FAQs

How much does thesis editing cost?  

Pricing depends on word count, turnaround time, and service level. Standard editing for a 20,000-word thesis starts at R1.80/word. Request a quote for an exact price.

Do you offer a sample edit? 

Yes. We edit 500 words free of charge so you can assess quality before committing.

What is your turnaround time?  

Standard is 48-72 hours for documents under 15,000 words. Express delivery in 24 hours is available at a 25% surcharge. 

N.B. Due dates start counting upon receipt of the 50% advance payment and the documents to work on.

Are your editors qualified?  

All editors hold at least a Master’s degree and have 3+ years of academic editing experience. Subject matching is standard.

Is my document confidential?  

Yes. We comply with POPIA and sign NDAs on request. Files are deleted 90 days after project completion unless you request archiving.

How can I know and review the changes made by editors without having to read the entire document?  

We use the track changes function in word to highlight modifications and insert explanatory comments, sometimes including questions and advice to the author. All edits are delivered in tracked changes mode, with comments for transparency.

I have signed a contract, paid the 50% advance and provided the working document to Oracle LSP. Why might my document be delayed?  

Upon completion, your document is delivered immediately you provide proof of payment of the 50% service fee balance.

I paid the 50% advance but did not manage to submit the working document on time, will I get my money back?  

You are encouraged to ensure the document is prepared before paying the advance. However, upon cancellation for any valid reason (48h+ before scheduled start date), you will be reimbursed the full amount subject to bank charges. We also encourage you to negotiate a new delivery date with us since receipt of the advance triggers preparatory work that can save you time. Cancellation 24 – 48h after the start date shall be subject to a 50% deduction. After this window, cancellation is not accepted.

Have Oracle LSP’s translators and other linguists received formal training in their respective domains? 

Yes, our linguists have formal training in their respective fields of specialization, at first degree level (minimum), many have gone beyond and operate a Master’s degree and doctoral level. 

How does Oracle LSP make sure translations are accurate and consistent when handling highly specialized or technical documents? 

Upon receipt of the document for translation, the project manager evaluates the work load and allocates according to the number of qualified translators specialised in the field. The translators are given the document to read fully, then discuss terminology, agree on reference works to use, and the work partitioning. When translation starts, the PM remains available for translators to raise any issues arising as they progress which are discussed in a Whatsapp group or group call. 

What glossaries or translation memory systems do you use to ensure accuracy and consistency? 

We mostly use cloud based tools of Linguee and Deepl for concordancing and Termium for terminology. Rarer terms are gotten by consulting experienced translator forums like Proz.com or a brief monolingual reading on the subject in the respective languages, especially by consulting older versions of documents from the same publishers. Finally, AI tools like Deepl and Google serve as a last resort reference, before enquiries with clients of not successful. 

What quality assurance measures do you have in place to ensure the final translations are accurate and of high quality? 

Besides ensuring prior discussion of terminologies and other translation strategies among translators if work is shared, continuous discussion during translation itself via Whatsapp, and a joint post translating assessment meeting, an expert editor with experience in the field is contracted for final validation. All depends on having enough turnaround time. 

Shall I have a feedback mechanism during my translation project to enable me provide input into the translation process?

As an operating rule, translators remain on standby for clients to review translations and raise issues, suggest edits, discuss other aspects until satisfaction before project is considered turned-in. For rush jobs, the translated sections are submitted progressively for continuous review by client or client contact person, until final sections are turned in. 

How is technical terminology handled during the translation process? 

The way we handle terminology for other domains will simply be customised for this domain. We typically do background reading of recent documents in the field and use reference works like Termium, recent parliamentary acts and finance laws, and above all, academic journals published in the discipline for theoretical understanding and terminology mining. 

What assurances do I have that tight deadlines will be respected without sacrificing the quality of my document? 

To manage tight deadlines, we motivate translators with higher per unit rates, provide them an office with 5G internet to prevent distractions that typically come with working from home, contract extra talent if available. We also provide accomodation near offices if translators want to work late.

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