Introduction

Scientific literature offers an important window into the way the world works, and being able to contribute to this body of knowledge is a privilege. In an ideal world, all scientific papers would start out as clear, concise, and compelling descriptions of scientific research. However, early-career researchers are still learning how to write well, and mid- and late-career researchers are busy people—editors work to help bridge this gap in quality between first drafts and final masterpieces.

The following pages contain editorial advice for avoiding common mistakes and addressing other problematic issues scientists and others encounter when writing in the field of biomedicine. This advice, in the form of brief (1–3 page) educational factsheets, was compiled over the first two years of running a scientific editing program at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY.^[1] The editing program shares these factsheets with our faculty clients and trainees through educational efforts to improve writing. Now, I am pleased to offer this advice in an open format where the content will be discoverable, accessible, and usable by a wider audience. Suggested uses are with students in the classroom, postgraduate trainees in mentorship programs, new editors during professional development activities, and faculty receiving editing support from faculty development and research development programs.

Each factsheet was designed to provide a quick overview of a timely editorial topic written in a friendly, supportive tone, with much of the content based on common knowledge in the field of scientific editing. A few further readings and resources are offered within particular factsheets to allow readers to take a deeper dive into the topic at hand. This e-book concludes with a Recommended Further Readings and Resources section, which details more comprehensive and authoritative resources on academic scientific writing that all writers and editors should keep close by when working on a project. Lastly, I encourage you to seek additional advice from the many great blogs on scientific writing produced by diverse scientific editors (too many to attempt to list in this e-book). There are surely other gems of advice waiting to be discovered.

Humbly, I now offer you the following words of advice I have accumulated over my multiple years as a scientific editor. On your journey, may your publication successes be many and your rejections few.