What is English editing and why it’s so important for research papers?
English editing in the world of academic publication refers to the process of ensuring your manuscript is error-free from the points of view of language, grammar, and logical flow. However, that’s true for any document! What makes English editing for any kind of academic document stand out is that it needs to go beyond the points mentioned above. They need to adhere to formatting guidelines laid down by the journal, be consistent, use academic jargon and technical terms correctly, be free of bias related to age, gender, religion, race, caste, class, and disability, and above all be free of plagiarism.
How does the process of English editing work?
When editing any manuscript, an editor first needs to check the overall structure, logical flow, and cohesiveness of the argument. This is followed by rearranging the text if needed, in order to ensure that the overall structure of the manuscript is aligned to the format that is globally accepted by journals. This format is shortened to IMRAD in academia, which stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. The IMRAD sections are again flanked on both sides by the Abstract and Conclusion. Additionally, there are the References, Figures, and Tables used in the manuscript which require eagle-eyed checks by a seasoned editor. Professional English editors often leave questions or comments in the manuscript for the author to go through and improve the overall manuscript and make the argument tighter.
Different types of English editing based on levels of intervention
The level of intervention by an editor dictates the type of English editing that a manuscript undergoes. It goes without saying that the better the quality of a manuscript the lower the intervention it would need. For example, simply checking a manuscript for typos, grammar and spelling errors, and consistency might be enough if it is written by a seasoned researcher with native or near-native knowledge of English. However, that is certainly not enough if the manuscript is written by someone who is not a native English speaker and / or is not well-versed with academic writing.
These are the types of English editing based on intervention levels.
1. Proofreading
Proofreading typically constitutes the final phase of the editorial procedure. It occurs subsequent to addressing all content and language-associated revisions. The primary objective during this phase is rectifying any inconspicuous errors that might have been missed in preceding stages, encompassing disparities, grammatical blunders, and typographical mistakes. Additionally, the proofreader validates formatting, citations, tables, and illustrations in accordance with established style directives, thereby preparing the manuscript for publication.
2. Copy Editing
The copy editor evaluates the text to ensure its language is precise and uniform. This process of copy editing refines the language, corrects grammatical, punctuation, and spelling mistakes, and enhances the overall efficacy of the content. Furthermore, the copy editor focuses on maintaining a consistent tone and style throughout the text, enhancing its readability and cohesiveness. This meticulous review contributes to delivering a refined and professional final product.
3. Developmental Editing
Among the various types of editing, developmental editing stands out as the most pro-active; as its objective is to comprehensively assess your research. Engaging a developmental editor proves beneficial in addressing any conceptual voids, evaluating the coherence of arguments, scrutinizing facts and theories, and assessing the overall worth of the study. Essentially taking on the role of a critical assessor, the editor examines your work from multiple perspectives to guarantee the presentation of the most refined manuscript possible.
Benefits of professional English editing services
If you are confident about your manuscript and have a good grasp over the English language, you might feel that performing English editing for your paper yourself is not a big deal. You might also be unaware of the right expert English editing services providers for your manuscript.
However, it is proven that getting your article prepared for submission by a good-quality English editing service provider greatly increases your chances of publication. This is because most manuscripts get rejected during the preliminary process by desk reviewers if it is not “absolutely perfect” from the language, technical, and formatting compliances point of view.
Enago English Editing Services
Enago is one of the top English editing service providers in the industry. Since 2005, they have helped researchers from 125+ countries get publication-ready in international journals through their various offerings like English editing which includes Copy Editing and Substantive Editing, Proofreading, and their most premium service Top Impact Scientific Editing. They also have a host of Publication Support and Research Impact services.
At Enago, the English editing services follow a 2-editor system where editors who are native English speakers and experts in your domain thoroughly check your paper and make necessary changes to get them publication-ready. Their team of PhD and Master’s-qualified editors hold an average of 19.4 years of experience. Enago’s services are also quite affordable with Proofreading starting at $0.03/ word, Copy Editing starting at $0.07/ word, Substantive Editing starting at $0.09/ word, and Top Impact Scientific Editing starting at $0.2/ word.
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