Capella has format editors who will carefully review your dissertation when you have completed it to ensure that your manuscript is formatted correctly. Format editors review the manuscript against APA 5, the dissertation template, and the dissertation format guidelines. They prepare a running list of notes from their review of the dissertation (e.g. font, placement of page numbers, table and figure formatting, margins, complete citations for direct quotations, presentation of statistical copy, etc.). Format editors do not comment on the quality or development of the dissertation. They do not "fix mistakes" or make any corrections to the document. Their notes will outline the revisions you will need to make to your manuscript. For more information about format editing, review Chapter 10 in the Dissertation Manual.

Hiring an editor outside of Capella is another option. If you're interested, keep the following in mind:

• Know what you want the editor to do. Do you want a light edit where the editor will provide lower level proofreading or do you want a content edit in which the editor will give your manuscript a careful, critical read making more significant changes?
• Have a clear idea of how much money you are willing to spend for an outside editor. Most will charge between $30 - $50 an hour.
• Check carefully the background of the editor you are considering. Referrals are usually a safe way of finding an editor who is competent. If that is not possible, then compiling a list of open ended questions for the editor you are considering is very important. Listen to and evaluate their responses carefully before making your decision, as deciding to use an outside editor can be very helpful—or it can hinder your progress if you make a poor choice of editor.

If you are interested in hiring an APA editor for your dissertation, you might try the APA Network, for a price quote.