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Choosing an Editor

 

We suggest that you develop some criteria for selecting an editor with whom to work. You may want to consider an editor's areas of interest, knowledge, experience, and expertise; the nature of the task; and the time frame. We recommend that you discuss your project with several potential editors to see whose background, skills, and availability best match your needs.

Interest in an academic subject area is not necessarily the same as expertise, but both can be valuable. Some authors prefer to work with editors who have considerable expertise in a particular type of editing or communication service. Other authors might prefer someone with considerable content knowledge, who can easily engage with the work, offer perspective, and notice inconsistencies. Many authors prefer a combination of these attributes.

The nature of the task is another important consideration. Is the project in its beginning stages, when you might benefit from the services of a developmental editor? If you have a draft ready for editing, do you need a quick copyedit or a thorough manuscript evaluation? Or is the manuscript copyedited and ready for indexing and proofreading? In interviewing freelancers, it helps to be as clear as possible about the scope of the proposed collaboration.

It is also helpful to agree explicitly on the process for working together. Many editors and authors choose to meet in person to become acquainted and discuss the details of a project. Some schedule periodic meetings. In other cases, authors, publishers, schools, companies, and other organizations hire editors to work on site. Some clients and freelancers never meet at all, communicating entirely by telephone and email.

Finally, consider the time frame for your project. Some freelancers delight in small, quick jobs and may be available on very short notice, while others take on only a few intensive projects each year. Again, we suggest querying a few editors to find the best match.

CAEN Statement on Ethics

As editors who work with academics and other clients, we are concerned about academic and professional integrity. For many of us, ethical questions arise when we edit papers for students who will be receiving academic credit; editing for scholars and researchers poses other ethical dilemmas. Many CAEN members have academic and professional expertise in specific content areas and may be able to point out factual errors or suggest substantive changes; some may view this kind of editing as unacceptable in an academic context. As a group, we cannot set rigid standards for the wide range of tasks and fields in which we engage. However, we can suggest a few points to consider:

The researching, conceptualizing, and drafting of any work should be done by the author.

As academic editors, we correct errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, or formatting; point out problems in a paper's structure; and highlight concepts that need clarification. We polish, but we do not draft.

We have found that a writer can learn a great deal by paying attention to a skilled editor's work. When we take the time to explain why we suggest particular changes, we become teachers. Few ethical concerns are raised by this relationship between editor and client, which can be especially useful for authors whose first language is not English.

When we add the occasional transitional sentence or sharpen an argument, are we "doing the author's work" for her or him? Is it ethical for an editor to draft a new paragraph, suggest a new way to look at an issue, or add a citation? We suggest that this depends on the context. The acceptability of editorial changes varies with the purpose of writing and the policies of the writer's institution. Some academic departments, for example, allow and even encourage students to seek editorial help; other departments or institutions explicitly ban the use of editors.

All authors are responsible for compliance with the relevant intellectual property and other laws governing their work. In addition, we encourage students to research their departmental guidelines for working with editors, notify professors or supervisors about consultations with editors, receive advance clearance if required or recommended, and mention editors in acknowledgments.

Copyright © 2010 Cambridge Academic Editors Network