Professional memberships
Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders & Indexers of Ireland
Educational qualifications
PhD, MA, BA
Lean Black Belt (Graduate Diploma in Quality Management)
Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education
Training and professional development
Certificates in Proofreading and Copy-Editing from The Publishing Training Centre, London
Languages
Basic French, German, Irish
Experience
I worked for 25 years in higher education as a lecturer, researcher and project manager. My focus was the development, delivery and evaluation of third-level programmes (both online and face-to-face) in allied health, social sciences, and arts & humanities, as well as programmes for second-level teachers and students with intellectual disabilities.
Since 2008 I have worked on proofreading and copy-editing projects in diverse topics such as:
- Education, training and curriculum development
- Medicine, nursing and allied health
- Psychology, social care, personal development
- Community development, literacy, ethnic minorities, social deprivation
- History
- Biomedical engineering
Services offered
Proofreading and copy-editing of non-fiction and academic texts.
Media
Books, journal articles, reports, theses, dissertations, grant applications, websites, blogs, brochures, newsletters, leaflets, posters.
Subject areas
Health and social sciences; education and training; psychology; arts & humanities; disability and social care; ethics and professional practice; mental health; heart disease; nursing, medicine and allied health; biomedical engineering; research methods; history; poverty & deprivation; community development; ethnic minorities; health promotion; personal development; adult literacy; educational theory and curriculum development (both second-level and third-level).
Clients include
- Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)
- Health Service Executive
- Department of Education and Youth
- Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration
- Department of Children, Disability and Equality
- Department of Foreign Affairs
- Insurance Institute of Ireland
- National Council for Special Education
- National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
Examples of work undertaken
- Ireland’s State Report under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)
- Curriculum and assessment documents for newly accredited training programmes (SOLAS)
- Reports reviewing Ireland’s mission strategies in Malawi and Vietnam (Department of Foreign Affairs)
- Unplanned Pregnancy and Abortion Care Study report (HSE)
- Undergraduate Prospectus (University of Galway)
- Sexual Well-being and Intimate Relationships For Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer Women report (Sexual Health Centre, Cork)
- Mind Out mental health promotion programme for out-of-school settings: Resource manual for tutors (HSE)
- Ethics of Health Research module (Science Foundation Ireland)
- Access West/Bealach Aniar: A Guide to Services, Supports & a Rights-Based Perspective for People with Physical & Sensory Disability (Enable Ireland)
Testimonials
‘We had the pleasure of working with Mary Byrne, of Writing Matters, on the development of a resource to support the implementation of the 2023 SPHE curriculum specification for junior cycle. Mary’s care and her attention to detail in proofing the document were impressive, as were her speed of work and communication. The final resource is so much the better because of Mary’s efforts. We would have no hesitation in recommending Writing Matters to anyone looking for copyediting and proofing services.‘ The Health Service Executive (HSE) Sexual Health Programme
‘The Centre has enjoyed working with you. I personally have found your service to be professional, efficient and the quality of your work to be of very high standard. I would not hesitate to recommend your services to anyone in the future.’ Middletown Centre for Autism
‘I would highly recommend the proofreading services that Mary offers. I found her work to be of high quality, efficient and added the final improvements and refinements I required prior to submission of my academic thesis. She was engaging and accessible throughout the process.’ Cillian O’Donoghue, Research student, UCD