As an academic editor, you find yourself writing all kinds of documents: theses/dissertations, journal articles, grant applications, and even responses to reviewer comments. Some researchers have limited writing skills, but even researchers who write well often struggle with the nuances and expectations of academic writing. Thus, researchers reach out to academic editors for assistance. In this post, we will talk about the importance of academic editing and what academic editors do. You can also let this post decide if academic editing might be a career option for you!
Academic editing explained
Academic editing is a specialised service for improving the language of an academic manuscript. An academic editor is a subject matter expert, who is well-versed in the broad field of study and can understand related research, as well as a skilled language editor. A good academic editor will focus on what is right for a manuscript and the publishing outlet. This goes beyond simply correcting spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. An academic editor will ensure proper organisation, structure, and flow of a document, along with consistency, cohesiveness, and correct format.
The last stages in academic editing entail copyediting and proofreading for final polishing before submission (if the editor is hired by the author) or publication (if the editor works at a journal). Copyediting will ensure correct grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation; technical consistency in capitalisation, font usage, hyphenation, etc.; and formatting. The final copy of the manuscript is then proofread to check for quality before final submission or publication, making sure that there are no omissions or inconsistent spelling or typography.
Why is academic editing important?
The quality of writing in an academic document—be it a grant application or journal article—goes a long way in making an impact on the intended reader. Researchers who want to impress funders, journal editors, and peer reviewers seek the services of academic editors to ensure that their ideas are communicated clearly and effectively.
Academic editing helps:
· point out flaws, omissions, and incomplete text well before submission,
· improve the readability and clarity of a manuscript,
· bring a manuscript to its best version.
Academic editing prevents:
· obscuring important ideas,
· weakening a crucial argument,
· submitting an unformatted or unprofessional-looking document.
Academic editing as a career option
If you love reading scientific literature, and grammatical or word choice errors jump out at you, a career in academic editing might be for you! Once you understand editing as a career, its place in the publishing workflow, and the intricacies of copyediting, you can specialise in an editorial niche.
Skills of an academic editor:
· High level of attention to detail.
· Proficiency in grammar and word usage, with a focus on correct technical terminology.
· A good command over the subject area, with knowledge of subject-specific exceptions, nuances, and expressions.
· Knowledge of how journal publishing works.
· A clear understanding of journal guidelines for formatting and referencing.
· Being up to date with the standard practices in academic publishing, including ethical issues.
Becoming an academic editor:
· Join training courses offered by reputable establishments and professional associations.
· Routinely read resources on style and usage, academic writing, and copyediting.
· Explore venues such as academic publishers and journals, as well as academic author services, for editing jobs.
· Continue developing and honing your skills throughout your career.
Scholarly journals and author service providers like Charlesworth Author Services have a growing need for keen-eyed editors specialising in various fields. You could work with them as a full-time academic editor or even take on projects as an independent freelancer. Many academic editors even go on to start their own editing business!