Most professional proofreaders will answer the question “What is proofreading?” like this: Proofreading is the process of reading a manuscript that’s been edited to mark up or correct any remaining errors.
I’ve discussed in a previous post what proofreading means in traditional vs. indie publishing. Read More
The question “What is editing?” doesn’t have only one answer. But many professional editors will define editing like this:
Editing is the process of reviewing a written text to correct and improve it so that it meets the needs of both the person who commissioned the work and the reader.
Editing comes after writing and before proofreading. Ideally, both come before publishing. Read More
As an editor and proofreader, I’d say both editing and proofreading are essential. But I know sometimes authors need to choose between paying for editing and paying for proofreading, to keep costs low. So, which one should you invest in: editing or proofreading? Read More
If you’ve seen freelance editors advertise services such as language editing, manuscript editing, copyediting, developmental editing, and so on, you might have wondered what these terms mean. They all fall under the umbrella of English editing. I’ve explained many of them in the article What’s the difference between editing and proofreading?
In this short post I’m going to answer the question, What is language editing? Read More
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
In English, both it and they are used to refer to a company.
Example: According to the company, they (it) have (has) more than 50,000 employees.
The choice of pronoun depends on many things: context, type of written communication, house style, and more.
The common view is that in American English, company is referred to as it, whereas in British English, company is referred to as it or they, but they is more common. Read More
HTML, EU, and NATO are examples of acronyms. Merriam-Webster defines acronyms as words “formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term”.
In some expressions, acronyms can be preceded by an indefinite article (a or an). But how do you choose the right indefinite article before acronyms?
Acronyms can be read as pronounceable words (for example, NASCAR) or as a series of letters (for example, BBC). It’s important to know how to pronounce an acronym, because the rule for choosing the right indefinite article before acronyms is based on pronunciation, not spelling. Read More
Good editing is unobtrusive. A text that has been professionally edited reads seamlessly. You cannot tell where the author’s work ends and where the editor’s intervention starts, because the editor was able to emulate the author’s writing style. Read More
Both center around and center on are correct.
Writing center on is logical, and no-one will object if you use this expression. But if you use center around, some may think your writing is illogical or sloppy. Read More
Yes, you should edit your own paper for grammar, spelling, logic, clarity, and style.
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
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.
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
You may think this simple question has a simple answer (either 12 a.m. or 12 p.m.), but it’s not quite so.
The abbreviation a.m. stands for the Latin phrase ante meridiem, and p.m. stands for post meridiem. In Latin, ante means before; post means after; and meridies means noon, or midday.
Midday is neither before noon (a.m.) nor after noon (p.m.). It’s m. (abbreviation for meridies).
So, it would be illogical to write 12 a.m. or 12 p.m. to mean noon. Read More
Compare these two sentences:
Which of the two versions sounds more honest?
In the first sentence, the intensifiers in italics (frankly, very, obviously, quite, and significantly) make the statement less credible. These intensifiers are examples of weasel words. Other examples are virtually, clearly, somewhat, undoubtedly, reportedly, and arguably. Read More
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
Every now and then my clients ask me complex questions that need a long answer. I made a habit of turning my answers to these questions into long blog posts, such as “Why shouldn’t I use trademark symbols in my research paper?” or “Can you explain the difference between editing and proofreading?”
These articles offer comprehensive answers to my clients’ questions while also being free online resources for people looking for the same information.
In addition to these complex questions, I often get many other interesting questions that don’t need a long answer.
So, I decided to turn my answers to these questions into short blog posts. In each “Short and sweet” post I’ll answer a writing-related question in about 300 words. This means you’ll only need a minute or two to learn something new about writing or editing. Read More
