Research Editors

What makes a good editor? Here are some of the qualities and skills that make a good editor: Native English . Far more people in the world speak English as a second language than as a first. It is tempting therefore to think that simply having a high level of English is sufficient for an editor. However, the English language has a richness and depth that can only be fully grasped if steeped in it since infancy. This means that editors for whom English is not their native language will lack the proficiency and instinctive grasp of the language that native English speakers possess. Love of language . Natural editors have a deep appreciation and love of language. They love to read, often speak a second or third language and may have writing experience themselves. This affection manifests itself in their editing. They highly value accuracy, clarity and integrity in the written word and derive great satisfaction from improving and crafting it, drawing out the intended meaning with skill and

    If your editor has resigned out of the blue, it’s only natural to feel under pressure. With competing deadlines and large volumes of research to get through, the loss of an editor can cause major problems – including scheduling gaps that need to be quickly filled. In this piece, we look at the options available to you when an editor resigns. 1) Redistribute the work Redistributing the previous editor’s workload is the quickest and lowest-cost option. You don’t need to recruit anyone new and the problem is solved quickly. If you have the resources to cope with the workload, this is the most feasible option. However, this might affect your team. Given that most reports are time-sensitive, it could increase pressure on your other editors, especially in results season. If your team is already struggling to devote enough time and attention to their own work, the quality of the output overall could suffer. 2) Hire a new editor On paper, hiring a new editor sounds like the most sensible o