How Much Editorial Support Is Enough Support?

Abstract

Research is a worldwide activity in the scientific world. Its [English] language, however, is not.  Editors are the custodians and gatekeepers of the scientific record along with that of language as reflection of record as well as scientific discovery . This raises a key question; What should we do with a submission containing good, useful science that is marred by the attempt of authors to cope with the norms of English-language academic writing and presentation?

On one hand, the editorial process must uphold the integrity of scholarly communication ensuring that manuscripts are scientific and ethical and presentable. On the other, it must be inclusive and accept that science can be hindered by language rather than by data. In this balance is the essence of responsible editorial practice.

At Advancements in Life Sciences, we have recently provided increased editorial support to the authors of a non-native speakers community of the English language. This support was aimed at perfecting the linguistic clarity as well as the overall research presentation. Importantly, the intervention was conducted under the applicable guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

In our support system, integrity of peer review was maintained during the editorial processing. Evaluation and revision of manuscripts followed the same strict criteria as was done with all other submissions, via independent peer review and editorial oversight.

So, how much support is enough?

It is enough to provide the authors with the ability to express their research findings in an understandable manner without compromising the standard peer review. However, this assistance should neither cross over to the borders of authorship nor nudge authors into making editorially biased interpretations. Importantly, any such support must be declared transparently.

We never know if the next big breakthrough for ongoing global challenges in life sciences will come from non-mainstream communities.