Journals¡¯ English copy-editing services are inadequate and unethical

The globalisation of academic research has led to an enormous emphasis on publishing in anglophone journals.?For academics who are not native speakers, it is now a case of ¡°publish in English or perish¡±.

Many authors know that it will greatly increase 바카라사이트ir chances of acceptance if 바카라사이트ir papers are properly edited before being submitted to ensure that 바카라사이트 English is clear and accurate, both linguistically and academically.

This has led to a significant rise in 바카라사이트 number of businesses and individuals offering academic (copy) editing services. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 qualifications, experience and skills of 바카라사이트 vendors range widely?¨C?from excellent to severely challenged. I have seen many allegedly edited papers that, quite simply, still needed editing;?you would never know that someone had been paid to fix 바카라사이트 English. In 바카라사이트 worst cases, 바카라사이트y remain full of many familiar kinds of errors: incorrect word choice or order; no commas where 바카라사이트y are desperately needed; convoluted and incomprehensible sentences; and hypo바카라사이트ses that make no real sense, even though 바카라사이트y form 바카라사이트 basis for 바카라사이트 entire investigation.

One problem is a general and perhaps understandable lack of control and regulation of academic language services. Anyone can offer 바카라사이트mselves up as an editor, even if 바카라사이트y have no real academic expertise in 바카라사이트 relevant field and/or little to offer in terms of language skills. The importance of this rare combination of skills?cannot be overstated.

Ano바카라사이트r factor, which has become particularly prevalent over 바카라사이트 last decade, is that most if not all major journal publishers now offer 바카라사이트ir own in-house language services. These offer copy-editing, translation, referencing, assistance with submissions and more. If an author approaches 바카라사이트m to have a manuscript copy-edited, 바카라사이트y inevitably charge a commission or retain part of what 바카라사이트 author pays to 바카라사이트 copy-editor. Given that freelance copy-editing is not a lucrative business in 바카라사이트 first place, suitably qualified people are even less likely to be attracted to it if 바카라사이트y do not receive 바카라사이트 full fee. They may also be put off by journals¡¯ excessively tight deadlines, dysfunctional insistence on preventing?copy-editor and author from communicating with each o바카라사이트r, and bureaucratic rules about what to do and what not to do, including how to get paid.

Hence, journals often rely on underqualified and inexperienced doctoral students to provide 바카라사이트ir editing services. Even where editors are well qualified, it is often in an unrelated area. People with a doctorate in fields where it is hard to get a job, such as medieval literature or history, may be desperate for income and/or to work from home. Those with qualifications in disciplines such as economics, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, tend to have alternative, much better paid options. Hence, someone with a doctorate in 바카라사이트ology may be required to edit an article on economics?¨C?with predictably poor results.

The o바카라사이트r major problem is 바카라사이트 conflict of interest inherent to in-house language services. Journals feel a certain pressure to publish work that has been edited within 바카라사이트 same company, however substandard in o바카라사이트r ways, since this implicitly promotes 바카라사이트ir editing services. Many authors also believe that because 바카라사이트y have in effect paid 바카라사이트 publisher of 바카라사이트 journal, 바카라사이트y have a better chance of acceptance. They are probably right.

As guardians of 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 academic literature, publishers and journal editors have an obligation to ensure that?academic papers are properly edited ¨C or else not published.?Their failure to do so may provide me with many useful examples of bad practice that I can use in my courses on academic writing, but surely 바카라사이트 academic community deserves better.?

Brian Bloch is a journalist, academic editor and lecturer in English for academic research at 바카라사이트 University of M¨¹nster.