How important is the quality of the English language in a paper?

The findings reported in a paper may be cutting edge, but poor language quality –including errors in grammar, spelling or language usage– could delay publication or could lead to outright rejection of the paper, preventing the research from getting the recognition it deserves.

With ever-increasing standards of excellence in both research and publishing, it is in an author's best interest to make sure his/her paper is in its best possible form when submitted for publication - that includes the quality of the written English, adherence to the Guide for Authors, and the presentation of factual, accurate data.

In fact, we hear from numerous editors that the poor quality of English masks the possible scientific merit of some papers, and they are left with the difficult choice of returning it to the author.

Editors' comments

"...my current view is that the author should take as many steps as possible to make their article right before it is submitted..."

"... authors have to be responsible for ensuring at least reasonable language."

"Poor English is a worrying problem, especially when the scientific work is novel and deserves publication."

-- Language Editing Survey 2007

What can an author do before submitting a paper?

Before submitting a paper, we recommend authors refer to our Editing Checklist which provides a guide in helping identify common spelling and grammar mistakes.

We suggest authors consider using a language editing service to improve the English language usage and quality of a paper. A number of language editing companies will provide their services to our authors at competitive rates.

What impact does language quality have on the peer review process?

Once a paper enters the peer review process, it will be evaluated by both reviewers and editors on its scientific content and merit.

The responsibility to provide a paper written in a reasonable standard of English, and structured in adherence to the Guide for Authors, lies with the author. Editors and reviewers are not responsible for making language corrections.

Well-structured papers with correct language usage help ensure that the peer review process runs smoothly by allowing editors and reviewers to focus on scientific merit, and could result in the faster publication of research.

Initiatives offered before a paper enters the peer review process

We have instituted a new program whereby submitted papers will be initially screened, purely on the basis of technical standards - papers written with language of sufficient quality and in adherence to the Guide for Authors - to evaluate whether they are suitable for passing through to the formal peer review process. Papers that do not meet this set of minimum technical standards will be returned to the submitting author(s), along with a checklist of missing or insufficient items. Authors will be able to resubmit once they have attended to these technical insufficiencies. For more information, please visit our page dedicated to technical screening.

Our copy editing team

After your paper is accepted, our copy editors will prepare a proof of the paper. Final edits and changes may be made during this phase, according to a set group of standards.

Upon receipt of the proof, authors can review the content to ensure that the meaning and intention of their text has not changed during these editing phases.