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Medical Editing Tips
Categories Scientific Communication

Medical Editing: A Step-by-Step Guide to Edit your Document

Author krishna kumar 0 Comments Posted on

Whether you have written a manuscript, thesis, or a dissertation, it needs to be edited and proofread. You can’t publish your research without this revision process.

In fact, good papers always stem from good editing.

You have to edit and proofread your own writing and make sure it is clear, correct, and consistent throughout. This is crucial to establish an authority with your audience and communicate your message clearly.

But, the biggest dilemma! How easy it is to pick up your own mistakes?

Not really! Isn’t it?

Thus, medical editing should always comprise of three passes of your document.

  1. First pass to catch major errors
  2. Second pass to catch minor errors and
  3. A final proofread

Let’s see each step of medical editing in detail!

1) Conduct a First Pass

        a) Ensure effective organization

An organized document ensures that the message is presented in the most logical and clear way. Depending upon the type of document you are writing, check whether it’s properly structured.

Check each paragraph, headings, and lists. Make sure their format follows your required style guide. The line spacing, page margins, capitalization, font size, color, and spacing between sections should be consistent.

        b) Check the flow and tone

Flow and tone are the hardest elements of the English language. Read out your sentences aloud and you will be able to pick up any awkward sentence constructions.

Avoid writing long sentences. Check the transitions between paragraphs and sentences whether they flow into the next and make sense in succession.

        c) Check for grammar and spellings

You can use an automatic spell-checker to catch these types of problems, but they are not perfect. You must review your writing word by word to ensure that the spellings and grammar are perfect. Plus, make sure you are consistent in the spellings according to the type of English you have chosen. For example, organization (US English) or organisation (UK English).

Also, make sure that the tense and voices are consistent throughout.

        d) Ensure concision

Avoid any redundancy in the content. If you’ve already covered a topic, do not write about it again. Also, make sure that no word is overused or too repetitive in your document.

        e) Check your punctuation’s

The specific punctuation issues to check are the exclamation marks, comma, semicolon, and a full stop. Consider the conventions of the English language to check these.

         f) Review your citations and references

Make sure the formatting of your citations and references complies with the required style guide.

In addition, cross-check the in-text citations against the reference list. If you miss out a reference in the list, but have cited in the text, add it to the list. Check all the author names, years, and add the necessary reference information to avoid accidental plagiarism.

         g) Check the figures and tables

If your document includes figures and tables, review them and their description in the text. Make sure you have mentioned them in the text prior to their placement. Avoid using acronyms in figures and tables or their titles.

         h) Check the lists and equations

If your document has any lists/ equations, format and number them consistently through the document.

         i) Refer to any specific instructions

Do you have any specific journal guidelines to follow in writing your medical document?  If yes, ensure you follow them completely, whether it’s regards to the word count or the document format.

          j) Take notes about the document

While you are conducting the first pass of your document, write notes about the areas that need rectification. For example:

  • Elaboration of a particular idea
  • Clarification of a particular context
  • Specifying the subjects in a sentence
  • Rearranging/ deleting any sections

These notes will help you turn your first draft into a second draft on which you can conduct a second pass.

2) Conduct a Second Pass

In the second pass, review the entire document once again, paying attention to the details outlined above, especially the clarity and the flow. Correct any errors you might have missed.

 3) Conduct a Final Proofread

After the second pass, it’s time to review the whole document for the final time, checking for any missed or introduced errors. And Voila! You have finished your medical editing process and have a document that is ready to submit to the journal.

Conclusion

Medical editing is more of an art and can’t be learnt overnight. It’s easy to make mistakes or skip your own errors in writing, especially if English is not your first language. If medical editing is not your cup of tea or you have deadlines to meet, get it done from a professional medical editing services. But, never take the process of medical editing lightly. The final quality of your document depends upon it.

Medical Proofreading and Editing Service
Categories Scientific Communication

How to Get the Best Out of Your Medical Proofreading and Editing Service?

Author krishna kumar 0 Comments Posted on

It’s necessary to review your work before submitting to the journal. Now, you can either request your department head or a colleague to review your manuscript or take help of the professional medical editing and proofreading services. For many researchers, such professional medical proofreading services are economical because it enhances the quality of the research document.

But, before you submit your document to the professional editing and proofreading services, look at these suggestions on how to get the best out of their service:

Send your best document:

Professional editors are busy people. They have to pay attention to other’s documents as well and can devote only a part of their time to yours. So, it is good if you fix everything you can in the document before giving it to the editor. For example, missing/extra spaces, heading style, and consistency of the references’ list. This will help the editor stay focused and address the issues you can’t.

Tell your issues in advance:

If you have any issue with the terminology used in the document or the structure of the sentences, inform your editors in advance. This way the editor won’t waste his time looking for the problems but offer you the solution straight away.

Ask questions:

Majority of the medical editing services offer a facility to address the author’s questions regarding the edited document. Use this facility to seek answers to your queries and to learn from the editor. This will help you prepare your future manuscripts.

Provide the necessary information:

Give your editor all the information he needs for an effective edit. For example, the format of the document as per the journal guidelines, the name of your target journal, the recommended word count, and your contribution to the manuscript.

Provide your feedback:

If the editor misunderstood a technical term or has not adhered to certain conventions of your field, write to him about this. The editors welcome the suggestions from the authors. Also, if you do not agree with the changes he made, communicate such concerns to him. This will help him clarify why he made the change and you may agree with his logical explanation.

However, don’t criticise the editor even if you don’t agree with his viewpoint. If you appreciate his work, tell the editor about it. Consequently, he will take extra care to give a consistently good service to you in the future.

Remember, preparing a manuscript is a continuous process. It may not be possible to prepare publication-ready document after just one round of editing.  Therefore, view your relationship with the editor as long-term and collaborative rather than a onetime transaction. Cooperate with your editor through multiple rounds of edits to get the best results. Finally, you can also take the help of your editor to answer the comments or the questions of the peer reviewers after submission.

Medical Editing Service
Categories Scientific Communication

5 Things to do Before Sending the Manuscript to the Medical Editing Service

Author krishna kumar 0 Comments Posted on

To publish their research in an international peer-reviewed journal is every researcher’s dream. However, only a few manuscripts submitted to the journal make their way to the publication; rest get rejected. So, to make your place in those few accepted manuscripts, you must make a positive impression upon the journal editors and peer reviewers.

How?

Here’s the deal:

Submit your manuscript to the medical editing services company. It will help you prepare a polished and publication-ready manuscript and communicate your research ideas clearly and effectively.

However, before you submit your manuscript, go through the list of 5 things you must do:

1) Write the manuscript title yourself

The title of a manuscript is the most significant part of the research paper, but also the most difficult to write. That’ the reason authors leave this task on the medical editing service provider. However, as an author, you must write the title yourself, though you can take the help of the medical editor to improve it. In the title, tell the readers what your paper is about and why your study is significant.

2) Write your own abstract

The abstract of your manuscript is the first impression upon the readers. If it is impressive, a reader will read the entire manuscript. However, if you devote less time to prepare the abstract or leave it on the medical editor, you are wrong. A professional medical editor can help to refine the abstract and meet the desired word limit, but it is not his job to write it on your behalf. If you submit your manuscript with a clear written abstract, the medical editor will do his job better.

3) Format the structure of your manuscript 

Poor structure is one of the top reasons for the manuscript rejection. Before you write your manuscript, outline the sections and the flow of information within them. If you present your ideas in a structured manner, it will be easier for the medical editor to understand your intent and elevate your manuscript to a new level.

4) Ensure the accuracy of data 

Collecting data from various resources is an inherent part of scientific research. The research manuscripts include data in the form of tables, figures, graphs, or other statistics. Before you submit your manuscript to a medical editing companies, make sure your data is accurate and complete.

5) Proofread your manuscript

Read through your manuscript several times and fix all the spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, extra spaces, and other language mistakes. Make sure all the fonts are consistent and also check your references/citations.  This exercise ensures the medical editor spends quality time on your manuscript and not on typing errors.

To develop an effective manuscript that the journals accept is challenging.  A medical editor helps you to overcome this challenge, improves the quality of your manuscript, and increases your chances of acceptance. However, send the best copy of your manuscript to the medical editor so that it receives the attention it deserves.

What do Journal Editors Hate about the Research Papers
Categories Scientific Communication

What do Journal Editors Hate about the Research Papers?

Author krishna kumar 0 Comments Posted on

You have written a good research manuscript; also proofread and edited it to present an error-free paper in front of the medical journal editors.

However, few mistakes are still lurking in your paper which may irritate the journal editors?

Know what these mistakes are?

If no, then it’s time to read further:

1) The opening line

Isaac Newton discovered gravity after an apple fell on his head in 1664.  This is a known fact and doesn’t interest the editors to read further. So, always begin your paper with a sentence that provokes the editor to take an interest in your work.

2) Claims of originality

Sentences in the manuscript like “We were the first to…” puts off the journal editors. They expect you to write what you did and what were your findings. The results of your research will depict the originality of your work, you need not claim it.

3) Disregard for the word count

Every journal mentions its acceptable word limit in the “Instructions for Authors”. Read them carefully and stick to the recommended word limit when you write the different sections of the manuscript; abstract, methods, results, etc. Prioritize what is important for the readers to know and omit the unnecessary information.

4) Unnecessary digits

Do not confuse the journal editors with large numbers like 25. 4,532,785%. Limit the digits to whole numbers for percentages greater than 10.

5) Comparatives without a comparison

If you compare your work with some previous work in the same domain, write it clearly and precisely how your technique is better and with whom you compare.

6) Use of the wrong terms

“This technique is workable…..

“This technique is absolutely accurate….

If you use such statements in your manuscript, the journal editors do not like it. They look for clear terminology such as “sensitivity” and “specificity”.

7) Figure and table legends are incomplete

When you include any figure and table in your research manuscript, make sure to write their legends. Legends must provide complete information about their source and significance. If the editor has to flip through the pages to search for the desired information, he will put aside your manuscript.

8) Citing figures and tables in the discussion

Do not mention specific figures or tables in the Discussion section. It does not require referencing other sections of the paper in the Discussion.

9) Abbreviations without definitions

Do not assume that the medical journal editors will understand the meaning of the abbreviations or acronyms you use in the paper. Therefore, you should define when you mention them in the paper, both for the first time and also in the Abstract, Introduction, and Figures/Tables.

10) Excessive use of acronyms

Though you define the acronyms used in your paper, it doesn’t permit you to use them in excess.  Use acronyms judiciously so that the editors can enjoy your writing and focus on the main message of your research.

Take care of these common mistakes during your medical manuscript editing and impress the journal editors with your well-written document.

How Medical Editing Can Get Your Manuscript Published
Categories Scientific Communication

How Medical Editing Can Get Your Manuscript Published?

Author krishna kumar 0 Comments Posted on

Getting your manuscript published in a high-impact journal is a crucial part of gaining recognition for your medical research. So, it’s highly essential to acquaint yourself with the steps to be followed in getting your manuscript published.

Doing a thorough research on your medical topic and medical manuscript writing in strict accordance with the principles of scientific or medical publication are the preliminary steps you must pay heed to. However, it’s generally seen that 30-50% of the medical paper get rejected even before they are passed on for external peer review.

And one of the reasons for rejection is the use of poor language in the manuscript. Some authors do not take the initiative of proofreading their medical manuscript before submission, while others get it proofread by their colleagues.

If you think that writing a detailed medical article of your research and submitting it to the journal is the end of your responsibility, you are highly mistaken. It’s not the publisher’s responsibility to correct any grammatical or language errors in your paper. It is the author’s domain i.e. your primary responsibility to make sure that your research paper is in its best form before it is submitted for publication.

This is also important from the view of your reputation; reputation as a research scientist. Why give an opportunity to the publishers to pinpoint on your language and writing skills? Why not let them focus on the quality of your research?

So, proofreading and editing your medical manuscript is of paramount importance if you want to get it published in a high-impact medical journal.

Now, the question arises, what are the options for your medical manuscript editing?

Manuscript editing options

You can proofread and edit your manuscript yourself or get it done by your colleague. This will, of course, save you money, but before proceeding ensure that you or your colleague possesses the necessary skills for doing the job.

Many are of the opinion that proofreading and editing a medical manuscript is easy and requires just a perfect grasp of the English language, which, however, all do not have. Many of your colleagues do not have the necessary language as well as the scientific expertise to fully grasp a research paper. This may end in a level of editing that doesn’t match the requirements of the publication journal. It will only waste your time and ultimately nothing will come in hand.

Taking help from a professional medical editor can save you from such pitfalls. Before proceeding to hire one, you must understand what is medical editing and the role of a medical editor in getting your manuscript published.

What is medical editing?

Editing of a medical manuscript is way beyond eliminating the grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation errors in the document. It is the procedure of revising your manuscript to make each piece of information contained in it clear and precise. The language you use, the sentence construction, flow, and the clarity of the presented information are checked and revised during medical editing. After all, your manuscript is for the readers; to inform and instruct them about the new advances in the medical field. And it will be useless to publish a manuscript that doesn’t serve this purpose, that doesn’t engage your readers in reading your research paper. So, editing of a medical manuscript is crucial before it is submitted for publication.

Role of a medical editor in getting your manuscript published

As said before, editing of your medical manuscript is compulsory before submitting it for publication. And a professional medical editor is the person who carries out this responsibility in a flawless manner.

He/She is the one who is a language expert with precise knowledge of the scientific language and will make your manuscript ready for submission to the publisher. He/She will remove all the language errors, jargon, and awkward phrases used in the manuscript to make it readable and interesting for your audience.

Furthermore, they will ensure that all the facts, data, and figures enlisted in the manuscript are consistent with the guidelines of a scientific publication. He/She might inquire with you about the issues regarding logic and organisation of information or any missing piece of information in the manuscript.

So, don’t argue with your medical editor even if you hold a different opinion than him. He/She is not your critic, rather a support who helps you to present your manuscript in its best form. You might fear to lose your voice of opinion or style of writing in the hands of a medical editor.

However, that’s not the case. A competent medical editor views your manuscript from the reader’s point of view but also upholds your voice of opinion. In fact, he strives to make it better by rectifying all the loopholes which you might have missed.

Therefore, acknowledge the comments and queries placed by your medical editor for resolving the lapses in your manuscript.

Moreover, even if you are an expert in your field of medicine, writing a medical manuscript doesn’t come easily to you. You need to be a language expert too. And a medical editor is two-in-one. He/She possesses the knowledge of the scientific domain as well as the proficiency of the language used in the medical manuscripts.

So, hiring a professional medical editor is not a loss. It will indeed raise the chances of your manuscript being accepted for publication.

But, you must look for the following qualities in a medical editor before handing over your manuscript for editing:

  • They should possess a general scientific knowledge of the fields covered in the publication and be skilled in the art of writing, editing, and critical assessment.
  • They should be familiar with the general principles of statistics.
  • They should be able to make rational changes in the manuscript and notify you according to the set deadlines.
  • They must be impartial and honest in his editorial decisions.
  • They must be able to maintain confidentiality about your submitted manuscript.

Maintaining a positive relationship with your medical editor will go a long way in increasing the success rate of your manuscript publication.

Don’t Stop Here ! Contact our medical editing services experts to get your manuscript published.