Checking documents with Curie

Curie’s checks improve and polish your English-language writing by suggesting changes with its AI-based model trained on thousands of professional edits.

File Requirements

Curie requires .doc or .docx files. Only one .doc or .docx file can be edited per request.

Word count limitations

We accept documents with 25000 words or fewer for checks.

Style of English preference

Curie can check either American English or British English. Each time you upload a document, Curie will ask in which style of English you want your document checked.  Please see our article on the difference between American and British English if you are unsure which to choose.

Check processing

When you start a check, a new document card will appear in your workspace with a processing status. Typically, the check will be completed in about 3 minutes. However, it may take up to 10 minutes to finish, depending on your file size and internet speed.

Downloading a checked document

After completing the check, select Download in the card with the uploaded document’s file name to save your new checked document. Once downloaded, you can open it in your preferred word processor.

Check suggestions

Curie will make noticeable changes to your document that you will see as tracked changes. Some of the changes you can expect include:

• Changes to incorrect articles (like "the" or "an").

• Spelling and capitalization corrections

• Improvements on awkward phrasing (e.g., "in the current time" changed to "currently")

• Incorrect word choices corrections (e.g., confusing "latter" and "later")

• Incorrect preposition (like "above" or "among") corrections

Curie Check rate limits

All users can check up to 3 documents per hour.

Reporting or acknowledging the use of Curie to a journal

Certain journals may ask for a statement about using technology with artificial intelligence (AI) to help write your paper. Our tools work much like the grammar check in Microsoft Word, which uses machine learning. 

If you have to include a statement in your paper, we offer a sample declaration below for your consideration. You can adjust it to fit your specific requirements.

During the preparation of this work, the author(s) corrected the language by using Microsoft Word and the editing services of American Journal Experts, both of which use tools based on machine-learning algorithms to assist with language correction. After using this service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.

For further questions about this type of declaration, please contact AJE Support by email at support@aje.com or with our contact form.

Frequently asked questions

Do you provide AJE Editing Certificates for Curie checks?

We do not provide editing certificates for Curie checks. Our editing certificates are only provided for edits or translations performed by our professional editors. 

How long does it take to check my document?

Typically, the check will be completed in about 3 minutes. However, it may take up to 10 minutes to finish, depending on your file size and internet speed.

What do I do if an unknown error occurred while processing my document?

Please try checking your document again. If the error continues, contact us for help.

Will checks preserve the original formatting and layout of my document?

Curie checks are made to keep your document’s appearance just the way it is. The checks focus on improving the content while preserving how your document looks—you can expect Curie to provide suggestions and improvements without causing unwanted formatting changes. Nevertheless, a document’s formatting can sometimes change when checked.

If your formatting gets changed by a check, don’t worry. Your original document remains unchanged. If you ever have any questions or concerns about changes to your document that you dislike, please contact us. 

Does Curie detect plagiarism?

Curie does not offer plagiarism detection.

We can, however, make some recommendations:

The current industry standard for measuring plagiarism/text similarity is iThenticate. This is the tool most journals use. 

If you do not have access to iThenticate, the free version of Turnitin may be of use to you in identifying text this is similar/overlaps with already published texts.

If you find that you need to reduce overlapping text, the following AJE Scholar articles helpful: 

• Self-plagiarism: How to define it and why to avoid it
• Plagiarism in academic writing: How to identify and avoid it
• Editing Tip: Defining plagiarism
• Editing Tip: Avoiding plagiarism
• How to read an iThenticate Report

Why can’t I download my checked document?

Before you try to download a checked document, please make sure your document has finished processing. Checks can take up to 10 minutes, depending on file size and your internet connection speed. If a check is still processing 10 minutes after you started it, please contact us for help. 

If the check is complete but you cannot download it, please contact us for help.