Know your enemy: 5 common language mistakes to watch out for
Spelling, punctuation and grammar can make or break an article. Good use of language can make a good article even better, but poor use of language can hide quality science, making it seem confusing,...
View ArticleHow to switch between active and passive writing
When you write something, you choose a voice for your text – a style that applies throughout – and it can be active or passive. For centuries, academic writing has favored the passive voice, but what...
View ArticleFormalizing your writing: 5 top tips
When you get into the flow of writing it can be easy to slip into a comfortable style, moving you away from your target audience. You might start to drop a few casual contractions or colloquialisms...
View ArticleTop language mistakes for rejection
Language through the eyes of Managing Editors Managing Editors read submissions before they are sent to a journal’s editor to make sure the submission meets certain requirements. When you submit your...
View ArticleWhy it’s best to ask a professional when it comes to translation
Today, the international language of science is English. But with as many as 7,000 languages spoken around the world, millions of researchers do their work and communicate about it in languages other...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Elsevier Publishing Campus: training, advice, live discussion and more
The Elsevier Publishing Campus was launched in April 2015 and has proven to be a great free resource to researchers all over the world. Whether you are looking for advice and training on getting...
View ArticleThe sentence not to start your paper with
The first sentence is vital in any piece of writing, including academic writing. It’s one of the first things a reader will see and it gives them a lasting first impression of your paper. It needs to...
View ArticleFirst impressions count: why getting published is like dating
Two people sit opposite each other at a table in a hall full of other couples. They smile and start to make small talk. It doesn’t really matter what they say at this point – they’ve most likely...
View ArticleGrammar rules
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Have you noticed that “overlook” and “oversee” have opposite meanings, but “look” and “see” mean the same thing? English is often...
View ArticleCommon mistakes: apostrophe use
Apostrophe use differs depending on the language. In Dutch, for example, apostrophes are used for plurals: taxi’s, baby’s, pizza’s. But in English, the apostrophes in these words would indicate...
View Article