English language editing for African scientists

English Language Editing for African Scientists Kerry Greer President Edanz Group

THE EDANZ GROUP- History 1995 Edanz Editing established in Japan. Halves the “Japan premium” prices charged by other services 1996 The first editing company worldwide to introduce a 3 day standard service and 1 day express 1998 The first editing company to go online and make full use of the Internet to increase convenience for authors 2006 The first international editing service to register a business in China. In 2011, we are still the only English editing service fully localized there. Training programs aimed at teaching authors "How to Write a World Class Paper“ launched to raise the English writing skills of non native-English scientists. 2008 Edanz introduces Focus Services, such as Rewriting, Expert Scientific Review, and Journal Selection, that further increase an authors chances of successful publication. Edanz Writing established to provide manuscript development services to pharmaceutical and life science companies. 2009 Edanz editing and rewriting services extended to authors worldwide. An editing and writing team of 140 highly qualified scientists and academics. 2011 Worldwide “recommended editing service” partnerships with BMC, Springer and AIP. Editor and writing team of 300+ .

THE EDANZ GROUP The Edanz Group has prepared over 70,000 manuscripts for submission to over 4,000 journals We currently provide language services for over 1,600 manuscripts per month, and have over 9,500 clients in Japan, 6,000 in China, and 1000 + elsewhere worldwide Throughout our history we have sought to increase value and convenience for our clients through constant innovation and an attitude of doing what it takes to increase an authors chances of successful publication 3

Edanz Japan office team Notable achievement: Editing for the world’s most cited researchers8 customer service staff5 In-house quality control editors4 Management staff2 IT and development staff5 Senior editors and trainers – Life and Environmental sciences 4

Edanz China office team Notable achievement: Becoming the editing service for the Chinese Science Bulletin6 customer service staff3 Management staff1 Senior advisor5 IT and development staff1 Senior editor and trainer – Physical SciencesUp from 8 in January 2010 5

300+ scientific expert editorsDr Jim Cummins1970 – PhD Reproductive Biology, University of Liverpool, UKWorld-renowned IVF expert, and Fellow of the Australian Institute of BiologyDr Alison Sherwin1992 – PhD Biochemistry, University of Kent at Canterbury, UKHas edited over 3,500 manuscripts in the Health and Life Sciences for Japanese and Chinese authorsDr Thomas Laage1976 – MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USAExperienced psychiatrist, formerly at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolDr Kristen Demarest2000 – PhD Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY, USACurrently staff scientist at Scripps Research InstituteDr Tim Werry2003 – PhD Pharmacology, University of Leicester, UKCurrently at Queen Mary University of London studying dentistry. Previously at GlaxoSmithKline Ltd in theNeurosciences Centre of Excellence in Drug Discovery in the UK. 6

Services Language Editing Expert Scientific Review Abstract Writing Cover Letter Writing Point-by-Point Response Check Educational Seminars Training Materials 7

Trusted by PublishersRecommended by: 8

Community outreach Chinese University Journals in Natural Sciences (CUJS) Tokyo University Chinese Medical Association manuscript seminar King Fahd University ofFukuoka University two-day author Petroleum and Minerals workshop Kyushu University (Neurology) left Keio University (Stem cells) right 9

Presentations at major international conferencesInvited manuscript writing workshop for Neuroscience 2010, the 40th Annual Meetingof the Society for NeuroscienceSan Diego, November 14, 2010 300 participants Panelists from Neuron, Neuroscience, Nature Neuroscience, PLoS Biology and Anianet 10

Author workshopsEdanz sends our Senior editors and Trainers to Universitiesand research Institutes to run author training workshops So far we have presented these in: China, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and the USA 11

Author workshop topics Why publish? Study design What do journal editors want? Benefits of peer review, how reviewers assess manuscripts Choosing a journal Ethics Details on what each section should contain Complying with Instructions for Authors Post-referee revisions Scientific writing Language workshop with interactive exercises 12

Life Sciences and Journal Editor TrainerDr Daniel McGowan, Edanz Group Science Director2002 - PhD Molecular Neuroscience, University of Auckland, NZ  Winner of the 2003 EU Marie Curie Post-doctoral Fellowship  Has worked in laboratories investigating the molecular mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, combining laser micro-dissection, microarray analysis and proteomics.  In-depth knowledge of neurodegenerative diseases, neural function, molecular and cellular biology and protein biochemistry, along with extensive multi-disciplinary laboratory experience of contemporary and traditional techniques including proteomics, functional genomics and cell imaging.  Former Associate Editor at Nature Reviews Neuroscience  Has presented over 40 author workshops  Has edited over 2,500 manuscripts written by Japanese and Chinese scientists 13

Life Sciences TrainerDr Warren Raye, Edanz Group Senior Editor & Trainer – Life Sciences2005 - PhD Molecular Virology, Murdoch University, Australia  Formerly employed by Monash University as a Research Fellow and Lecturer in the fast-changing field of stem cell biology. Dr Raye has also conducted independent research in the areas of molecular virology, inflammation biology and molecular biology.  Dr Raye began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in early 2009, before moving to Fukuoka and taking up the position of Senior Life Sciences Editor in November 2010.  Based in Edanz Fukuoka, Japan office  Experienced researcher and lecturer at undergraduate and post-graduate levels 14

Author ChallengesWhat do authors find challenging aboutsubmitting manuscripts for publication?

Author Challenges - Preparation n=333 16

Choosing a journal n=333 17

Author Challenges – Journal Requirements n=333 18

Author Challenges – Submission / Post Referee n=333 19

Edanz Author ResourcesOnline materials:How to write a manuscriptCover Letter TemplateResponse Letter TemplateSpringer Author AcademyThe Edanz Journal Selector Tool 20

How to write a manuscript Get your paper accepted Edanz free manuscript writing educational materials Edanz Group Ltd

Section One Preparations before writing How to identify hot topics Study design What do journal editors want? Choosing an appropriate journal Ethical issues

How to identify hot topicsLook for clues— Read the literature, Attendunexplained findings, including related internationalcontroversies fields meetingsGreater interest = Greater competitionIdentify your advantages and use them Edanz Group Japan | 23

Section Two Manuscript structure The ‘write’ order  Results Title  Display items Abstract and keywords  Statistics Introduction  Discussion and Materials and Methods Conclusions  References

The ‘write’ orderIMRaD manuscripts: for maximum clarity andconsistency, write in this order: Methods Write during the research Results Introduction Discussion Write after selecting your Title target journal Abstract Edanz Group Japan | 25

Section Three Tips for getting acceptedYour cover letter What do reviewers look for?Recommending reviewers SubmissionLanguage Final checksGood writing Post-referee revisionsCommon language problems Checklist

Cover letters  Journal Editors receive hundreds of manuscripts each month  They don’t have time to read each manuscript  Society journal editors are especially busy as they are usually practicing researchers too Your cover Letter is an opportunity to get the journal editor’s attention Edanz Group Japan | 27

Your cover letterDear Dr Lisberger,Please find enclosed our manuscript entitled “Amyloid-like inclusions in the brains of Huntington’s disease patients”, byMcGowan et al., which we would like to submit for publication as a Research Paper in Neuroscience.Recent immunohistochemical studies have revealed the presence of neuronal inclusions containing an N-terminal portion Give theof the mutant huntingtin protein and ubiquitin in the brain tissues of Huntington’s disease (HD) patients; however, the role background toof these inclusions in the disease process has remained unclear. One suspected disease-causing mechanism inHuntington’s disease and other polyglutamine disorders is the potential for the mutant protein to undergo a the researchconformational change to a more stable anti-parallel β-sheet structure…To confirm if the immunohistochemically observed huntingtin- and ubiquitin-containing inclusions display amyloid Explain whatfeatures, we performed Congo red staining and both polarizing and confocal microscopy on post-mortem human brain was done andtissues obtained from five HD patients, two AD patients, and two normal controls. Congo red staining revealed a small what was foundnumber of amyloid-like inclusions showing green birefringence by polarized microscopy, in a variety of cortical regions....….detected inclusions observed in parallel sections, suggesting that only a relatively small proportion of inclusions in HDadopt an amyloid-like structure. Explain why this is interesting toWe believe our findings would appeal to a broad audience, such as the readership of Neuroscience. As a wide-reaching the journal’sjournal publishing original research on all aspects of neuroscience… readershipWe confirm that this manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal. All Conforms toauthors have approved the manuscript and agree with submission to Neuroscience. We have read and have abided by thestatement of ethical standards for manuscripts submitted to Neuroscience. The authors have no conflicts of interest to the journal’sdeclare. requirementsPlease address all correspondence to…. Edanz Group Japan | 28

Language Common English problemsTense NomenclatureArticles Such as/namelyPlural or singular Etc.Proper nouns Asian fontsHyphen or dash UK or US spellingThat/which Presenting numbersMaking comparisonsRespectivelyBetween or among Edanz Group Japan | 29

Language Dash or hyphenEn dash (–): means “through.” October 28–29; pp. 2–5. (don’t use ~)Em dash (—): Used to break a sentence, introducesomething, or introduce an afterthought.These two metals—that is, titanium and magnesium—are very light. Edanz Group Japan | 30

Cover Letter Template A cover letter can “sell” your manuscript to the journal editor. We provide a cover letter template and a “how to” guide to writing a cover letter. The Edanz guide helps you make the right first impression. Download for free at: http://edanzediting.com/node/4452

Response Letter TemplateWhen responding to peer review it is important to address all points raised by the editor and/or reviewers.Edanz provides and easy to use Response Letter Template and an instruction guide that can help authors correctly respond to comments and revise their manuscript.Download for free at: http://edanzediting.com/node/4454

Springer Author AcademyThe Springer Author Academy is a guide for authors thathas been developed by Edanz for Springer on the basicsof writing and publishing a scientific manuscript. It has allthe information an author needs to know about gettingpublished.http://www.springer.com/authors/journal+authors/training For authors who do not have a good internet service to easily use these resources, a downloadable PDF version is available on the Open Access Africa 2011 Attendees landing page that links off the homepage of the Edanz website www.edanzediting.com

Springer Author Academy• Overview• Before you begin• Choosing a journal• Structuring your manuscript• Display items• Overcoming language barriers• Publication ethics• Submitting• Peer review

Springer Author Academy• Overview• Why publish in English?• Why is good writing important?• What do journal editors want?• Types of journal manuscripts

Springer Author Academy Why publish in English? Because English is the language scientists in different countries use to communicate with each other, publishing in English allows you to reach the broadest possible audience. This will help you achieve the goal that led you to publish in the first place: To add to our understanding of the world by informing other scientists about your research. Of course, if English is not your first language, having to use it may add to the challenges of writing and publishing.• Why is good writing important?• Concise writing• Comparisons• Proper nouns• Articles• Use of respectively• Numerals and units• Spelling• Punctuation

Edanz Journal Selector ToolAn online interactive tool developed by Edanzthat enables authors to find the right journalto submit their manuscript to.Part of a Journal Advisor Platform that Edanzis developing to help authors worldwideprepare their manuscripts for publication.Presently a beta Chinese language version isavailable on the China ScienceNet and EdanzGroup China websites.

Other Resources for Authors The Research Cooperative BMH Linguistics Springer exemplar Scribe Consulting – in Western Australia Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) EASE Author Guidelines

The Research CooperativeMany members of the Research Cooperative offer help for academic editing orproofreading. Much of this is done in forums.They discuss matters related to training, best practices, costs, negotiationbetween editors, proofreaders, authors and publishers, and so on. Editors,proofreaders, students, researchers, publishers and others are all welcome tojoin.There are two groups in this Cooperative that are relevant for finding helpabout getting publishedEditors/Proofreadershttp://researchcooperative.org/group/editorsproofreadersPublishing and Productionhttp://researchcooperative.org/group/publishing

BMH LinguisticsThe Centre for Biomedical and Health Linguistics is a nonprofit collaboration dedicated to facilitating communicativecompetence in the languages of biomedicine and health. Quantitative and qualitative research into various languages, and by applying the findings of research to the development of language resources. Members of this collaboration include academics in Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. Open-access learning resources and their research reports.http://www.bmhlinguistics.org/joomla2/about-bmh

Springer exemplar term/phrase usagehttp://springerexemplar.com/index.aspx “complexity”... what Rescher (1998) described as “the complexity of the real” (in his chapter 2). ...... In this chapter, a statistical measure of complexity and the Fisher-Shannon information product ...... Nevertheless, the appearance of complexity remains. ...increasing... We may extend the complexity of our framework of causal modelling of ...... interpretation and applications of the complexity measures, different order-uncertainty ...... length by l(p).For each object x in S, the complexity of object x with respect to the specifying ...... The Hierarchical Approaches to Molecular Complexity Criteria for Topological ...... three sessions. The context free grammar complexity and the Lempel-Ziv ...... for valuation of size and coupling complexities of design products as abstracted by three ...

Scribe ConsultingScribe has a series of web pages with relevantwriting tips – for example Acronyms and initialisms All about ampersands All about dashes All about ellipsis (...)http://www.scribe.com.au/writing-tips.html

Online Writing Lab (OWL) The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, that are provided as a free service of the Writing Lab. Users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers can use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

EASE guidelinesThese are generalized guidelines developed by the European Association of Science Editors to help authors and translators of scientific publications. It aims to ensure complete, concise and clear scientific communication.Areas focused on as appendices to the main report, which details the mechanics of writing a paper, are: Abstracts Plurals Ambiguity Simplicity Cohesion Spelling

Edanz Journal ResourcesFor journal editors and society publishers,Edanz has prepared series of slides that show:“How to unlock your journal’s full potential”Available on the “Open Access Africa 2011”landing page:http://edanzediting.com/open_access_africa_2011

Open Access Africa 201124 October 2011

24 October 2011 |Open Access Africa 2011 1. What do authors want? 2. Creating an image for your journal 3. Encouraging appropriate submissions 4. Encouraging more submissions 5. What do reviewers want? 6. Case study: Neural Regeneration Research How to unlock your journals full potential 54

How EDANZ Edits a BioMed Central Targeted Manuscript All BioMed Central referred and/or destined manuscripts are tracked and a 10% discount given An editor closely matching the authors field is assigned. With over 300 editors, and an ongoing recruitment and training programme for biomedical editors, Edanz is confident it can find the right editor for all BioMed Central manuscripts it receives Two rounds of editing and author/editor communication ensure the science is not changed in the editing process 55

Two Rounds of EditingWe know from 16 years of editing experience that one round ofediting is often insufficient to clarify the scientific content andbring the language of the paper to an international level: Therefore Edanz has first edit and clarification rounds In the first round editors comment to authors to ensure clarity of language and accuracy of scientific meaning – these are addressed in subsequent rounds Our In-house team of language editors review and check every paper before it is returned to its author Both rounds are included in our standard fee 56

Free Editing for African scientistssubmitting to BioMed Central JournalsTo mark this Open Access Africa 2011 congress, Edanz will provide freeediting for 20 African authors submitting to 5 BioMed Central Journals thatare particularly relevant to African authors BMC Public Health Virology Journal AIDs Research and Therapy International Journal for Equity in Health Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine In circumstances where the journal editor feels the science of the paper is good but that the language needs polishing before submission and... The author’s funding conditions could make it difficult to obtain the high level editing needed. The journal editor will refer the author to Edanz for free language editing

Edanz Contact detailsEdanz Group Japan Edanz Group China (Liwen Bianji)Tom da Costa – Director, Japan Benjamin Shaw – Director, ChinaEdanz Building Interchina Commercial Building, 1112A1-5-8 Otemon No 33. Dengshikou StreetChuo-Ku, Dongcheng District, Beijing, P.C. 100006,Fukuoka 810-0074 CHINAJAPANTel: +81-92-715-7208 Phone: +86-10-6528-0877Fax: +81-92-715-7204 Fax: +86-10-6528-0834Email: tdcosta@edanzgroup.com Email: bshaw@edanzgroup.com Edanz Group Global Christiane Roll – Global Manager (In the Japan Office) Email: croll@edanzgroup.com 58

Thank you!All the materials presented here are available as downloads:http://edanzediting.com/open_access_africa_2011

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English language editing for African scientists

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