Brian and his wife Deborah
Hi Brian, thanks so much for taking the time to meet with us and to give your professional opinion. Your profile reads that you are an interdisciplinary lecturer, researcher, journalist and editor. At what point did you get inspired to (also) become an Expert on Peerwith?
I started off my career as an economics lecturer and then switched to international business. Because I had also studied German, I eventually moved here! I found that the main demand for my services lies in the combination of my business and economic skills, combined with a very good command of English. I acquired the latter though a sound school and university education, and my own interests in movies and literature. These activities also did a lot to increase my vocabulary and academic skills, including expanding my disciplinary horizons.
Your main activity is Academic Editing, what is the most interesting piece you’ve ever worked on?
I don’t think there was any one in particular, but in general, those which interest me the most make a clear and original contribution to the field and are also on a lively topic that one can relate to. Furthermore, they come across as methodologically sound. One has the feeling that the author/s really care and have a compelling “academic story” to tell. And they tell it well, even if the English needs a good dose of editing.
What do you see as the major benefits of the Peerwith platform? What made you decide to offer your services on Peerwith rather than any other researcher service platform?
What I really like about Peerwith is the fact that the editors are given almost full autonomy to deal with the authors in a manner that they feel works best for both parties. Furthermore, I can interact with the author/s and through this communication, ensure that everything is entirely clear and correct. Also, Peerwith is really state of the arts technologically, while at the same time, Ivo is a real pleasure to deal with personally.
Is there anything you want to say to people who are hesitant about getting support, or advice to people who are considering using the Peerwith Platform?
The best advice I can give clients is to make sure that the editor they choose has a doctorate plus a research career (preferably in your own area), as well as good language skills. This should all be evident from the profile, and if you are not sure, ask for more information. Above all, don’t go for the cheapest offer! We are dealing here with an extremely variable service in every respect. There are sure to be reasons why some people offer to do the work for less. Some editors may be truly altruistic (and be financially able to do so), but that is probably a very small minority. Not only are price-cutters likely to be less qualified both academically and linguistically, but they are likely to be less motivated, and just not take the time and trouble to do the job properly. If uncertain, ask a couple of editors to do a sample page – this is often the only way to really tell what people can do. By definition, it is really very difficult for clients to evaluate editing work in this context, as they are not native speakers.
Finally, I should point out that much of the above relates to editing services generally and not just to Peerwith. However, as indicated, this platform offers some unusual and compelling advantages.
Get in touch with Dr. Bloch and request his help via his Peerwith expert page: http://peerwith.expert/brianbloch
