Long 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