Editing,
writing, rewriting, and formatting of medical manuscripts, papers, and books
Editing and journal styles
We edit most medical manuscripts to AMA style, although we also offer APA and Chicago Manual styles, if required. If you have already targeted a journal for submission, we can additionally edit to that house style's editing, provided you let us know the name of the journal. (Note: some medical journals have stringent requirements regarding layout of tables, figures, and text.) If asked, we will check the format of references; we also offer a further service for checking the accuracy of references (reference verification).
We offer two types of editing for medical manuscripts: (1) line editing, and (2) substantive. Line editing encompasses spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, typos, basic paragraphing rules, parallelism, redundancies, and correct scientific unit presentation. Substantive editing, in addition, covers: checking correct in-text reference citation; restructuring sentences or paragraphs for better clarity and flow; highlighting any inconsistencies we find and which we cannot correct from context; congruent table and figure citations; and performing basic journal text formatting.
If you want to learn more about our general editing services, (especially editing definitions) see our editing web page. If you'd like to see, in general, how editing works, visit our Chicago Style Editing Demo Page. or our APA Style Editing Demo Page.
We edit in Microsoft Word; other programs, notably Adobe Acrobat do not provide the facilities that are needed. Generally, we set our page format into 12pt Time New Roman font unless an overriding concern exists to choose another type. Editing charges per page in this format are run US$5 to $8 per page for line editing, and US$8 to $15 per page for substantive editing.
We also are able to offer US or UK spelling and punctuation, if required. Let us know whether you prefer to have the tracking feature in Word turned on so you can see what has been changed.
Writing and rewriting of medical papers
We can rewrite papers if the need arises, typically if English is not your first language, or referees have suggested it. In such cases, we will need to see the paper first, plus any comments, before we can issue an exact quotation; rewriting a manuscript of about 3,000-3,500 words generally costs $150-$500, depending on what needs to be done. We can also shorten a paper if it is "overweight." We would need to see the paper and know the number of words it should be to give you a quote.
We can also write papers or monograph chapters for you if you're short on time. For this process to work, we will need to acquire an idea of your general writing style, copies of major papers you want to cite, and an outline of the paper. Reading time to assimilate papers and writing is charged by the hour; we do read fast, but our objective is also to master the terms and comprehend your particular field. Typical writing charges for a paper about a subject with which we are not familiar and associated reading charges vary considerably, from $500 upward.
Because we are extremely familiar with the NLM database (PubMed), and have dedicated source providers, we can obtain copies of journal articles and books. Generally, we charge $15 per article if it is not available online. We e-mail all articles, typically in Adobe pdf format. We also offer literature search services at $40 per hour; all we need is a list of subjects you wish to research and how far back in time you wish to go.
Formatting of figures, graphs, and tables
Some journals require specific formatting with regard to tables and graphs, and this we can also perform. In addition, we can also touch up or reconfigure graphs and images, depending on the file format. The cost of this work varies, but we will give you an exact quotation, if needed.
Areas of expertise
Through our expertise and background, we are able to work in most areas of medical research. This is an illustrative list of the kinds of areas in which we work with our clients: epidemiology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology, wound care, hyperbaric medicine, obesity, eating disorders, cost-effectiveness studies, evidence-based medicine, endocrinology, and metabolism.
We also have expertise within the life sciences, chemistry, psychology, sociology, and some other earth sciences. Visit our research studies page for more details.
