Fran Aitkens,BSc, ELS | |
Victoria, B.C. Canada e-mail: aitkens at islandnet.com |
Freelance scientific and technical editing services
"Fran's thoroughness and attention to detail, understanding of the technical aspects of the text, and ability to craft disparate text into a cohesive manual have vastly improved the material she was given by the authors. Readers will also appreciate the clarity and organizational structure she has introduced into the manual." Dr. C. Leadem, senior author, Field Studies of Seed Biology.
Can I help you?
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Wonder about my logo? |
What I do | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Editing scientific and technical material | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Substantive, stylistic, plain language editing, and rewriting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assembling and editing conference and workshop proceedings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Checking species lists and scientific terminology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Proofreading - quality control for all your documents | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pen-and-paper or electronic editing, as required | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Internet capabilities, secure FTP site for safe file transfer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Media | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Books, journal articles, consultant reports, research papers, proceedings, web pages, brochures, manuals - in short, any text material will benefit from my editorial experience. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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My qualifications | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Board-certified editor in the life sciences (ELS). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A life-long interest in scientific, technical, and environmental subjects. Bachelor of Science (Geology and Math), Carleton University, Ottawa. I have been reading, exploring, and studying various aspects of science ever since. Accepted as a Fellow of the Geological Association of Canada. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Continual improvement of my editing skills through courses and workshops, such as Editing Science, Meeting Editorial Standards, Indexing, Manuscript Editing, Plain Language Editing, Publishing in the Heritage Community, Policy & Procedures Manuals, and Substantive Editing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Membership in professional editing organizations: Association of Earth Science Editors (AESE), Board of Editors in the Life Sciences ( BELS), and Professional Editors Association of Vancouver Island (PEAVI). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Associated with these interesting and dynamic groups: Geological Association of Canada, Old Cemetery Society of Victoria, Victoria Genealogical Society, and Block Watch and Emergency Preparedness programs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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My specialties | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Some happy clients | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Publishers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Smithsonian Institution Press and Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press (Washington DC)
Princeton Editorial Associates (Scotsdale Arizona) |
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McGraw-Hill Higher Education (New York) Copyeditor: Exploring Geology, Reynolds, Johnson, Kelly, Morin, Carter (2008). |
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University of British Columbia Press (Vancouver BC) Copyeditor: Aboriginal Plant Use in Canada's Northwest Boreal Forest, Marles et al. (2000). Biodiversity and Democracy, Wood (2000). Ecology of a Managed Terrestrial Landscape (Forest Landscapes in Ontario), Perera et al. (eds.) (2000). Policy and Practices for Biodiversity in Managed Forests: The Living Dance, Bunnell and Johnson (1998), and other titles. |
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Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins (Baltimore MD) Copyeditor, articles for medical research journals. Copyedited supplement issue on Management of Acute Cervical and Spinal Injuries (March 2002), and supplements by Dr. Albert L. Rhoton Jr. on Posterior Cranial Fossa (Sept. 2000) and Supratentorial Cranial Space (Oct. 2002). Also articles for various medical journals, including Nephrology, Laboratory Investigation, Neurosurgery, Shock, Shellfish Research. |
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Scientific Organizations | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Forestry Canada, Northern Forestry Centre, Edmonton AB and B.C. Ministry of Forests (Victoria BC) Branches: Research, Production Resources, Silviculture, Tree Seed Centre, Timber Supply, Tree Improvement. Part of a team of editors and proofreaders working on the many papers and reports, including journal submissions, land management handbooks, research reports, trail signs, and posters. |
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B.C. Ministry of Environment (Victoria BC) various branches, including Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Environmental Protection, Water Quality, Wildlife. Copyeditor for many publications, including Environmental Trends in B.C., 2007; Coast and Marine Environment Project 2006; recovery strategies, management plans, status reports and feasibility studies for species at risk, proceedings, and others. |
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Foothills Model Forest (Hinton, Alberta) Editor, Foothills Model Forest History Project books, Mountain Trails: On Patrol in the Athabasca Forest Reserve, Mueller and Udell (eds.) (2009), A Hard Road to Travel: Land, Forest and People in the Upper Athabasca Region to 1955, Murphy, Stevenson, and Udell (2007), Learning from the Forest: Adaptive Forest Management at Hinton, Alberta, Bott, Murphy, and Udell (2002). |
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Non-Profit Organizations | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society (Victoria BC) Volume editor, proceedings of the Garry Oak-Meadow Colloquium, 1993. The first compilation of research about this threatened local ecosystem. |
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Women in Trades and Technologies (Victoria BC) Volume editor, proceedings of the Western Regional WITT Conference. Papers describe working conditions and coping strategies for women working in trades. |
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Consultants | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2WE Associates Consulting Ltd. (Victoria BC) Editor for this dynamic group of former Ocean Sciences research scientists who recently won a standing offer with Environment Canada to research and write documents as required. |
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Annual Reports | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
B.C. Police Complaint Commissioner (Vancouver BC) Copyeditor, Annual Reports for 1999 to 2001. |
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Education / Science for Children | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
B.C. Ministry of Education (Victoria BC) Part of a team that produced curriculum guides. Specialized in substantive editing/fact verification for senior mathematics and sciences (earth science/geology, physics, chemistry), physical education, and technology education. |
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SCWIST: Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology Co-author, Shape Wonders, and series editor for Shape Wonders, Spaghetti Wonders, Body Wonders, science activity brochures for girls. |
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The shell logo can be viewed on many levels. At first glance, it's an intricately patterned shell of the Chambered Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius). But, look more closely: the spiral is a continuum. The markings on the outer shell give way to the internal structure, and then to a mathematical spiral. Perhaps the shell surface represents Beauty, the internal structure, Reality, and the spiral, Simplicity. Or, the outer Nautilus represents the Present (they swim today in our tropical seas), the inner structure represents the Past (Ammonite fossils often show this pattern), and the equiangular spiral represents the Future (based on the infinite Fibonacci sequence 1, 1, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, ...). What do you see?
Want to know more about the Fibonacci sequence? Copyright Fran Aitkens, BSc, ELS Victoria, B.C. Canada e-mail: aitkens at islandnet.com
Webpage by FA with polishing by Taylor Wordsmiths |