How are the rates per word calculated?

Question 1

Is it possible to pay after completing the order or in instalments?

Answer

No, it’s not possible to pay in instalments after the order is completed. Before an editor can start working on your thesis the order must be paid.

To make it as easy as possible to pay, we offer the following payment methods:

As soon as you complete your payment, we will receive a notification and send you a payment confirmation. The deadline starts as soon as we’ve received your payment.

Question 2

What is the maximum file size I can upload?

Answer

Proofreading and editing service

The maximum file size for the proofreading and editing service is 40MB.

Unfortunately, the editor cannot check larger documents. This is because we can no longer safely send the document via our server to the editor. In addition, because of its size, the editor will have difficulty with opening and editing the document.

Plagiarism Check

We can accommodate up to 400 pages per upload. If your file is too large, then you can split your document and upload it in multiple parts. You will have to pay for each separate file you upload.

Making the document smaller for the proofreading service

If your document is larger than 40MB, this is probably due to large images in your document. There are several ways to make the file size smaller.

1) Compressing images

Word can compress your images without visible loss of quality. Please see the manual of Microsoft Office about how to compress your images.

In most cases, the document will be small enough.

2) Deleting images

When the images in your document are still too large after compressing them, it is best to delete the largest images until you are below the limit.

When you feel that this could impede the editor, you can upload a PDF version of your Word document in step 4 of the upload process. We will make sure that the PDF version is sent to the editor so that the editor can always access the PDF version when necessary.

Question 3

Can I download an invoice?

Answer

Yes, you can download your invoice after you have paid for your order.

How?

After completing the payment, click on “Order overview.”
Select the “Invoices” tab.
Next to the order, click “download.”
Add an optional reference to your invoice. This is useful when you want to send the invoice to your school or internship company.
Press “save” to download your invoice.

Invoice FAQ example

How do I make changes to the invoice?

If you want to make a change to the invoice (for example, the reference), then send an email to finance@scribbr.com.

In this email, clearly state what you would like to have changed. Please note that editing the invoice can take up to 5 business days.

Question 4

How do you convert an .odt document to a .docx document?

Answer

When editing your document our editors use ‘Track Changes’ in Word. This is an extremely useful tool with which you can easily see what the editor has done.

To use this tool, your document needs to be a .doc or .docx document. Sadly, the tool ‘Track Changes’ does not work well for .odt documents

You can, however, easily convert an .odt document to a .docx document. Below we explain how!

Step 1:

Open the .odt document with your word processor (for instance Open Office software like LibreOffice, or simply with Microsoft Word).

Step 2:

Save your document with the ‘Save As’ option and save the text as a .docx document. You can select this option when you are indicating what type of text you are saving (below file name).

Question 5

How can I upload my thesis?

Answer

We explain how to upload your thesis, how to select the pages that need to be edited and how to pay on the following page: how does it work?

Question 6

Do you calculate VAT?

Answer

Proofreading and editing your document is excluding VAT. Our services are exempt from VAT. Calculate the costs for having your document edited.

The Scribbr Plagiarism Checker includes VAT. Check the costs of the Plagiarism Checker.

Question 7

What file formats are supported by the thesis Proofreading & Editing service?

Answer

If you would like to have your thesis edited by Scribbr, you can upload your thesis only in the following format:

Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx)

The editor will improve your thesis using ‘Track Changes’ in Microsoft Word. We will always return to you a .docx file. In this Word file you can accept or ignore the changes the editor has made using the ‘Track Changes’ tool in Word. You can convert .odt files to .docx in OpenOffice or LibreOffice.

Would you like to have your document checked for plagiarism? Then upload your thesis in .doc, .docx or .pdf format. For more information go to Which file formats are supported by the Scribbr Plagiarism Check?

Question 8

Can Scribbr proofread and edit my thesis in LaTeX?

Answer

Yes, we can proofread and edit your LaTeX document. However, because our editors work with the track changes functionality in Word, we will have to convert your LaTeX document to a .docx document (Microsoft Word).

Converting a LaTeX document into a .docx document is not difficult, but it may mix up the layout of your document partly. This means that you need to check the layout afterwards. Next to that, you have to implement all the changes made by the editor in your original LaTeX file.

Convert to Word

You can convert your LaTeX file to a .docx file in 3 steps.

Save the LaTeX file as a pdf file.
Open the pdf file with Microsoft Word. (Word automatically converts the pdf to a Word document.)
Save the Microsoft Word file.

Please contact us if you have any difficulties converting your file yourself. We can convert your document for you.

Upload pdf version as additional file

While uploading your document, you can also add your pdf file as an additional file. This may help your editor while editing, because it will show your editor the original formatting of your text.

Question 9

Scribbr told me that my document has to be split between multiple editors. What does that mean?

Answer

When you upload your document and select a deadline, Scribbr will determine whether one editor can edit the whole document in the selected time period.

If that is not the case, we will ask you to extend the deadline. If that’s not possible for you, Scribbr has to split the document between multiple editors.

You will receive an email notification informing you of which editor will edit which part. The editors will be in contact with each other to ensure consistency.

This also means that you will receive an email and text message from us whenever one of the editors is finished proofreading. You can login to your account anytime to check the status of your orders.

Note: You will usually receive your edited documents in parts, which you can simply merge into one. Should you encounter any problems, you can always contact our support team. If your deadline allows it, Scribbr can also merge the different parts for you. Our support team will inform you accordingly when splitting the document.

Question 10

Can I send you my supervisor’s feedback?

Answer

Yes, you can send your supervisor’s feedback to us in an additional document while uploading your thesis or paper. We’ll make sure to pass this feedback on to the editor who will proofread your text.

Note: It is often more useful to summarize the feedback and ask direct questions to the editor instead of handing over lengthy documents with many requirements. The more information there is the less detailed the editor can answer the questions that are most relevant to you.

Your editor is already familiar with the requirements for academic writing. Too much information can make it unclear to the editor what to focus on specifically to help you in the best way possible.

Question 11

Can I upload my thesis in sections?

Answer

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.

Question 12

How long does it take to have my document checked?

Answer

You can choose between three set time periods. The editor can edit your paper within 24 hours, 72 hours or 1 week. The deadline is set as soon as you have paid.

Do you need to hand in your paper in four days? Please choose either the 72 hours or 24 hours deadline. All the editing periods include weekends and holidays.

You will receive a notification via text message and email as soon as your paper has been edited.

Check the How it works page for more information.

Question 13

Can I have my thesis edited during weekends and holidays?

Answer

Yes, our editors also work during the weekends and holidays.

Because we have many editors available, we can check your thesis 24 hours per day and 7 days per week, all year round.

If you choose a 72 hour deadline and upload your thesis on a Thursday evening, you’ll have your thesis back by Sunday evening!

Question 14

Is it possible to edit (for example) only one or two chapters of my thesis?

Answer

Yes, you can select the pages you want to have edited yourself. This way you can, for example, select only your introduction and your conclusion to be edited.

When you are uploading your thesis you can select which pages you want to have checked in Step 3.

select the pages

Check out how you can upload your thesis.

Question 15

What payment methods do you accept?

Answer

We accept the following payment methods:

Credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Maestro and Diners Club)
Transaction fee of 2% – 3,9%.

PayPal
Transaction fee of 3,5%.

AliPay
Transaction fee of 3,2%.

WeChat Pay
Transaction fee of 2%.

iDEAL
No transaction fee.

Question 16

What type of documents does Scribbr check?

Answer

Scribbr is specialized in editing study related documents. We check:

Theses
Graduation projects
PhD dissertations
Essays
Admissions essays
College essays
Application essays
Personal statements
Reports
Process reports
Reflections
Internship reports
Academic papers
Interviews
Proposals
Research proposals
Prospectuses

Calculate the costs

Question 17

How does Scribbr handle confidential documents?

Answer

At Scribbr, we are committed to protecting your personal information. That’s why our employees and editors follow specific guidelines to ensure the confidentiality of your work:

Pledge of secrecy
Signed statement prohibiting publication or third-party sharing
Obligation to delete files
Secure connection (SSL)

Both the original and edited versions of your document are saved on our secure server for 12 months. After this period, the files are automatically deleted. However, you can manually delete your files at any time via your user profile.

Tip: If you still have concerns about confidential information in your document, you can take additional measures to anonymize this data. We advise you to do the following:

Change company names and other identifying details
Delete data and analyses that do not need proofreading

Can I ask Scribbr to sign an NDA?

As a policy, we do not sign NDAs. Every NDA is complex and unique, and our legal team does not have the capacity to review each individual contract we receive.

However, we take extensive measures to protect the confidentiality of your documents. You can learn more about how we handle confidential information on our privacy policy page.

Question 18