Back in my school days, many teachers taught us different skills. Some teachers helped us improve our professional skills and some helped us improve our personal skills. But only a few teachers helped us improve both our professional and personal skills. But why does every teacher not teach us both essential skills? 

Simply because they don’t have knowledge of both skills. But herein lies  one of the most interesting questions, “do we need both skills to excel in our professional careers”? The answer is just this.

Suppose you have high critical thinking skills but you lack patience. Tell me, can you actually discover something if you don’t have patience? Patience is considered one of the most highly important skills of a researcher as nothing new can be discovered without patience. Now, we know we need to have both professional and personal skills. But why am I telling these things to you in an academic blog? Because we are going to get the best of both worlds through this blog. Continue reading to learn how.

Now let us come to the point. Suppose we have taken care of the grammar of the content, but what about the structure? Is it possible to produce the best research without a well-defined structure? This is where the importance of structural editing comes into play.

In this blog, we are going to find out how structural editing can jumpstart your editing process in 5 simple ways and most importantly, why you should choose structural editing over another editing process. But first, let us know a little bit about what structural editing is and then we will dive into this topic. So, here we go. 

Structural editing refers to a type of editing that focuses on the overall structure and organization of a piece of writing. It involves examining the content and organization of a manuscript and making suggestions for improvements that can help to enhance the clarity, coherence, and effectiveness of the writing. This type of editing is typically performed on longer works, such as novels, non-fiction books, and academic dissertations, and may involve making changes to the outline, chapter organization, and flow of the writing. The goal of structural editing is to ensure that the content of a piece of writing is well-organized, easy to follow, and effective in communicating the author's message to the reader.

Now, we have learnt a little bit about structural editing but why structural editing? Why not other types of editing? The answer is just this.

Structural editing can be a valuable tool for PhD researchers to help improve their research writing and ensure that their work is clear, concise, and well-organized. The following are some ways in which structural editing can help PhD researchers:

• Improving the clarity of the research: A structural editor can help to ensure that the research is clearly and concisely written, making it easier for the reader to understand and follow the argument being presented.

• Enhancing the organization of the research: A structural editor can help to identify any gaps or inconsistencies in the research and make suggestions for improving the overall structure and organization of the work.

• Streamlining the research process: By focusing on the overall structure of the research, a structural editor can help to reduce the time and effort required to complete the research, as well as improve its overall quality.

• Improving the chances of acceptance: A well-structured and well-written research paper is more likely to be accepted for publication or to be awarded funding. A structural editor can help to ensure that the research meets the high standards expected by academic journals and funding agencies.

• Improving the readability of the research: A structural editor can help to ensure that the research is written in a way that is accessible and understandable to a wide audience, making it easier for the researcher to share their findings with others.

Now, we have come into one of the most interesting and also important portions of the blog. If all is well with structural editing, then why doesn't everyone use structural editing? Hence, it is also important to know the drawbacks of structural editing before using it to improve the PhD research paper. So, the drawbacks of structural editing are:

• Time-consuming: Structural editing can be a time-consuming process, especially for longer works, as the editor will need to examine the entire piece in detail and make extensive changes to its structure and organization.

• Cost: Hiring a professional structural editor can be expensive, especially for longer works, as the editor will need to invest a significant amount of time and effort into the project.

• Loss of authorial voice: The process of structural editing can result in changes to the author's original vision and style, which may not be to their liking. This can lead to feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction with the editing process.

• Lack of creativity: Structural editing can sometimes be seen as a mechanical and prescriptive process, which may stifle the author's creativity and originality.

• Resistance to change: Some authors may be resistant to the changes suggested by a structural editor, as they may feel that their writing is being altered beyond recognition.

Well, there are many disadvantages, right? But now the crucial query appears, and that is:

Should we be bothered by the disadvantages? For example, structural editing is time-consuming, so if we have less time, then we can think about something else but what about if we have a little more time? Hence, if we can devote a little more time, then it can be a perfect choice for us. So, if the disadvantages bother you, then you can tell us in the comments so that we can make blogs on another type of editing process which will suit your needs. But if you are not bothered, then let us learn the ways to use structural editing in our research. The ways are described below:

• Hire a professional structural editor: Look for a professional structural editor with experience in editing academic research papers, and who has a good understanding of your field of study. You can ask for recommendations from colleagues or seek out editor associations and professional organizations.

• Provide the editor with a clear brief: Before you begin working with the editor, provide them with a clear brief that outlines your goals and expectations for the editing process. This will help to ensure that the editor understands your vision for the paper and can provide you with appropriate guidance and feedback.

• Be open to feedback: Be prepared to receive constructive feedback from the editor, and be open to making changes to the structure and organization of your paper. This may involve making significant changes to the outline or chapter organization, or rethinking the flow of your argument.

• Revise and refine: Based on the feedback from the editor, revise and refine the structure and organization of your paper, making changes as necessary to improve its clarity and coherence.

• Repeat the process as necessary: Structural editing is an iterative process, and you may need to go through several rounds of editing and refinement before you are satisfied with the final outcome.

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