Last year we pointed our readers and customers to this Nature article from late 2010, which provides advice on careers in science editing and lists a set of standards one should look for when choosing an editing company:

1. Select a company that specialises in academic editing and has field-specific editors with graduate-level training.
2. Be suspicious of companies that post testimonials with no names or affiliations on their websites.
3. Be wary of English-language editing companies based in countries where English is not the native language.
4. Ask to submit a 500-word sample edit to see how the company performs.
5. Look for a company with a web-based submission system (where a user logs in, creates an account and uploads the paper). Such companies are likely to be established organisations with a high level of security.
6. Don't just choose on the basis of price. Consider quality, convenience and turnaround time.
7. Seek a company that offers services such as formatting, help with selecting a journal or translation from another language.
8. Look for a company with a clear privacy policy that requires its editors to sign confidentiality agreements.

As part of our commitment to providing high standards of security and privacy for our customers (see point 5 above), we have recently improved our website security by installing an SSL certificate to encrypt all data communications between you and our website. This means that you will now see https:// and the green padlock symbol when you browse nextgenediting.com. We want you to know how seriously we take the issue of confidentiality when you entrust us with your data, and we hope that this gives you even more confidence in the quality of our services.

Please follow us on Twitter or Facebook to keep up to date with further developments and to receive special offers and discounts.






comments powered by Disqus

Tags: News, Customer service, feefo, Company, Website

We just wanted to give you a sneak preview of a new resource we are putting together - again, at no cost - to help you find relevant funding opportunities. We are compiling an up-to-date and fully searchable database of available grant, fellowship, and other funding opportunities offered by a range of organisations. Each entry is annotated with the funder, type of funding, broad area of research, and application deadline, and we also provide links to the specific funding details. We have started with funders in the UK and Europe, mainly within the biomedical sciences, and we already have over 200 individual entries. We aim to expand the database to provide a complete, one-stop resource for scientists to find funding opportunities, and we will try to keep it carefully curated.

We think that this will be phenomenally useful, not only for keeping on top of deadlines, but also for exploring other funders or funding opportunities you may not even be aware of. This is just one more way in which we are trying to make life a little easier for scientists (check out our free templates for your manuscript preparation, too). Remember that we can provide professional help with your applications (and see our take on Horizon 2020), and since the next two months are packed with deadlines, we are offering a 10% discount on all grant and fellowship editing until the end of April - see our Facebook page and Twitter feed for details and to find a discount code.

Finally, if you know of any funding opportunities that we have yet to include, please let us know - we can provide an even better and more complete resource with your help.






comments powered by Disqus

Tags: Nextgenediting, Publishing, #simplifyscience, Grant Applications, Grant editing

Those of you who regularly follow us will know that we feel very strongly about reducing barriers to scientific publishing. Manuscript preparation (author) guidelines vary wildly between different journals, from the sublime (see Cancer Medicine’s guidelines here, which only demand ‘a clear, generic and readable layout’) to the ridiculous (PLOS One being a notable culprit). We had considered naming the best and shaming the worst but decided against it - there are many sensible reasons for prescriptive manuscript preparation, not least to raise scientific standards (such as with guideline-driven statistical or clinical trial reporting) and improve accountability and transparency (such as full reporting of conflicts of interest or ethical statements). Not all journals have the editorial budgets they would like, and it is perhaps inevitable that some of the editorial burden is passed on to authors. Some are unnecessarily onerous, but we’ll leave that for another day.

However, complex author instructions remain a barrier, particularly if English is not your first language. Even well-seasoned scientists will have their papers returned from editorial offices from time to time for technical reasons. We therefore thought that, instead of complaining, we could be more solution-focussed and do something positive. That is why we have started to prepare a collection of free MS Word templates to help authors prepare their manuscripts for their target journal. We know that Thomson Reuters provide similar templates on their Endnote website, but these are very basic and many have not been updated for several years.

Our templates are journal specific and aim to contain all the required manuscript information under the correct section headings. Any additional information, such as conflicts of interest statements, are pre-filled at the correct point in the document. We have included example references (formatted using Endnote) in each file and provided links to Endnote style files - and a reminder that the wonderful Mendeley is a great free alternative for citation management. Additional web links are embedded in the templates where we believe them to be useful. These templates are free to use and share, but not for commercial purposes please.

This is a start and not a finish and if there is a template you would like to see, please just contact us using the request form - we will try to get that made as quickly as possible and post it for all to share. If there are errors or omissions, please just let us know. If you have a template you would like to share, you can upload it and let us know using the same form.

We hope that you find these useful - please spread the word via the usual social media channels (Facebook and LinkedIn) if you do or click here to tweet - our hashtag for this is #simplifyscience






comments powered by Disqus

Tags: Nextgenediting, Templates, PLOS One, Publishing, #simplifyscience, Manuscript editing, Endnote, Mendeley, free resources

Yesterday saw the UK launch of Horizon 2020, the European Union’s largest ever Research and Innovation programme.

Nearly €80 billion has been earmarked for innovative science in Europe over the next seven years. Horizon 2020 is subdivided into three main ‘pillars’: 1) Excellence in Science, 2) Industrial Leadership, and 3) Social Challenges, each containing a number of subdivisions and calls. The programme offers several opportunities for individuals of any nationality who wish to undertake research in one of the 28 EU member states or associated countries. As with the outgoing FP7 programme, many of the calls are consortium-based applications that require at least three partners and benefit from an emphasis on commercial/industrial participation.

EU Research Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn has promised a streamlined process and that “loads of red tape” has been cut out. Those familiar with FP7 might be a little sceptical - the scale and complexity of these applications is daunting and Horizon 2020 is no different. Harmonising work packages written by different individuals and groups is not straightforward and communicating the overall vision can be a challenge, even when English is your first language. Specialist third-party input and critical appraisal of your application can really give you a competitive advantage.

Nextgenediting can help. We will make your application stand out against the competition. As well as making sure that the individual components of your Horizon 2020 application are perfectly edited, your specialist editor will also focus on integrating the work packages and make sure that together they achieve the desired impact - a major scoring criterion for framework programmes. We will provide individual feedback, comments, and suggestions for improvement. We will work collaboratively with you until the moment your application is submitted.

Given that we pride ourselves on scientific excellence - a core aim of Horizon 2020 - we are genuinely excited about helping individuals and teams achieve funding success.

If you are an individual looking for funding and want to work in the EU you might be interested in exploring the funding opportunities provided by the European Research Council (calls now open for starting, consolidator, and PoC grants) and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA). Our clinician scientist colleagues may be interested in the calls on Personalising Health and Care.

For more information or a quotation, please contact us or submit your application via our manuscript submission page.






comments powered by Disqus

Tags: Grant Applications, Nextgenediting, Manuscript editing, Horizon 2020, Grant editing

Today (20th May 2013) Nextgenediting, a provider of premium scientific and medical editing services, launches the Nextgenediting Global Initiative. This free service addresses two unmet needs within the scientific editing sector: the provision of high-quality editing to authors from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and the provision of training for individuals seeking a career in medical and scientific editing.

Authors from LMICs face a number of barriers to scholarly communication, not least the frequently high charges associated with publishing the results of their research. Some publishers committed to open access of the scientific literature already meet the cost of publishing. However, unlike their 'first-world' counterparts, many authors from LMICs simply cannot afford the 'polish' provided by professional editing companies to help get their manuscripts published in highly competitive international journals. The Nextgenediting Global Initiative aims to remove this barrier.

Volunteer editors will edit the manuscripts submitted to the Initiative. In return for providing their time, Nextgenediting will provide these volunteers with professional feedback on their work. In addition, volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in an online training program with a focus on critical appraisal of the scientific literature, technology developments, statistical analysis, and ethics.

Company Director Sarah Aitken said: "We regularly see really high-quality manuscripts from scientists from the poorest countries, and until now we have been unable to help them. We have selected twelve talented volunteers who show a real passion to help these authors publish. The Global Initiative will ultimately help to develop local research skills and infrastructure in low-income countries and improve opportunities for inclusion in the global research agenda."

Nextgenediting is part of Nextgenology Ltd., a leading professional editing company based in the United Kingdom dedicated to improving science by providing quality editing, publishing, research, and educational services to the clinical, medical, and scientific communities.

For further information, please email: globalinitiative@nextgenediting.com or visit www.nextgenediting.com/nextgenediting-global-initiative
If you are an author from one of the eligible countries, you can submit your manuscript here.
If you are a publisher or journal editor who wants to find out more, or promote the initiative, please click here.

-END-






comments powered by Disqus

Tags: Nextgenediting Global Initiative, News, Company

We just wanted to post a brief update on the Nextgenediting Global Initiative.

We are now no longer accepting applications for volunteer editors. We received over one hundred applications, which was an unexpected and phenomenal response.

We have selected twelve individuals for the first phase of this exciting project, all of whom demonstrated that they have a real passion for the social aspects of the initiative, often very personally. 

We believe that we have struck the right balance in terms of experience and qualifications in the group. Half have doctorates, while the other half possess other experience or attributes which we feel will enrich the group and ultimately improve the quality of service. We believe that we can all learn a lot from each other through this diversity, and those with less experience can benefit from interacting with more experienced colleagues. Our focus will unashamedly be on the science, since we believe it is the quality of the science (and what we can do to improve it) that matters most to the successful dissemination of scientific endeavour.

We are starting to receive interest from authors from low-income countries, and we are pursuing links with publishers to improve visibility of this worthwhile cause. We aim to open our doors to submissions later this month, so please continue to let people know that this service is available and that we are eager to receive submissions.

For further information, please click here.
If you are a publisher or journal editor who wants to find out more, or promote the initiative, please click here.






comments powered by Disqus

Tags: Nextgenediting Global Initiative, News, Company

The science manuscript editing industry is largely unregulated. Many authors simply don’t know where to start when they take the plunge and decide - either for themselves of because a journal has suggested - to solicit the services of a professional manuscript editing company. That’s probably why, if you Google ‘science manuscript editing’, this Nature article from late 2010 appears in the first few hits: Publishing: A helping hand (Nature 2010; 468, 721–723).

It’s a really useful article for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it provides some advice on careers in science editing, and we will come back to that in another blog post. Most importantly for the consumer, it lists a set of standards one should look for when choosing an editing company. We have had these rules in mind from the earliest days of Nextgenediting, and we can now proudly say that we have met them all.

Their recommendations state:

1. Select a company that specialises in academic editing and has field-specific editors with graduate-level training.

Check. Our editors are subject-specific academics. Our science editors posses doctoral degrees, and out clinical editors possess doctoral and medical degrees. We don’t employ students.

2. Be suspicious of companies that post testimonials with no names or affiliations on their websites.

Check. We take pride in our service. That is why we are proud to announce that we are the first manuscript editing service to open ourselves up to unbiased, comprehensive, unfiltered review using feefo, the independent review company. See our reviews here or on Facebook.

3. Be wary of English-language editing companies based in countries where English is not the native language.

Check. We are based in London and Cambridge, UK. We do not hire non-native English speakers.

4. Ask to submit a 500-word sample edit to see how the company performs.

Check(ish). OK, so we do 300 word samples, not 500, but we will do 500 if you ask nicely.

5. Look for a company with a web-based submission system (where a user logs in, creates an account and uploads the paper). Such companies are likely to be established organisations with a high level of security.

Check. Our current system is security protected by Norton, we use at least three (on site and off site) backup systems, and later in 2013 we will be introducing personalised user accounts.

6. Don't just choose on the basis of price. Consider quality, convenience and turnaround time.

Check. One price, one great service. See our current turnaround times here, and feel free to compare prices with our competitors.

7. Seek a company that offers services such as formatting, help with selecting a journal or translation from another language.

Check. Formatting and journal selection are standard, as are manuscript-specific recommendations (which often amount to peer review) from the editor. Translation services coming soon!

8. Look for a company with a clear privacy policy that requires its editors to sign confidentiality agreements.

Check. All our editors sign confidentiality agreements and you can feel reassured that your data is safe.

So we’ve met the eight standards set by Nature. We feel proud of that, and we think it helps build trust.

But we think it’s our Global Initiative that really sets us apart. The Global Initiative best illustrates our ethos and values when it comes to science, training, and social responsibility, and that is why we we feel we are exceeding standards in this industry. We hope you agree.






comments powered by Disqus

Tags: Company, News, Customer service, feefo

Two and a half weeks ago we launched the Nextgenediting Global Initiative, which seeks to provide free editorial services to the poorest nations. Thank you for the very positive feedback and encouragement. We would like to give you an update on how things are progressing.

The response from would-be editors has been truly remarkable. Once again we would like to say a genuine “thanks” to all the applicants - over eighty so far - and we are reviewing these in detail in order to decide on the first ten or so who will take part in the first phase of this innovative project. We will inform all applicants of the outcome by the end of March, and there is still time to apply if you would like to get involved - just fill out the application form here.

The applicants so far offer amazing breadth and depth in both qualifications and experience (from grad students to professors, from lawyers to leading medical researchers). It looks like we can build a strong and vibrant community of editors of varying experience and seniority. This will allow for peer support for junior editors, while maintaining high editorial standards and subject-specific editing. We have also been struck by several applications from individuals who originate from the Global Initiative target countries, but who are now established researchers in developed countries. These scientists in particular recognise this unmet need for editorial help in these countries, and provide a first-hand perspective on what we are trying to achieve.

In response to comments, we have started to build an online forum for the editors, which will be a shared environment for discussion. Since Nextgenediting places the science at the heart of the editing process, we will organise regular journal clubs in order to hone critical appraisal skills.

A question we have been asked a few times is “Why only ten editors?”. Firstly, we do not wish to disenfranchise either our volunteers or the authors who submit manuscripts, and by keeping the initial number of editors small we can keep a closer eye on standards. Secondly, until we have support from the larger publishers, the number of documents we receive is actually likely to be rather small.

This is where you can help. Please tell people about this, and spread the word both online and in person. Let’s encourage the use of the service, so that we can grow the mutual benefit that the Nextgenediting Global Initiative seeks to provide.

For further information, please click here.
If you would like to apply to be a volunteer editor, please click here.
If you are a publisher or journal editor who wants to find out more, or promote the initiative, please click here.






comments powered by Disqus

Tags: Company, Nextgenediting Global Initiative, News

Today, Nextgenediting launches the search for volunteers for the Nextgenediting Global Initiative.

The Global Initiative aims to address two unmet needs within the scientific editing sector: the need for provision of high-quality editing to authors from low-income countries, and the provision of training for individuals seeking a career in medical and scientific editing.

Two events occurred here recently which brought home the need for innovation in this area. Firstly, we received a few manuscripts from low-income countries which were of high scientific quality. However, they required editing and the authors were unable to pay ‘high-income country’ editing fees, which represented 50-100% of their monthly wage. The second thing that happened was that Rubriq, a company based in the US, launched its portable peer review service which will see further fees passed on to the author (see a Nature news item here). This will place another barrier between the output from scientists in low-income countries, and publishing in recognised international journals. Although these developments are no doubt exciting (and indeed necessary) for those within the industry, they are also another source of global inequity in science.

We recognise that there may be a solution to this, hence the Nextgenediting Global Initiative. We receive many requests each month from individuals seeking to carve out careers in medical and scientific editing, but do not know where to start. We believe that one way to learn how to edit is by ‘on-the-job’ training, feedback, and mentorship.

By matching volunteer editors with manuscripts from low-income countries, and quality-assuring the process at Nextgenediting, we believe that we can improve the accessibility of editing services - and hence the quality of the communication of the science - without unduly harming commercial interests.

Everyone stands to gain: authors get their manuscripts improved at no cost and receive quality feedback on style and English, editors receive training, publishers receive higher-quality submissions, we meet our aims of being an ethical and socially responsible company, and society benefits from the dissemination of science which may otherwise not be published due to financial constraints or shortcomings in language and editing.

We believe that by offering these services at no cost to authors from the poorest countries, we will help remove another barrier they face in scholarly communication. The Nextgenediting Global Initiative will ultimately help to develop local research skills and infrastructure in low-income countries. This improves their chances of being included in the global research agenda.

We are currently in the first phase of the initiative - the recruitment of volunteer editors. Manuscript submission will start in April. While a core aim of the project is to support training of junior editors, we will also welcome experienced editors who wish to offer their services for free. Nextgenediting is absorbing the costs associated with the initiative, which is being offered on a non-profit basis.

For further information, please click here.
If you would like to apply to be a volunteer editor, please click here.
If you are a publisher or journal editor who wants to find out more, or promote the initiative, please click here.

Finally, please spread the word via social networking (links below or top right). This promises to be exciting.

The Nextgenediting Team






comments powered by Disqus

Tags: Nextgenediting Global Initiative, News, Company

comments powered by Disqus

Tags: Company

With the arrival of the New Year, the Nextgenediting team has decided to be more than just a faceless company and talk more directly with you, our visitors and customers - so here is the new Nextgenediting blog! Over the coming weeks, months, and hopefully years we intend to post regular snippets on what is going on inside the medical and science editing community, plus much, much more.

Here at Nextgenediting we’re not content just doing the day job - all of us have a passionate interest in science and medicine so we will bring you the best of what’s happening in basic and clinical science across the globe. We will keep a particular eye on publishing trends, news and developments from the publishers, and hints and tips on how to improve your manuscript submissions and achieve the highest impact. We’ll also let you know how you can use the latest technology to improve your papers, and keep you informed on what we’re doing to make our services better for you. Some of it will be serious, some technical, but we hope to develop a more informal style and try to keep you entertained. While we take our jobs very seriously indeed, we also believe there is some room in science for humour and entertainment!

We are on the regular lookout for new editors and we will use this blog - along with social media - to let you know when we are recruiting, so keep looking and sign up for our Twitter and Facebook pages. Our aim is not to be didactic, so please comment and contribute. We love to hear your feedback and by doing so we believe we will continue to achieve our (informal) motto - to exceed your expectations.

We are genuinely looking forward to having this conversation with you in 2013. Drop us an email if you have any thoughts or suggestions.

Best wishes to you all.

The Nextgenediting Team.






comments powered by Disqus

VESDAV8M3N74

Tags: News, Improvements, Company, New Year