Portfolio

Edited from 2018–2021

A Selection of Manuscripts

I edit documents on a wide range of academic subjects, from technical disciplines like hydrology and engineering to business, political science, and Indigenous studies. Below is a selection of academic articles, PhD dissertations, and master’s theses I edited from 2018 to 2021.

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Academic Articles

Ephemeral Ponds are the Dominant Source of Depression-Focused Groundwater Recharge
Exacerbation of Autumn Droughts in Southwest China by Anthropogenic Aerosol Emissions from Eastern China
The Projection of Canadian Wind Energy Potential in Future Scenarios Using a Convection-Permitting Regional Climate Model
Using Big Data Analytics to Synthesize Research Domains and Identify Emerging Fields in Urban Climatology
The Geographical Patterning of Food Security with Emphasis on Socioeconomic, Cultural and Political factors Among All Provinces in Rural Iran
Agricultural Irrigation and Water Conservancy Projects in China During Reforms and Sustainability Transformation: A Policy Synthesis and Discussion of Emerging Issues
Can the Private Media Be Strengthened to Investigate and Expose Corruption in Ghana? Understanding Ghanaian Perspectives
Democratic Accountability in Times of Crisis: Executive Power, Fiscal Policy, and COVID-19

PhD Dissertations

From Transitions to Decisions: Moving Decentralized Energy Forward by Filling the Gap Between Public Engagement and Decision-Making
Modelling Land Surface Heterogeneity in Land Surface and Regional Climate Models (part of PhD)
Using Multiple Linear Regression Modelling to Predict the Effects of Surface Water Chemistry on Vanadium Toxicity to Daphnia Pulex and Oncorhynchus Mykiss
Knowledge, Use, and Change in the Saskatchewan River Delta: Assessing the Changing Livelihoods of Cumberland House Métis and Cree Nation
Shifting Institutional Control: Changing Indigenous Policy Goals through Métis and First Nations Identity Assertions
Effect of Iron-Fortified Lentils on the Iron (Fe) Status Among Adolescent Girls in Bangladesh—A Double-Blind Community-Based Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial
Examining Accountability in Socially Focused Non-Profit Organizations

Master’s Theses

An Alternative Method for Characterization and Comparison of Plant Root Shapes
Application of Remote Sensing and GIS In Modelling Bison Carrying Capacity in Mixed-Grass Prairie
Biomass Energy Sources for Small Scale Businesses in Rural Saskatchewan
Global Characteristics of Extreme Precipitation and Variation of Climate Types from the Köppen-Geiger Classification Using Different Datasets
Change Management at Jim Pattison’s Children’s Hospital
The End of the Policy Analyst? Testing the Capability of Artificial Intelligence to Generate Plausible, Persuasive, and Useful Policy Analysis

Blog

Latest News & Resources

Revealing Your Argument

Students often ask me what the most common problem is in academic writing. They are surprised when I don’t say subject-verb agreement, comma splice, or some other grammatical error. To be sure these mistakes can be annoying—and they will be topics of future blogs—but they are not the biggest problem. That distinction belongs to a paper’s argument or, more precisely, to the lack of it.

Testimonials

There is simply no other person I would recommend.

- Vince Bruni-Bossio, University Professor

Heather is outstanding! Her patience, attention to detail, and insightful feedback on my writing was the best I have ever received.

Martin Boucher

I was at a standstill with my dissertation. Heather helped me to get going again.

Giustino Garcea

The quality of Heather’s work is top shelf, adding grace to places that were lacking and pointing out better ways of communicating.

Rebecca Major

Thanks to Heather, I won three Canadian graduate scholarships.

- Olexa Pimenova, PhD student

I‘m now a much more confident writer.

- Petergaye Gilliard, Master’s student

Heather is a terrific technical editor.

- Salma Hobbi, Master’s student

Heather is the best academic editor I have ever had.

- Haizhen Mou, University Professor

I've benefited enormously from Heather's knowledge. She is a superb editor.

- Joseph Asomah, University Professor

I cannot speak enough on how exceptional Heather's editing skills are. Heather can bring your research skills and writing to their full potential and consistently has your best interests at heart.

Curtis Chester, master’s student

With Heather’s guidance, I polished my dental school applications and gained acceptance to my dream dental school.

Sameer Bajaj, former master’s student

Heather's technical skills combined with her carefulness, creativity and gentle guidance make her an outstanding editor.

Carin Holroyd

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Heather Jane McWhinney

Credentials

For my entire career, I’ve been immersed in academic writing and editing. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English and a Master of Arts in Library Science, I worked in academic publishing, where I was Acquisitions Editor and later Publisher and Editorial Director for a large textbook publisher in Toronto. In 1999, I established my own business as a project manager and editor of nursing textbooks. In 2012, I completed my credentials for teaching English as a Second Language and then began teaching academic and scientific writing to graduate students at the University of Saskatchewan. Later, I became the university’s Graduate Writing Specialist. In this role, I coached individual students and gave numerous workshops across campus on how to craft theses and dissertations, journal papers, grant and scholarship applications, and statements.

I currently work part time at the University of Saskatchewan as Student Writing Advisor for the School of Environment and Sustainability. I am also Student Writing Advisor at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, where I teach academic and professional writing courses.