Writing Consultants
The Library offers free writing consultations to support students, faculty, and staff. Consultants can help with a wide range of writing projects, including personal statements, case reports, posters, grant proposals, manuscripts, and more.
For short- to medium-length documents that are already complete, please see E-mail Review below. For longer, complex projects or support throughout the writing process (including brainstorming, outlining, etc.), please see Direct Consultation.
For additional questions about writing consultation services, please contact Elliott Freeman.
This service offers feedback by e-mail for completed short and intermediate-length documents, such as case studies, personal statements, and posters. Reviews are typically completed using Microsoft Word's Track Changes feature.
Documents can be submitted to ShvLibWriting@lsuhs.edu and will be returned in the order they are received. Please note that this is not a 24-hour service and turnaround time may vary depending on the volume of submissions. Documents of ten pages or less can usually be returned within 2 business days; longer manuscripts may require up to three weeks.
The drop-off inbox is monitored multiple times during regular business hours on weekdays, but may not be monitored on university holidays or between semesters.
Elliott Freeman, the Library's Research and Writing Librarian, leads the writing consultation service and is available for in-depth consultations (by e-mail, in-person, or virtual) and class visits (both in-person and virtual). In addition to working with complex manuscripts, he can also help with any step of the writing process, such as refining a topic or brainstorming personal statements. Elliott also helps the campus community assess research impact and locate reputable places to publish or present work.
Elliott can be reached at elliott.freeman@lsuhs.edu or on-campus on the first floor of the Library (Room 1-401 D). For longer manuscripts, please contact him in advance to discuss timelines.
Our writing consultation services are offered to help the campus community improve the quality of scholarly and educational writing. The following guidelines apply to both e-mail reviews and direct consultations:
- Having a document reviewed does not guarantee a specific grade, or acceptance of a funding proposal, publication, poster, or presentation.
- Authors always remain responsible for the content and integrity of their work.
- Because consultants are not subject experts, we do not edit for content.
- All documents and reviews will remain strictly confidential.
- Students should expect to receive suggestions, comments, and strategies on their submissions; consultants will not complete their assignments for them.
- Patient information must be de-identified prior to submitting a draft for review.
- No assistance will be provided for assignments that are part of exams.
- Editing comments may not show up on some mobile devices; for best results, access the returned document on a laptop or desktop.
- The writing consultants reserve the right to reject any request that falls outside the guidelines described here, or any request where academic misconduct is suspected.
Workshops and Presentations
Our consultants are available to give presentations on writing topics such as academic voice, revising and editing, plagiarism, predatory publishing, and specific styles such as AMA, APA, etc. We’re happy to work with faculty to cover new topics, or to tailor presentations to their specific needs. To request a workshop, please contact Elliott Freeman (elliott.freeman@lsuhs.edu).
Making Referrals
We are always grateful for faculty who want to refer our service to their students. When referring an entire class for a particular assignment, please contact us first so we can make arrangements to ensure we can provide timely support.