27 PRS Proofreading and Editing Service PhD Experts • All Academic Areas • Fast Turnaround • High Quality to the clarity of your argument and all the information contained within it. If, for instance, in the second of the examples I’ve provided in the preceding paragraph – first level: large bold, second level: small bold and third level: small italics – the reader comes across two headings in a row in small bold font without any text between them, what is he or she to make of the structure of the paper? Are the two headings equivalent and, if so, is there text missing between them? Should the anomaly be read in some other way or has the author simply neglected to format these headings appropriately? A different kind of confusion arises if the reader comes across a heading in large italics or regular font, neither of which fit into the system the author has established with the first few headings. Is a fourth level of heading intended or is the format simply an error for one of the three levels already used? Such inconsistencies not only introduce glaring errors of the kind that editors are seeking, they force the reader to conjecture about the structure of the paper and can also be misleading and even promote misinterpretation of the work you’re submitting. So be creative with your headings while you’re following journal guidelines, work to lay your paper out in an attractive way that clarifies the progress or stages of your argument, and don’t be afraid to use space as well as different fonts to distinguish heading levels. A large heading in bold font seems to demand a somewhat larger space above it than does a small heading in italics, and such effective spacing can render the structure of your paper even more successful for your readers. As an art historian friend of mine once said when looking over my CV for me, “try to leave a little more space on the page.” She saw that space as a vital component of the document – one that rendered it more attractive and user friendly – and if a journal’s guidelines indicate any spacing requirements, they are equally vital. When a journal asks you to use double line spacing, for instance, which tends to be the most common spacing requested, it’s PARt II: PRePARIng, PResentIng And PolIsHIng YoUR woRk