Introduction
As an editor, I use my education, experience, and expertise to address issues that might prevent a manuscript from being published, or a reader from fully understanding and engaging in the text. I do this by addressing copyediting issues like spelling, grammar, and usage. I also address substantive issues such as content, clarity, and flow.
Editing Philosphy
My role as an editor is to help make manuscripts more accessible to readers. To do this, I don’t just “edit” a manuscript and return it—instead, I collaborate with the author and polish the manuscript so that it shines.
For example, I address issues in spelling, grammar, and usage. While some papers may not require much of this type of editing (which is sometimes referred to as copyediting, versus more substantive editing), it always helps to have another pair of eyes look over a document. I consistently send my own manuscripts to editor friends for help, just to be sure that I haven’t missed anything. It can be easy in your own writing to believe that a word is there when it really isn’t, or to think that something is clearer than it is.
Additionally, my education and expertise allows me to address issues in grammar and usage that may not be familiar to an author, but might be stumbling blocks for some readers. While not every reader would notice finer points in grammar usage, such as a dangling participle, some readers might. Additionally, addressing these points will earn the gratitude of the target journal’s editors and may speed up the publication process. Addressing these points also help manuscripts appear more polished and refined.
I also address issues of style—items that are not related to standard grammar practices but are preferred styles of a target journal. I do this by verifying that all acronyms and abbreviations are defined on first use, that tables and figures are adequately labeled and referenced in the text, that references are cited correctly (and appear as noted in the text), and that the article conforms to publisher's guidelines.
However, I promise not to act like the grammar police—my job is to help an author with his or her manuscript, not impose my own writing style and preferences. If an item is misspelled or grammatically wrong, then I will edit it directly in the text (using the "Track Changes" feature in Word). But, if there are issues that are questionable, might change the author's meaning, or alter the author's “voice” in the text, then I will make a note and query the author.
For example, I address issues in spelling, grammar, and usage. While some papers may not require much of this type of editing (which is sometimes referred to as copyediting, versus more substantive editing), it always helps to have another pair of eyes look over a document. I consistently send my own manuscripts to editor friends for help, just to be sure that I haven’t missed anything. It can be easy in your own writing to believe that a word is there when it really isn’t, or to think that something is clearer than it is.
Additionally, my education and expertise allows me to address issues in grammar and usage that may not be familiar to an author, but might be stumbling blocks for some readers. While not every reader would notice finer points in grammar usage, such as a dangling participle, some readers might. Additionally, addressing these points will earn the gratitude of the target journal’s editors and may speed up the publication process. Addressing these points also help manuscripts appear more polished and refined.
I also address issues of style—items that are not related to standard grammar practices but are preferred styles of a target journal. I do this by verifying that all acronyms and abbreviations are defined on first use, that tables and figures are adequately labeled and referenced in the text, that references are cited correctly (and appear as noted in the text), and that the article conforms to publisher's guidelines.
However, I promise not to act like the grammar police—my job is to help an author with his or her manuscript, not impose my own writing style and preferences. If an item is misspelled or grammatically wrong, then I will edit it directly in the text (using the "Track Changes" feature in Word). But, if there are issues that are questionable, might change the author's meaning, or alter the author's “voice” in the text, then I will make a note and query the author.
Favorite Quotes on Editing
“... be careful, flexible, and transparent... It’s your privilege to polish a manuscript without the tedium and agony of producing it in the first place.” -- advice to editors from Carol Fisher Saller, from The Subversive Copy Editor. |
“Often, the science in a paper is complex and dense—but the writing shouldn’t be.” -- personal conversation with Diane Hackett, a senior editor at The MD Anderson Cancer Center. |
But my job is not just about basic copyediting. In addition to addressing issues in spelling, mechanics, grammar, and usage (which some papers may not require), I also address clarity, conciseness, and coherency. For example, I may suggest transitions to improve the flow of ideas. I may also revise sentences to add active voice to make a passage more engaging. Overall, I try to make the paper more accessible to the reader, to get them as excited about the science as the author. As my supervisor Diane Hackett, a senior editor at MD Anderson Cancer Center, often says, “Often, the science in a paper is complex and dense—but the writing shouldn’t be.”
Lastly, I also look for inconsistencies in logic or study design that a reviewer or reader might have issues with. In this way, I’m more than just an editor who works on science; I’m a science editor. With my master’s degrees in biology and science journalism, I feel qualified to make meaningful contributions to scientific articles. Of course, I do not overstep my knowledge, but in cases where I feel qualified to address larger issues, I feel compelled to provide this service. What I’ve really gained from graduate school is the foundation to feel comfortable asking questions, and knowing how to look for answers to those questions. If information is lacking or flawed, then I feel that my job is to alert the author.
So really, it might be helpful to think of me as representing the manuscript's readers—my job is to voice the concerns that an educated, interested reader would have. I do this by imagining myself as a reader at the target journal, and help the manuscript conform to the journal’s style and guidelines. But I also try to represent the average reader, to give voice to what concerns they might have.
Overall, I hope that working with me is enjoyable for the author, and that the author feels the manuscript is the perfect representation of what he or she had in mind when starting the research.
Lastly, I also look for inconsistencies in logic or study design that a reviewer or reader might have issues with. In this way, I’m more than just an editor who works on science; I’m a science editor. With my master’s degrees in biology and science journalism, I feel qualified to make meaningful contributions to scientific articles. Of course, I do not overstep my knowledge, but in cases where I feel qualified to address larger issues, I feel compelled to provide this service. What I’ve really gained from graduate school is the foundation to feel comfortable asking questions, and knowing how to look for answers to those questions. If information is lacking or flawed, then I feel that my job is to alert the author.
So really, it might be helpful to think of me as representing the manuscript's readers—my job is to voice the concerns that an educated, interested reader would have. I do this by imagining myself as a reader at the target journal, and help the manuscript conform to the journal’s style and guidelines. But I also try to represent the average reader, to give voice to what concerns they might have.
Overall, I hope that working with me is enjoyable for the author, and that the author feels the manuscript is the perfect representation of what he or she had in mind when starting the research.