How to edit your research article: Five strategies for effective editing
How to edit your research article: Five strategies for effective editing
Author Resources > Writing a compelling title > Editing your research article
Knowing how to edit your study can be a challenging and time consuming process, especially when you do not know where to start. Learn editing and writing strategies to help you get started and ensure clear, engaging language that gives readers the information they need to understand your study.
Why does editing matter?
A well-written manuscript makes it easier for editors, reviewers and readers to understand your work. Avoiding language errors can help accelerate review and minimize delays in the publication of your research.
Five strategies for effective editing
The editing process does not start at the proofreading stage. Effective editing begins right at the beginning of your writing process and continues up until the final proof before publication. To ensure you are on the right track from start to finish, incorporate these five editing strategies into your revision process.
Outline your goals
Before you start your first draft, write a short list outlining what you hope to communicate in your manuscript. When your first draft is complete, revisit this original list. Have you hit all the points you identified? Are they presented clearly, with enough supporting information?
Focus on clear and understandable language
After you have completed your initial draft, begin the process of reading through your work and try to put yourself in the position of someone unfamiliar with your project. What information would they need in order to thoroughly understand the study? What information would they need to successfully reproduce your results? Revising to simplify concepts for readers in this way can help keep your writing clear and understandable. More writing tips for clear, understandable language include:
- Introduce only one new idea per sentence
- Do not use double negatives. For example: “not uncommon”
- Avoid repeating information excessively
- Draw clear and explicit links between ideas (do not rely on readers to connect the dots themselves)
- Be specific and direct. Try to avoid filler words and general terms like “very often” or “different sources.” Instead, say how often, exactly. Describe which sources in particular and how you identified them.
Write for your audience
If you are submitting to a highly technical, discipline-specific journal, your language should reflect that. If readership is more broad, make sure the concepts described in your paper are easy to understand.
Invest in a second opinion
Do not be afraid to ask for help in the editing process. A second set of eyes can make all the difference in the time and quality of your editing. Before you submit, ask a colleague to read through your manuscript to make sure it is easy to read and free of errors, or ask for specific guidance on sections you are concerned about. If you are struggling with grammar and syntax, consider a copyediting service. Some journals can provide or recommend copy editing services for authors, so be sure to ask about these offerings during the submission and revision process.
Make time for proofreading
Different journals will have different cut offs for edits, and some will not allow general edits after acceptance, so the earlier you proofread your manuscript, the better. Asking for help from colleagues or investing in a copyediting service can really help speed and improve the proofreading process. To help you catch errors on your own, try reading your manuscript aloud to ensure each sentence makes sense grammatically and structurally.
Before publication, some journals supply an author proof of the typeset article. It is important to check this thoroughly for any last minute issues or errors.
Ask for feedback on your article
If you have someone you can ask, it is a great idea to get feedback on your writing. Be specific about what you are hoping for help with.
Start with the context
Let your colleague know what you hope to accomplish with your article, why you are reaching out to them for feedback, and if you have asked for feedback from anyone else.
Give a timeline
People you ask for help are probably busy too. Give them a date for feedback so they can plan and let you know if they cannot assist.
Tell them your opinion
Quickly bring them up to speed by sharing your thoughts: If you are happy with one part, tell them; if you know another is not as good but you are struggling to make it clearer, shorter etc. tell them.
Ask for the kind of feedback you want
Feedback on your writing could be anything from ‘Please perform a quick proofread to check for errors’, to ‘Please help me rewrite this whole section so that it makes more sense.’ Let your colleague know what you are worried about so that they can provide the kind of feedback you are looking for.
This should help your friend/colleague to focus on what you really want help with, and worry less about hurting your feelings or providing too much or too little feedback.
Final thoughts
Knowing how to edit your study can be challenging when you do not know where to start. These editing and writing strategies will help you polish your manuscript throughout the writing process and give you the tools to create clear, engaging language that ensures readers and editors understand your study.
