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JoULAB Copyeditor

Applications Open: Monday, 1st May, 2023
Deadline: Sunday, 7th May, 29:59 BST (UTC+1)
Invitations to Final Round of Applications: Monday, 8th May to Tuesday, 9th May, 2023
Interviews to Take Place: Wednesday, 10th May to Sunday, 14th May, 2023
Decisions by: Monday, 15th May, 2023

Role Description

The Journal of the Undergraduate Linguistics Association of Britain is looking to recruit a new Copyeditor on a voluntary basis to join its Editorial Committee for a period of 12 months. The Copyeditor is responsible for the oversight of the copyediting process for accepted manuscripts to the Journal. 

Leading a small team of three Associate Copyeditors whilst liaising with the Editor, the Copyeditor’s role consists of delegating copyedits to their team members, assuring their edits conform with the Journal’s formatting and styling policies, assisting the Associate Editors with compiling and producing issues for publication, and contributing to the Journal’s Formatting and Styling Guide (a document constantly under revision as new kinds of article require copyediting).

As an essential attribute for successful copyediting is an eye for detail, the best candidate will demonstrate an ability to be exceptionally thorough in editing and formatting written English; down to the minute details of misplaced commas, paragraph indents, and reference lists. They will possess good communication skills, a resourcefulness to overcome challenges, and a willingness to learn the Journal’s Formatting and Styling Guide inside-out!

This is a very exciting opportunity to play an influential part in a groundbreaking project. JoULAB is very proud that it is the world’s only undergraduate journal accepting submissions in any area of linguistics, and as such seeks enthusiastic, attentive, and organised individuals to fill its open Committee positions.

Person Specification

  1. Prospective applicants must be studying for a degree (undergraduate or postgraduate) in linguistics or related field at the time of appointment.
  2. Experience copyediting/editing/proof-reading (etc.) is preferred.

Application Information

To apply, please use the form in-built on the ULAB website (here). You will need to provide a 500-word cover letter explaining why you wish to apply for this role, the specific experiences you have that make you qualified to succeed in it, and what you would hope to accomplish if your application is successful.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a final round of applications, which may include attending a brief interview or completing a short role-specific task to assess aptitude. The best applicants will be able to prove that their academic, extracurricular, or personal experiences make them suitable for the position, that they have the time and flexibility to prioritise their work for JoULAB, and that they possess excellent skills relevant to the role for which they have applied.

While no two positions may be held by the same individual, should the Editorial Committee see fit in a particular instance, applicants unsuccessful in the role for which they applied may be recommended for a different open position on our team. In this instance, the applicant would not be required to reapply altogether; instead, the Committee would reach out to suggest the applicant consider the alternate role in question and, should they accept, they would continue within the application process at whatever stage they were previously.