Quality Control Editor Pete Marbais shares his experience with AJE's language editing service and some suggestions for researchers writing manuscripts.

Ask an Expert: Manuscript Editing | AJE

Here, we speak with Quality Control Editor Pete Marbais about his experience with our language editing service and his suggestions for researchers writing manuscripts.

Avoid common mistakes by structuring the elements of your sentences clearly, especially with regard to modifiers.

Editing Tip: Avoiding Misplaced Modifiers | AJE

One common mistake made by many writers is not structuring the elements of a sentence in the clearest manner possible, especially with respect to modifiers.

Editing Tip: Avoiding Misplaced Modifiers

How to choose the right article (a or an) with chemical elements.

Editing Tip: Indefinite Article Use with Elements | AJE

Chemical elements present some unusual exceptions to normal rules for usage of indefinite articles (a and an)

Choose the article based on the sound of the element when sounded out fully (e.g., 'silver' not 'Ag')

For isotopes, consider the sound of the element symbol first

Editing Tip: Indefinite Article Use with Elements

Introductory clauses are used to emphasize the relationships between ideas presented in two sentences or within a paragraph. Here are a few commonly misused introductory clauses and examples of their correct and incorrect uses.

Editing Tip: Introductory Phrases in Academic Writing | AJE

Introductory phrases can be tricky to use properly

Some introductory phrases are better for contrasting, others for highlighting similarity

Editing Tip: Introductory Phrases in Academic Writing

The term both is commonly used in technical writing to indicate similarity between samples, datasets, or values. However, the dictionary definition of 'both' — “one and the other” — does little to clarify the meaning or proper use of this word.

Editing Tip: Proper Use of the Term 'Both' | AJE

Authors often inadvertently cause confusion using the term 'both'

Both can be used as a pronoun or a conjunction

Use 'the same' only when 'both' is serving as a pronoun

Editing Tip: Proper Use of the Term 'Both'

Latin terms such as e.g. or in vitro are extensively used in scientific writing

Editing Tip: Proper Usage of Latin Terms | AJE

Keep in mind that e.g. and i.e. are not combined with etc.

Eponyms in scientific writing often involve a name used in a descriptive manner (as an adjective), followed by the type of entity they described (Achilles tendon, Boltzmann constant, Van der Waals force).

Editing Tip: Eponyms | AJE

An eponym is a type of noun or phrase that is based on a person's name (e.g., einsteinium)

‘Such as’ and ‘including’ offer two ways to mention or introduce examples in writing

Editing Tip: 'Such As' and 'Including' | AJE

'Such as' and 'including' offer two ways to mention or introduce examples in writing

If offset by commas, the examples are not essential to a sentence

Without commas, the examples after 'such as' help define the subject (as a restrictive element)

This article provides multiple tips for breaking up complicated sentences and improving the clarity of your work in the process.

Editing Tip: Strategies for Splitting Long Sentences | AJE

Editing Tip: Strategies for Splitting Long Sentences

Tag: Language editing

Ask an Expert: Manuscript Editing

Editing Tip: Avoiding Misplaced Modifiers

Editing Tip: Indefinite Article Use with Elements

Editing Tip: Introductory Phrases in Academic Writing

Editing Tip: Proper Use of the Term 'Both'

Editing Tip: Proper Usage of Latin Terms

Editing Tip: Eponyms

Editing Tip: 'Such As' and 'Including'

Editing Tip: Strategies for Splitting Long Sentences