“Dr. Maloney upholds the highest standards in English-language writing, editing, and general articulation of research contexts, analytical methods, experimental results, and implications. I strongly recommend him as a technical editor.” Prof. Takaharu Okajima, Hokkaido University.
During my >10 years as a professional editor and 20 years as a bench researcher, I’ve become familiar with a variety of effective communications techniques in the scientific literature. (I generally recommend the framework of Context—Need—Task—Findings—Conclusion—Perspective as an excellent starting point, as promoted by Dr. Jean-luc Doumont). Having reviewed dozens of journal submissions and having read hundreds of referee evaluations, I’m also accustomed to the expectations of reviewers. During the manuscript review process, every reviewer has a limit to exposure to awkward wording, shaky arguments, and poor organization; if this threshold is exceeded, reviewers tend to shift their focus from the research results to the language or organization and may even refuse to finish reading the manuscript! My goal is to address any weak spots to keep the focus on your high-quality study.
I especially enjoy working with researchers who don’t speak English as a first language, and I’ve written in the past in this context about avoiding awkward phrases, inconsistent verb tenses, and vague expressions to eliminate any problematic language in a manuscript that would distract the reader.
Regardless of your writing experience in English, your manuscript would almost certainly benefit from a round of polishing and feedback. I can provide the following deliverables with a typical turnaround time of 5 calendar days:
- The revised manuscript reads as written by a native English speaker, with correct field-specific terminology. The manuscript also achieves a smooth flow of phrasing and is proofread for grammatical and spelling errors. Comments are left noting any grammatical, spelling, or formatting inconsistencies so that these issues can be addressed before submission. The submitted manuscript thus enters the peer review process with the editor’s and reviewers’ attention focused on the execution and implications of the research rather than any communication weaknesses regarding the English language.
- A cover letter describes any notable editing actions (e.g., a focus on the verb tense or the use of punctuation or major changes to the title or terminology used throughout the manuscript) or a focus on certain problems (e.g., frequent use of the lone ambiguous “this” or “these” or “it”).
- Brief embedded text in figures is edited for correct spelling, grammar, and consistency with the main text.
- In addition (although it’s never occurred to my knowledge), if the paper’s reviewers request additional editing to improve the English language use, this content is edited at no additional cost to meet the reviewers’ requests.
If we haven’t worked together yet, I’m always happy to edit a page from your manuscript to give you a sense of the potential improvement.
The typical quote is <$300 for a manuscript of 3500-6000 words (not including references).
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