualitative approach to research.

This might seem confusing at first but don’t worry; help is at hand!

Confused? PGPR are here to help

Photo by Dex Ezekiel on Unsplash

The guidance and steps suggested to conduct your analysis remain the same. So do the underlying principles. All that’s changed is some of the terminology.

Terms like emergent theme or superordinate theme, which you will see in most IPA papers published pre-2022 and in the first edition of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method and Research by Jonathan Smith, Paul Flowers and Michael Larkin (2009), have been updated, as explained in the table below.

Old term New term
Emergent Theme Experiential Statement
Superordinate Theme Personal Experiential Theme (PET)
Master Theme Group Experiential Theme (GET)

Emergent Themes are now known as experiential statements, superordinate themes are now called personal experiential themes, and master themes are now referred to as group experiential themes.

This change in terminology can actually make things clearer as you work through your analysis. Experiential statements are just that, statements about the experiences captured in your data in terms of their meaning for the participant.

Let the new IPA terminology light your pathway through analysis

Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash

In the new book Essentials of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith & Nizza, 2021), the authors provide an example analysis of a participant’s holiday experience.

The example transcript includes the lines “so I really had to put in the effort and judge people quite quickly as well. So, yeah, I just had to put stuff out there quite a lot”. One of the experiential statements to arise from this analysis is ‘Selectively and purposively bonding with strangers’ (p. 41).

This statement is both concise and rich. It captures the participant’s description of forging relationships with other travellers and their sense of this being a deliberate, active process. A statement such as ‘Meeting new people’ or ‘Social aspects of travel’, although still reflective of the data, would not provide the same experiential detail.

The new IPA terminology is nearly as much fun as meeting new friends whilst travelling. Honest!

Photo by Kimson Doan on Unsplash

Thinking in terms of experiential statements – rather than emergent themes – can help you orient yourself during the earlier analytic stages. An experiential statement involves summarising the meaning in a short portion of the text – perhaps just a few lines. At this stage, being too concerned with the bigger picture of ‘themes’ can distract you from looking carefully at each section of the transcript in a close, fine-grained fashion.

Personal experiential themes or PETs, are themes developed through an analysis of a single case, meaning they are personal to that individual.

Group experiential themes or GETs are developed by looking across individual cases for patterns of convergence and divergence. They are themes which represent the group.

As you can see, the revised terminology makes finding your way through the analysis easier.

Doing IPA can feel like tackling a maze. The new terminology can help you find your way.

Photo by Benjamin Elliott on Unsplash

This new terminology, and guidance for each stage of the analysis, are included in the two new books mentioned. These are the 2nd edition of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method and Research by Jonathan Smith, Paul Flowers, and Michael Larkin (2022), and the new APA Essentials Book Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis by Jonathan Smith and Isabella Nizza (2021).

The new terminology is also used in the recent paper I wrote with Jonathan Smith: ‘Making sense of an artwork: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of participants’ accounts of viewing a well-known painting’ (Starr & Smith, 2022).

This blog was written by Rachel Starr, one of PGPR’s IPA experts. To book a video consultation with Rachel, contact us via the box below.

How a PGPR video consultation can help you

Are you a postgrad student using qualitative methods to explore a social science topic?

Are you wrestling with your analysis, your themes, your write up? Or maybe you’re feeling nervous about your viva?

Qualitative research is an intense process that requires a lot of careful thinking. You need to hold many ideas in your mind as you consider connections between your themes and how your research fits into the wider picture. It’s no wonder analysis can cause a headache.

That’s why PGPR offers video consultations: hour-long sessions in which one of our team of qualitative experts talks you through the challenges you’re facing in your research project.

If you’re wondering whether a PGPR VC can help you, read the following examples to see how we’ve helped clients in the past…

We’re always happy to help our lovely clients

Photo by jose aljovin on Unsplash

Aimee was working on resubmitting a reflective assignment as part of her psychotherapy doctorate. She was finding it challenging to revise her previous submission to ensure she met the assessment criteria while expressing her lived experiences clearly in a formal academic style. Aimee sent us her original submission, along with the feedback from her assessors and the assessment criteria. Through a series of video consultations, we explored how Aimee could relate psychotherapeutic theory to both her personal and professional experiences. We identified specific areas where she could demonstrate her relevant understanding in relation to the required learning outcomes. By explaining her ideas verbally, Aimee felt more confident communicating her knowledge, and successfully reworked her assignment with a clearer narrative arc.

We helped Aimee with her reflective assignment through a VC

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Bob had completed the write up of his interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) findings for his doctoral thesis. He had received feedback that his work was descriptive rather than interpretative and was unsure how to address this. Bob sent us his results chapter and we had a chat about how we could best support him. We agreed that a general discussion about how to be interpretative would be too abstract, so decided he would select some quotes from his findings which we could explore together. During the hour, we talked through a small selection of extracts in depth. This allowed Bob to get a sense of how to approach his data interpretatively, what to look for and the types of questions he could ask himself. He then felt more able to apply this to the rest of his findings chapter, which he continued to revise on his own.

Thanks to a PGPR VC, Bob was able to rewrite his results chapter

Photo by Pj Go on Unsplash

Cathy had completed her PhD viva and was unsure how to approach her revisions. She sent us her viva report and thesis. In a series of video consultations, we focused on the different amendments required. In one session, we made a detailed plan for a chapter she had been asked to re-structure so that she could go away and organise her writing with clarity. In another, we discussed the examiners’ request that Cathy acknowledge the influence of her position on the research. We decided that writing a single reflexive statement would be appropriate and talked through what she might include in it. Cathy later sent some sections of her amended thesis for proofreading and written feedback to iron out the last details. Her revised thesis was accepted.

Congratulations to Cathy!

Photo by Courtney Wentz on Unsplash

If you decide to book a VC with PGPR, we will spend an hour looking at your work before the session, and then an hour discussing the work once it’s done.

Previous PGPR VC client Andrea K said:

“I found my consultation meetings with Rachel incredibly helpful. When I felt stuck in my analysis, Rachel helped me to understand better what I am doing well (which motivated me to continue) as well as areas for further learning by discussing specific examples in my data. She definitely helped me to understand better how to put theory (IPA principles) into practice (analysis). Each consultation was used very efficiently thanks to Rachel’s clear focus, and she also made sure we had some time to discuss any questions/dilemmas that I had. I would recommend these consultations to anyone who feels stuck or wants to learn what they do well and what they can improve. Do not hesitate to contact the team if you have any other issues in your research study as they seem to consider individual needs and requests very well.”

Get in touch via the form below to book a session with one of our qualitative experts.

How to write every day

If you’re working on the final stages of your thesis, there’s probably a lot of writing going on in your world right now. It’s also likely that you’re juggling that with a job, cooking dinners, spending time with your family and trying to get out of the house once a day for fresh air. Therefore, despite your best intentions, writing might not be happening as often as you’d like.

Here are some tips for carving out some time every day to get those brilliant findings and interpretations committed to the page.

1. Plan ahead

As much as possible, try to plan your weeks so that writing time is scheduled. Of course, life is unpredictable and sometimes we can’t stick to our plans, but if you at least know what you’re aiming for, you’re more likely to get there. If your schedule looks jam-packed, try to think creatively. Can you get up earlier a couple of days a week? Work in the evening while everyone else is watching TV? Get the kids to make the dinner one night so you can spend that time working? (Age of child dependent, of course!)

Having a plan in place helps you in the long run!

Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash

2. Tell your housemates/partner/family that you have to shut the door

If you’re a housemate, a mother, a father or a spouse, you might feel that you need to drop everything the moment you’re needed by the people you love. Genuine emergencies aside, this is not the case. Can you set a time for working when you tell everyone that you’re not to be disturbed? Even if it’s only for half an hour a day, those half-hours will start stacking up, and so will your word count.

Setting clear boundaries with your loved ones is essential when working on a big project!

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

3. Turn off social media

There’s no point telling your family that the door is shut if you’re going to spend all your time behind that closed door frantically checking Twitter and replying to your favourite WhatsApp group chats. Put your phone on silent, don’t open your emails and try to resist the urge to start Googling things as you write – it’s all too easy to fall into an internet rabbit hole that way. You can always look up how to spell phenomenological later; for now, just fudge it and get those words down.

4. Recognise and reward the wins

Writing a thesis is really hard, even when there isn’t a global pandemic. You are doing an amazing job and you deserve to be rewarded. Sadly, most of the time, everyone else is too wrapped up in their own challenges to recognise how awesome you multi-tasking postgrad students are, which means you might need to reward yourself. And that’s just dandy, cos no one knows what you like better than you do! If you pass a milestone, no matter how small, book yourself a day off, buy your favourite cake, settle down with a novel and convince your other half to rub your feet. You’ve earned it.

Celebrating those wins along the way will help you eventually cross the finish line!

Photo by Spencer Bergen on Unsplash

5. Don’t expect the impossible 

It can be really tempting to start setting yourself huge targets: I’m going to write 2,000 words every single day without breaking a sweat. Sound familiar? The problem with these unrealistic targets is that if you can’t stick to them, you might start feeling discouraged, which makes it harder to come to your desk feeling positive and energised the next day. Plus, if you know you don’t have time for your 2,000 words that day, you might think well, there’s no point starting – I’ll begin tomorrow instead. You can see how this thinking can quickly lead to a week with no words written at all. Some of you might find it easier to set a time limit for each day instead or to think in terms of sections per week.

Do you have any tips for writing every day? Do let us know if so. And of course, once you’ve finished writing, you can always book us to proof-read your work so that you can be confident it’s as polished as it can be.

If you’d like to book PGPR to help you with your writing, just get in touch via the form below.

Seven ways PGPR can help you complete your qualitative project

Completing postgrad qualitative research is an adventure. It can be thrilling, enriching and rewarding… but it can also be arduous, stressful and exhausting.

Here at PGPR, we can help you through every step of your journey. Here are seven services we think will benefit you as you progress through your project.

The PGPR team is on hand to help you every step of the way!

Photo by Khiet Tam on Unsplash

1. Interview schedule check

Collecting your data is so important. Asking participants the right questions can unlock access to the rich, lovely data which will underpin your entire study. We can look at your interview schedule and talk it over in a video consultation, giving you pointers for ensuring your questions are open, comprehensive and ordered in a way that is likely to generate rapport.

2. Feedback on analysis

Analysis can feel fun and fascinating – and it can feel overwhelming! Trying to conduct analysis without many qualitative colleagues or at a university without many qualitative experts can feel especially lonely and daunting. Fortunately, the PGPR team loves analysis, so we’re always excited when a client asks for feedback at this stage. We can offer written feedback or feedback via one of our video consultations. We’ll look at whether your data truly supports your conclusions, if there are areas where you can dig deeper, and whether your analysis fits in with your chosen methodology.

3. Feedback on word length and structure

Once you start putting the chapters of your thesis together, you might find that you’re several thousand words over your university’s word limit. Don’t panic – this is a common problem and is something we can help with. We’ll read your chapters and offer feedback which will help you tighten up your structure and delete those unnecessary words.

Feeling overwhelmed? We hear you!

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

4. Correcting your spelling and grammar

While we love giving feedback, we’re also all huge word nerds here at PGPR, so you can come to us if you need any sections of your thesis proof-read. We’ll correct any spelling and grammar issues, ensure that you’ve used terminology consistently and offer suggestions to make your sentences read as smoothly as possible.

5. Checking references

Reference sections: can’t get by without them – but you CAN offload them to us! When you’re immersed in analysing your beautiful data or wrangling with that tricky discussion section, ensuring that your reference list is also perfect can feel incredibly onerous. Don’t worry; we’re here to help. Our proof-readers Hannah and Shannon particularly enjoy checking reference lists, so it’s likely that one of these two superstars will undertake this job for you. They find it soothing – clearly, we need to clone them!

Enjoy more time to relax while we proof-read your reference list for you!

Photo by Cam Browne on Unsplash

6. Formatting

Word has lots of features that can help you present your thesis in a professional manner; unfortunately, it often feels like you need a degree in IT to be able to get them all to work. We have several Word experts on the team who will be more than happy to create tables of contents, ensure that your headings are consistent and caption all your figures for you.

7. Conference check package

Once your research is complete, it’s time to share it with the wider world. If you have a conference coming up, PGPR can offer feedback on your slides and give you an opportunity to practice your presentation via video for a friendly audience. Just get in touch to find out more.

We look forward to hearing from you – just fill in the contact form below and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

Client FAQs

As well as proof-reading, will you edit my work?

We will ensure that your work reads well and is in good English. Depending on the level of service you have paid for, we will also offer feedback on structure, methodology and analysis. However, we won’t change the meaning of your work or re-write any sections for you.

We’ll make sure your paper reads well and is in good English!

Image by Наталия Когут from Pixabay

How quickly will you return my work?

We will aim to get your work back to you as quickly as possible. We can usually proof-read 5,000 words per day, meaning a 15,000-word piece takes three days after we start.

Johanna often has a waiting list, so you might have to wait longer if you are specifically requesting to work with her.

We can work to your schedule; if you have some sections finished earlier than others, we can start work on those while you complete the rest of your thesis. Please note that we don’t book work in with a member of the team until we have a copy of that work.

Why can’t I book a slot before my piece is ready?

Postgrad work is unpredictable. It might take longer to recruit your participants than you had hoped. Your supervisor might go off sick. You might really need a break. For this reason, we no longer book clients in until their pieces are ready to go. This saves you having to feel stressed about a deadline that is no longer realistic and saves us reserving time for work which doesn’t materialise. We have a large enough team of experts that we can still offer quick turnaround times.

You’re already working to multiple deadlines, you don’t need to with us!

Don’t Image by Shiv Mirthyu from Pixabay

What format should I send my work in?

Send your work to us in Word: either .doc or .docx. This is essential because we use Word’s track changes function to proof-read your work.

Why will you send me back two copies?

Many proof-reading services will only send you back one clean copy. You may feel that this approach would mean less work for you. However, since this is your project and is so crucial for you, we feel it’s important to offer you the chance to collaborate. Ultimately, it’s your choice whether to accept the changes we suggest. Including a copy with the track changes on it gives you the option to accept or reject those changes. The clean version means that if you are happy to trust our judgment, you can work with this version rather than going through the changes we’ve suggested.

What is included in the service?

We will proof-read your work and, depending on the level of service you are paying for, suggest feedback as well. See how it works for more detail about this. We are also happy to answer short questions via email and may, in certain circumstances, agree to brief video chats to talk through the work.

If you have booked a video consultation, we will spend an hour beforehand reading the work you have sent us, and then an hour talking it through with you online. If you need more time, that can be arranged with the team on a case by case basis.

PGPR is not a supervision service, so we cannot offer ongoing extended conversations about your work or emotional support for the ups and downs of postgrad life.

What if I need to cancel or change my VIDEO CONSULTATION timeslot?

If you need to cancel or change your video consultation, you need to give us 24 hours’ notice. Otherwise, your payment is non-refundable.

How can I pay?

You can pay via BACS transfer or Stripe. Please note that we do not accept PayPal.

If we are working on a larger piece, we will ask for a deposit of 50% before we commence work. We will send a second invoice for the balance once the work is done.

We are confident you will be happy with our work!

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

What if I’m not satisfied?

For larger pieces, we will work on and return a small section to begin with. This gives you a chance to check that you are happy before we go any further. Working together in this way means you can let us know if there’s anything you would prefer us to do differently. However, we are so confident that you will be pleased with our work that we will not charge you for any completed sections if you are unhappy.

If you want to book PGPR to undertake some work for you, just fill in the form below.