Editing

I'm a freelance editor for policy-focused think tanks and foundations. I've reviewed publications on global health and development, animal welfare, nuclear security, and AI safety.

Consultation: I review early-stage research and advise on research methods and tools, sources, timelines, and post-launch media and policy uptake strategies. My rate is around $500 per report.

Copyediting: My rate is $85/hour, and I can typically review 6-9 pages per hour, depending on report complexity. I approach copyediting as a policy researcher and advocate, and therefore fact-check and help to clarify premises, arguments, and conclusions, in addition to providing the standard stylistic and grammatical edits. Please email me at shaanakshaikh@gmail.com for any requests.

I've worked with...

My consulting and editing portfolio includes the following publications:

• Governments Need to Protect AI Industry Whistleblowers: Here’s How (AI Policy Bulletin, Feb 2025)

• Meta Coordination Forum (2024) / Talent Need Survey (RP, Jan 2025)

• Effects of Restrictive Animal Product Alternative Labeling Laws on Supply-chain Costs (RP, Jan 2025)

• Can Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) producers displace fishmeal? (RP, Dec 2024)

• Insect farming: investment trends and projected production capacity (RP, Dec 2024)

• Hypertension in low- and middle-income countries (RP, Dec 2024)

• The Welfare of Digital Minds: A Research Agenda (RP, Nov 2024)

• Valuing Impacts Across Species: A Research Agenda (RP, Nov 2024)

• Pulse: US attitudes and awareness regarding effective giving and philanthropic cause areas (RP, Nov 2024)

• 2024 Animal Advocacy Strategy Forum: Event summary and survey results (RP, Nov 2024)

• Interventions to improve the effectiveness of government procurement (RP, Nov 2024)

• Impact ranking database: A feasibility study for Charity Navigator (RP, Nov 2024)

• Chinese AISI Counterparts (IAPS, Oct 2024)

• Cost-effectiveness analysis of Lafiya Nigeria intervention (RP, Oct 2024)

• Response to BIS RFC on Establishment of Reporting Requirements for the Development of Advanced Artificial Intelligence Models and Computing Clusters (IAPS, Oct 2024)

• Understanding the First Wave of AI Safety Institutes: Characteristics, Functions, and Challenges (IAPS, Oct 2024)

• Mapping Technical Safety Research at AI Companies (IAPS, Sept 2024)

• The Charitable Resource Allocation Frameworks and Tools (CRAFT) Sequence (RP, July 2024; eight posts)

• Coordinated Disclosure of Dual-Use Capabilities: An Early Warning System for Advanced AI (IAPS, June 2024)

• Getting on Track: Space and Airborne Sensors for Hypersonic Missile Defense (CSIS, Dec 2023)

• Call me, maybe? Hotlines and global catastrophic risk report (FP, Jan 2023)

• Autonomous weapon systems and military artificial intelligence (AI) applications report (FP, May 2022)