David Armbruster, Ph.D.

Scientific Editor

University of Tennessee Health Science Center

October 2010

Scientific Editing What’s so scientific about scientific editing?

What makes a good/bad scientific editor?

Issues

What training is needed?

What do I do all day?

Are jobs available for scientific editors?

What kind of texts do scientific editors edit?

What is scientific editing? Editing

Technical

What is scientific editing? Editing

Technical

Scientific

Medical/Nursing/Pharmaceutical/Dental/Clinical . . .

Good Traits for Scientific Editors Being willing to learn (constantly)

Talk to authors about their work

Read scientific journals

Check dictionaries (spelling, precise meaning) What does “bimonthly” mean?

Bimonthly: every 2 months (occasionally twice a month)

Good Traits for Scientific Editors Being willing to learn (constantly)

Understanding when rules can/should be broken

Split Infinitives Anyone? For many years, researchers have been attempting to

genetically alter certain viruses.

George Bernard Shaw (on split infinitives): “Every good literary craftsman splits his infinitives when the sense demands it. I call for the immediate dismissal of the pedant on the staff who chases split infinitives. It is of no consequent whether he decides to go quickly or to quickly go—but go he must.”

Good Traits for Scientific Editors Being willing to learn (constantly)

Understanding when rules can/should be broken

Knowing when/how to pick battles

Good Traits for Scientific Editors Being willing to learn (constantly)

Understanding when rules can/should be broken

Knowing when/how to pick battles

Respecting content expert

Good Traits for Scientific Editors Being willing to learn (constantly)

Understanding when rules can/should be broken

Knowing when/how to pick battles

Respecting content expert

Respecting communications expert

Good Traits for Scientific Editors Being willing to learn (constantly)

Understanding when rules can/should be broken

Knowing when/how to pick battles

Respecting content expert

Respecting communications expert

Being interested in any/everything

Good Traits for Scientific Editors Being willing to learn (constantly)

Understanding when rules can/should be broken

Knowing when/how to pick battles

Respecting content expert

Respecting communications expert

Being interested in any/everything

Learning how to ask right question

Good Traits for Scientific Editors Being willing to learn (constantly)

Understanding when rules can/should be broken

Knowing when/how to pick battles

Respecting content expert

Respecting communications expert

Being interested in any/everything

Learning how to ask right question

Knowing your strengths/limitations

Good Traits for Scientific Editors Being willing to learn (constantly)

Understanding when rules can/should be broken

Knowing when/how to pick battles

Respecting content expert

Respecting communications expert

Being interested in any/everything

Learning how to ask right question

Knowing your strengths/limitations

Understanding scientific methodology, formats

IMRAD

RO1 grant

Worst Trait for (Scientific) Editors Being a writer wannabe

Issues Philosophy of editing

Issues Philosophy of editing

Confidentiality

Issues Philosophy of editing

Confidentiality

Academic vs. governmental/corporate research

Training Excellent language skills, especially grammar

Editing courses

Document design courses

Science courses

Media expertise (software, Web)

Research skills

Apprenticeship/internship

Responsibilities as Scientific Editor Self-defined job

Edit articles, grant proposals

~150 manuscripts annually

Work more and more with nonnative speakers

Answer questions about scientific publications

Authorship

Tables/figures

Copyright permissions

How to respond to editors/reviewers

Other Job Responsibilities Library communications

Emails to campus, patrons

Print publications (library and university)

Newsletter

Signage

Committees (communications, Web Team)

Other Job Responsibilities Library communications

Oral presentation course

Other Job Responsibilities Library communications

Oral presentation course

Scientific writing workshops

Other Job Responsibilities Library communications

Oral presentation course

Scientific writing workshops

Communication ethics

Plagiarism workshops

Authorship

Duplicate publishing

Salami publishing

Other Job Responsibilities Library communications

Oral presentation course

Scientific writing workshops

Communication ethics

Book publishing

Jobs Health science centers (e.g., St. Jude’s)

Research organization (e.g., national labs)

Publishers (e.g., journals and books)

Pharmaceutical firms

Consulting (free-lance, editing)

What Do I Edit?

ExamplesBecause of difficulty to study genetic variation related to

hypertension in humans, researcher show Rat as a model. In a review article, Cowley (1) reported the progress of genetic dissection of essential hypertension in humans and in rat model. Cowley pointed that the next daunting task is gene identification and validaton.

In case genes in association study resulted inconclusive result, we do not include those genes as candidate genes.

Examples (more typical)A variety of heterocyclic analogs (for example, the

thiophene, furan, and 2-aroylindole analogs) not only display efficient inhibition of tubulinpolymerization, but also potently inhibits tumor cell growth, including multidrug resistant cancer cells.

Examples (more typical)Those studies demonstrate that cigarette smoking

increases oxidative stress and that, during lung cancer development, the formation of RNS results in the nitration and oxidation of proteins. Nitrotyrosine also accumulated in primary lung cancer of never smokers (46), which is attributable to tumor inflammation.

Questions?