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Academic papers

May 19

How to reduce economics manuscript word count to meet journal guidelines

By Academic papers, Editing, PhD tips

Pair of orange scissors cutting a sheet of paper to symbolize reducing economics manuscript word count

“Please forgive the long letter; I didn’t have time to write a short one.”
― Blaise Pascal

When preparing a manuscript for submission to a top economics journal, word count can be a problem if you haven’t written specifically for that journal. For example, a job market paper or a PhD thesis chapter needs to undergo a metamorphosis before it becomes journal ready.

How do you shorten an economics manuscript so you don’t alter its content or your odds of a smooth review?

Reducing manuscript size doesn’t require an editor’s professional skills or experience, so it’s something you can do yourself. It does, however, require time, patience, and motivation. But with some tips, reducing the length of an economics manuscript gets easier.

Following these steps should help you reduce word count so your economics paper meets the submission requirements of your target journal. Read More

Nov 30

Why does it take so long to write a journal paper?

By Academic papers, Academic papers, Writing

Writing a journal paper takes more time than doing the actual research—I’ve heard this complaint not only from PhD students but also from experienced research scientists. Why does it take so long to write a research paper?

Obvious reasons include procrastinating, having poor academic writing skills, and not knowing how to develop an outline. However, as a freelance editor who has worked with hundreds of authors, I know there are other reasons writing a journal paper takes longer than it has to. Here are some of the main reasons I have identified. I hope reading this post will help you understand how you could write a research paper faster. Read More

Sep 03

What to do if the journal editor recommends English language editing services

By Academic papers, Editing, Short and sweet

It’s not uncommon for authors to receive a note from the editor of a peer-reviewed journal that says,

  • “the authors are advised to get professional English language editing services”,
  • “have the manuscript checked by someone with full professional proficiency in English”,
    “the authors need a native English-speaking co-author to thoroughly revise the grammar of this manuscript” (as Adriana Romero-Olivares received), or
  • “seek help from a native English speaker to correct the grammar of the manuscript” (if you’re a journal editor, please read this brilliant article by Small Pond Science).

Read More

Aug 03

Impact vs. effect in academic writing: Which one should you use?

By Academic papers, Short and sweet, Vocabulary

The noun impact has replaced the noun effect in many types of writing, especially in business and web writing. Forceful and charismatic, impact is the life of the party; effect is the shy noun in the corner. It’s no surprise impact has been driving effect out of the academic writing scene.

Those who care about the impact vs. effect difference may wonder, May I use impact as a synonym for effect in academic writing? Depending on context, you may. Having worked as a freelance editor and proofreader for many years, I’ve noticed that many economists and social scientists prefer to study impacts, not effects. But should you use impact when you mean effect in academic writing? Here’s some information to help you decide. Read More

Mar 30

How I wrote my PhD thesis in three months

By Academic papers, Lessons learned, PhD tips, Writing

Keyboard with academic hat to represent how I wrote my PhD thesis in three monthsUp until the end of my doctoral studies, I’d been a procrastinator. Completing an abstract for a conference would take me a week, drafting a literature review, a month. I liked writing but couldn’t focus on it when I had a deadline to meet. Any writing task was too much for me to handle in an efficient manner.

But writing my PhD thesis had to be different, I told myself when I could finally see the finish line. I couldn’t afford to procrastinate. My PhD scholarship was about to expire, I didn’t have the money for a prolonged stay in the UK, and I didn’t want to be on the island anymore. So, I decided I would leave Cardiff in three months, bought a one-way ticket back home, and then opened the folder “PhD stuff” on my laptop. It was thesis o’clock. Read More

Feb 24

How to respond to reviewers’ comments: A practical guide for authors

By Academic papers, Editing, English writing skills

An open envelope to represent how to respond to reviewers’ commentsIn February 2020, Nature announced that it would give authors the option to publish their referee reports and responses to reviewers. Though this change is only a trial for this journal, other Nature Research journals have opened the peer-review process. I applaud the effort of these and other journals to make peer review more transparent, and hope it will become a standard.

Whether you publish your referee reports with your paper or not, how you respond to reviewers’ comments on submitted articles is essential to publication. Read More

Feb 17

Is “et al.” singular or plural?

By Academic papers, Short and sweet, Writing

Et al. is a commonly used Latin abbreviation in scholarly writing, so most academics know what it means. If you don’t, a dictionary will give you the explanation.

But whether et al. is singular or plural is not always clear, even to experienced writers. An author may use a singular verb after et el.; another author may use a plural verb after et al. Are they both correct, or who is wrong and who is right? To help you understand how to use et al. in a sentence so it’s grammatically correct, let’s look at a few examples. Read More

Jan 25

Publishing economics papers: Advice from experts

By Academic papers, PhD tips, Writing

Open book with blue globe on top to represent publishing economics papers

If publishing economics papers in top economics journals is your goal, you need excellent writing skills, because the economics literature has high standards. So, you need to learn how to write economics research papers that present your results clearly and use flawless language. The following tips from economics researchers, writers, editors, reviewers, and faculty will help you write better economics articles for scholarly journals. Read More

Oct 07

What’s the best way to edit LaTeX files with “track changes”?

By Academic papers, Editing, Short and sweet

You wrote your manuscript in LaTeX and now want to send it to a freelance editor. But what’s the best way to edit LaTeX files with “track changes”? Ideally, you want to see the changes so you maintain control of the revision process.

One of the best ways to edit LaTeX with “track changes” is to create a PDF from LaTeX and ask your freelance editor to mark up the PDF using the Comments tool in Adobe Reader or Acrobat. Here are three other methods I use when clients ask me to edit LaTeX manuscripts: Read More

Sep 26

5 Ways to get free manuscript editing services for nonfiction

By Academic papers, Editing, Tips

In most cases, asking a professional editor for free manuscript editing services is a surefire way to get your email marked as spam.

But what if you genuinely need nonfiction editing services and can’t afford them? Who can edit your nonfiction manuscript for free? If self-editing is not an option, try the following ways to get free editing services for nonfiction manuscripts. Read More

Sep 03

How much does proofreading cost?

By Academic papers, Proofreading, Short and sweet

If you’ve decided to hire a freelance proofreader to proofread your PhD thesis or research paper, you may be wondering if you can afford the cost of proofreading services. So, how much does proofreading cost?

English proofreading rates

The cost of proofreading services varies from one service provider to the next. But comparing proofreading rates isn’t always easy. Although many proofreading agencies and freelance proofreaders publish their rates online, some companies charge other fees (such as a project fee or taxes) or have a minimum order size.

To be able to compare apple to apples, ask for proofreading quotes from the freelance proofreaders or companies you’re considering. Read More

Aug 22

How much does English language editing cost?

By Academic papers, Editing, Short and sweet

If you’ve never had an academic manuscript edited by a professional, chances are you know little about editing rates. So, how much does English language editing cost?

English language editing rates for academic manuscripts

Academic editing rates vary a lot from one service provider to the next. Here’s what some of them charge for editing 9000 words as of March 2024 (I used Xe.com for currency conversion where needed): Read More

Jul 17

How to make scientific figures for publication: A 10-step guide

By Academic papers, Figures, Writing

Blue pen and charts and graphs to illustrate how to make scientific figures for publication

Depending on your graphic design skills, perfectionism level, and available time, making scientific figures for publication could take as long as, or longer than, writing your research paper.

To save time, you might want to recycle and reuse some of the images you made for a poster or PowerPoint presentation. But tweaking them to fit the journal can be time-consuming. That’s why it’s often best to make graphics for research papers from scratch so you have publication-quality images.

Learn how to make scientific figures for publication in an effective way.

Read More

May 13

Is it acceptable to use “we” in scientific papers?

By Academic papers, Short and sweet, Writing

Some of us were taught in school that the use of first-person personal pronouns makes scientific writing subjective. But it’s not true. Using we or I in a research paper does not always shift the spotlight away from the research. And writing in the third person or using passive voice does not make a piece of research writing objective. So, if a reviewer or thesis advisor tells you to remove all first-person references from your manuscript, know that it is not incorrect to use I or we in a paper, despite what many people believe.

So, the short answer to the question in the title is yes. It is acceptable to use we in your paper to refer to you and your co-authors. Whether you use first person pronouns or not is a writing style choice. Read More

Mar 05

Should I edit my own research paper?

By Academic papers, Editing, Short and sweet

Yes, you should edit your own paper for grammar, spelling, logic, clarity, and style.

Why edit your own research paper

As the author of your research paper, you know better than anyone else what message you want to convey. So, it’s a good idea to be your paper’s first editor—but only if you know how to edit a research paper. (If you don’t, ask an experienced editor for tips, read academic writing books, and seek editing resources online.) Read More

Feb 12

Do all references have to be cited in text in APA Style?

By Academic papers, Short and sweet, Writing

If you need to follow APA Style and are wondering if all entries in your reference list must be cited in the main text, you need to first understand the difference between a reference list and a bibliography.

APA Style reference list vs. bibliography

In general, the journals that follow APA Style use reference lists, not bibliographies. So, if you’re writing an APA research paper, you most likely need to create a reference list. Reference lists and bibliographies belong to different species.

A reference list has only the works cited in the text. In contrast, a bibliography comprises not only some or all the works cited in the text but also other works not mentioned in the text. These can be sources the author consulted in the preparation of the text, works recommended for further reading, or both. Also, bibliographies may contain notes (annotated bibliographies). Read More

Jan 03

Is it acceptable to use many abbreviations in a research paper?

By Academic papers, Short and sweet, Writing

It depends on the type of abbreviation.

In technology and science, many abbreviations are essential. These include the abbreviations for units of measurement (cm, °C, Hz, ms, and many more), statistical abbreviations (ANOVA, OLS, RMS, N, sd or SD, and so on), and symbols for chemical elements.

In general, you may use these and other common abbreviations without spelling them out on their first occurrence. Well-known abbreviations include common acronyms (such as IT or DVD) and abbreviations of Latin expressions (et al., i.e., etc.).

In contrast, you need to define a new or less-known abbreviation on first mention of a term; then you use the abbreviation instead of the spelled-out term.

By using abbreviations in scientific papers, you write faster, the reader reads faster, and you save space. Read More

Apr 28

Academic editing tips for research scientists

By Academic papers, Editing, Tips

Book with golden halo to represent academic writing tips and halo effectLong time ago, when I earned my living as a research fellow, I thought reading academic editing tips was a waste of time. I wasn’t a writer, and scholarly writing wasn’t prose. My paper had to communicate the results of my research, and it had to be free of mistakes, but the writing style wasn’t important.

Now, as a freelance English editor, I know the quality of the language does matter. It can influence referees’ impression of a paper and, in turn, the editorial decision of the journal editor.

One reason might be a psychological bias called the halo effect. This is “the phenomenon whereby we assume that because people are good at doing A they will be good at doing B, C and D”, as The Economist explains it.

The reverse phenomenon is called the negative halo. It may lead some referees—those who do not try to combat this unconscious bias—to assume that a poorly written paper contains less-than-perfect science.

Many scientists know about this bias and do their best to combat it. However, even when they make a purely unbiased, objective decision when evaluating a manuscript, journal editors appreciate well-written papers. That’s because good writing has two powerful qualities: clarity and effectiveness.

In this guide I’m discussing several academic editing tips that can help you improve your manuscript and its likelihood of being accepted for publication. Read More

Jun 06

The best academic writing books: My list

By Academic papers, Book reviews, Writing


The best academic writing books symbolized by watercolor showing blue and yellow books

The best academic writing books are those you’ll refer to throughout your time in academia. They become your desk’s permanent residents and give you reassurance when you are struggling to write a paper, report, or thesis.

To make it easier for you to discover those books, I’ve created this list. As with many other lists of the best academic writing books, mine too is bound to be subjective. But I hope it helps anyway. My list comprises not only books about academic writing but also books on nonfiction writing that would benefit anyone who writes scholarly texts. Read More

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