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English copy-editing services

At Copernicus, we understand your desire to publish the most polished article possible. Even after dozens of readings, the eye can overlook minute mistakes such as forgotten or misplaced punctuation, incongruent conjugation, or the occasional misspelling. Sometimes, however, manuscripts contain crucial errors that can affect the reader’s comprehension of the text or compromise its reception from the scientific community.

That is why Copernicus offers copy-editing as a standard service for most of its journals, and as an optional service upon request. Our team of dedicated copy editors brings a variety of skill sets and a spectrum of backgrounds to the table, applying a proficient balance of linguistic and scientific know-how to every manuscript they read. Their goals are to ensure your work adheres to scientific writing standards, grammatical accuracy, and overall readability. The latter encompasses aspects such as rephrasing awkward expressions and sentence structures or adjusting incorrect collocations. This can lend a more natural flow to your article and thus provide a more significant reading experience for your audience.

Based on the Copernicus concept of "copy-editing lite", we respect the fact that any changes made to your work is a delicate matter, which is why all revisions come back to you for confirmation; you might also choose to contact your copy editor during this process if you have questions. The important thing to remember is publication takes place only when you are satisfied with the text.

Key aspects to keep in mind during the copy-editing process:

  • Remark boxes are a means of communication between your copy editor and yourself. Remark boxes are used to convey any messages pertinent to the text. This can include requests for clarification or questions about the manuscript. In any case, it is important that these messages receive a response, as it could potentially affect changes made by your copy editor.
  • English variety: while we do not require any certain variety of English (American, Australian, British, etc.) to be used, we do strive to make each text consistent. In the event that a manuscript contains writing conventions from two or more varieties, your text will be adjusted according to your wishes.
  • Internationality: the English language has become the world’s lingua franca and with that reflects the diverse influences of its speakers. As a result, there are cases where grammar rules may contradict each other or do not take more current language use into consideration. In cases such as these, our copy editors will apply a house rule in order to guarantee consistency amongst journals.

Copy-Editing team

Contact me

Meredith Gunnells
Copy-Editing
meredith.gunnells@copernicus.org
Phone +49 551 90 03 39 80