Copy Editing

The main objective of copy editing is to ensure that the text is clear and correct with regard to spelling, grammar (rules for sentence formation) and syntax (the combination of words and symbols that form correct sentence structure).

It is not intended that your text be rewritten in any other way. In particular, it is assumed that the scientific content and expression of the article have been checked and approved during the earlier peer-refereeing phases of the publishing process.

Many journal articles deal with highly technical or specialized areas, which have evolved their own systems for passing on information. A basic familiarity with scientific/technical/medical English on the part of the copy editor is assumed, but a detailed knowledge of the discipline concerned is not.

The following guide is the default copy edit document for all Elsevier journals. In addition, all journals are required to have a style sheet, which details journal specific copy editing requirements.

Author Responsibility
As the author of the submitted work, it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure clean, correct copy. Although the guidelines below list the activities and actions of most copy editors, it is essential that you submit text that is as correct as it can possibly be. If extensive editing is required by the copy editors, the publishing process may be significantly delayed.

Corrected by Elsevier copy editors

The following points are considered to constitute the ‘basic level’ of language editing and can be expected to be performed by editors of all Elsevier journals.

• Spelling errors: plain spelling errors in normal English words will be corrected; scientific words/terms will not be corrected for spelling errors.

• Incorrect word inflection will be corrected. Inflection is the addition of affixes to the word to change its relationship to the other words in a sentence. For example, the -s in dogs or the -ed in played.

• Fundamental errors in syntax must be corrected. Syntax refers to the combination of words and symbols that form correct sentence structure.

• Errors with singular/plural (verb–subject agreement) must be corrected.  (‘They is going…’ will be corrected to ‘They are going...’)

• Each journal will have its own rules for the usage of hyphens (-), en-dashes (–) and em-dashes (—), in which the length of the dash indicates a particular meaning. Misuse of these three dashes will be corrected.

• Incorrect use of definite articles (the) and indefinite articles (a, an) will be corrected.

• Missing full stops (periods) at the ends of sentences will be added.

• Spelling inconsistencies of the same word within the article will be corrected.

• Inconsistencies in the usage of units will be queried to you, the author. Consistency on an issue or journal level is not necessary and not enforced.

Not corrected by Elsevier copy editors

There are several language rules and usage errors that will not be corrected by Elsevier copy editors. Authors are advised to pay special attention to these items in their manuscripts, and to view the Journal’s Guide for Authors for standard rules of practice.

• Inconsistencies in active form (John threw the ball.) and passive form (The ball was thrown by John.) will not be corrected.

• Inconsistencies in the use of first/third person will not be corrected (switching from using the ‘I’ form to using the ‘he, she or they’ forms).

• Inconsistencies in the use of present/past tense will not be corrected.

• Punctuation will not be corrected, unless adding missing full stops at the end of sentences.

• The use of metaphors or figures of speech will not be corrected.

• Consistency in British vs. American English spelling: will not be done on an article basis, although inconsistencies in the spelling of an individual word will, of course, be resolved.

• Where a decimal comma is used (47,9), this will not be changed to a decimal point.