Dr Matthew Laight | Proofreading, editing | STEM journal specialist

I am a doctoral engineer/scientist. I proofread and copy-edit journals, technical documents, and educational workbooks, as well as novels and non-fiction.

I edit for internationally renowned journals including The Royal Society Philosophical Transactions A, Royal Society Proceedings A, Journal of Fluid Mechanics (Cambridge University Press), and Physics of Fluids (Charlesworth Author Services). I have worked on Oxford University Press mathematics-for-school publications and have edited a number of novels, short stories, and works of non-fiction.

Website: Bedford & Grove Partnership

Media

Journals, books, company literature, educational materials, grant proposals, online materials, tenders/bids, websites/blogs.

In-house and freelance experience

Editor/proofreader, Eurideas Language Experts, 2024 to present

Editor/proofreader, The Royal Society, 2023 to present

Editor/proofreader, Charlesworth Author Services, 2022 to present

Editor/proofreader, Sunrise Setting Publishers, 2021

Freelance since 2019

Training

• Proofreading–'Progress', SfEP – 2020
• Proofreading–'Headway', SfEP – 2019
• Proofreading–'Introduction', SfEP – 2019

Clients for whom I have worked within the past three years

Publishers:

• The Royal Society
• Charlesworth Author Services
• Eurideas Language Experts
• Sunrise Setting Publishers
• Pearson Education
• Cambridge University Press
• Oxford University Press
• Cambridge Secondary Mathematics
• Bluefruit Software

Universities:

• University of Uppsala, Sweden
• University of Haifa, Israel
• University of Cardiff, Wales
• University of Cambridge, UK
• University of Oxford, UK
• McGill University, Canada

Journals:

• The Royal Society, Philosophical Transactions A, Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
• The Royal Society, Proceedings A, Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
• Journal of Fluid Mechanics
• Physics of Fluids
• American Institute of Physics
• Journal of Fluids Engineering
• Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
• Journal of Applied Fluid Mechanics
• Applied Thermal Engineering
• Chinese Journal of Aeronautics
• The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• The Energy Journal
• Experiments in Fluids
• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Journal of Sound and Vibration
• International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer
• International Journal of Mining Science and Technology
• Applied Acoustics
• Structure and Infrastructure Engineering
• Journal of Aerospace Information Systems
• Journal of Applied Physics Letters
• Journal of Digital Signal Processing
• Journal of Aerospace Engineering
• International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow

Authors:

• Elizabeth Delo
• Glyn Morris

Subjects

Engineering (fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, CFD, life-sciences), mathematics, science, popular history, culture, novels, short stories.

Qualifications and Awards

• BEng Mechanical Engineering (first class), University of Exeter
• PhD Aerodynamics, University of Cambridge
• Winner of the Institution of Mechanial Engineers Frederick Barnes Waldron Prize

Specialised Software

Word, Adobe, Kriyadocs, LaTeX and TeX.

Testimonials

I worked with Matt on an essay, and it was a true joy. Matt took me through his interventions, and made sure I understood every change. He is a thorough and patient editor. I recommend him wholeheartedly.

Dr Elad Uzan, E.U. Philosopher, Oxford

Dear Matthew, you have done an excellent job of editing this technically demanding text. It was a matter of correctly translating both the technical terms of Palaeolithic archeology and that of Paleoanthropology into English, and to translate the peculiarities of sentence structure in the German language into scientific English. The deadline was very tight, and yet you managed everything to my satisfaction, even under time pressure. Thank you again for this help.

Dr Lutz Fiedler, former State Archeologist of Hesse, Germany

Matt did such a great job of editing my novel. His work is thorough and precise, and his observations, notes and suggestions are spot on. He has a sharp eye and doesn't miss a thing. He identified inaccuracies of grammar, spelling and syntax, and ensured a uniformity of style and formatting. As a result, my manuscript looks far more polished and professional. Matt's story editing is incredibly astute. He highlighted issues of clarity and continuity, asking questions of my story, prompting me to do the same. Because of Matt's brilliant work, I have begun to see my own work through an editor's eye, which ultimately is helping me to become a better writer.

Elizabeth Delo, Author

Matthew Laight is a detailed, meticulous and highly adaptable proofreader. Drawing not only on his other career in high-performance computing and aeronautics, but also his wide-ranging literary appetite, Matt applies his skills of detailed analysis conscientiously to any genre of the written word, be that fiction; children's literature; education or technical journals. He is also a really nice bloke! I am happy to recommend him without hesitation.

Sara Butler, Executive Assistant to the Provost, The Queen's College, Oxford

I have worked with Matthew on Maths A book and know that when I place work with him, it will be delivered back to me on time, to exacting standards, and following the brief. Matthew is flexible, patient and a pleasure to work with. He can be relied on at short notice, and I have no hesitation in recommending his proofreading services.

Bhavna Saxena, Content Producer, Person Education

I would recommend Matt in a heartbeat for all editorial needs, and for providing support along the entire process; his patience and knowledge are second to none. Not only is he a first-class editor, his skills go beyond that, including taking pride in making sure his clients' work is the best it can be.

Glyn Morris, Author

Matt transformed my texts with his careful and considered prose. His masterful manipulation of my words, whilst maintaining the meaning of the various and unusual scientific terms, was nothing short of impressive. He has worked on many documents for me. I am grateful and happy to have found Matt in the jungle of proofreaders and editors.

Dr Sabine Jordan,Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU)

I have benefited immensely from creative technical discussions with Dr. Matthew Laight, who proofread this document, made many good suggestions and turned the last leg of the project into an enjoyable experience.

Dr. R.B., University of Cambridge

Matt edited and proofread the bio' for my latest exhibition. He checked all the artwork and installation descriptions, of which there were many. He picked up on many points that I had missed and suggested much in the way of extra content – all perfectly pitched – he's a very knowledgeable chap you know! His help was invaluable as I just didn't have enough time to devote to these important jobs, and I contacted him terrifyingly close to the print deadline. I will certainly retain his services (and spread the word), but I promise to give more notice next time. Thank you, Matt.

Sophie Alexandra Ryder, Artist, St. Ives, Cornwall

• Editor
• Proofreader

• Communications
• Education & training
• Engineering
• English as a second language
• English literature
• Environment & nature
• Life sciences
• Materials science
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Science
• Technology

• Copywriting
• Writing
• Technical writing
• Proposal writing