Extensive experience

NEEDSer is run by Ragini Werner, a native-English editor from New Zealand who came to live in the Netherlands in 1980 and worked for 20 years in scientific, technical and medical publishing with Elsevier Science, a division of Reed Elsevier. The major portion of her time was spent working in corporate communications. Since 2000, she has gained extensive experience in language-editing papers in a wide range of academic disciplines. In addition, she has edited several textbooks in economics and business management for Wolters-Noordhoff.

Ragini is a full member of the Society of English Native-Speaking Editors (SENSE), the association for English-language professionals working in the Netherlands. She is also a member of the European Association of Science Editors (EASE), the internationally oriented community of English-language professionals who share an interest in science communication and editing.

Ragini dropped out of Auckland University (BA English) in 1972 to pursue a career as a professional actress. Many years later she trained as a journalist with the London School of Journalism (1987-1989) and most recently gained top marks (graduating 'cum laude') for Editing Skills (2007-2008) a module given by SENSE as part of the NVAO-accredited Bachelor's degree level Translation course at the ITV Hogeschool voor Tolken & Vertalers, the Institute for Interpreters and Translators in Utrecht. Her short fiction has been published in both English and Dutch literary magazines in the United States, New Zealand, Belgium and the Netherlands.