Writing for Publication

Failure to have your paper published in a journal or accepted for a conference due to poor editing or proofreading is a wasted opportunity.  Your submission won’t make it to peer review, and you won’t receive useful feedback.   For more information on editing and proofreading, please click here.

Editing and proofreading are two different processes and should be done separately.  

The editing process looks at two aspects of your writing, the content and the structure. 

Content

• Your writing should be clear and use appropriate language.  Don’t use the most impressive word, use the correct word
• Remember the purpose of your writing  
  • Should your language and tone be formal or informal?
• Don’t include irrelevant material.  Don’t “pad out” your writing with irrelevant material because it will confuse your audience and detract from your argument  
• Explain your argument and present a suitable level of supporting evidence 
  • remember to highlight the significance of your argument
• Ask yourself, does the piece make sense? Is there a beginning, middle and an end?

Structure

• Vary the length of your sentences
• Use a combination of the active and passive voice
• Look at the sentences and paragraphs
  • do the sentences have a noun and a verb?
  • have you included a topic sentence in your paragraph (if needed)?
• Remember to use transitional words and sentences to help your ideas flow
• Use signposts to help readers progress through the document. Signposting includes using sections or headings to divide the document.
• Be consistent with referencing material throughout the document