Potential employers and clients of manuscript editors have no objective way to assess the proficiency of editors. The need for an objective test of editorial skill has long been recognized. To meet this need, the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences (BELS) developed a process for testing and evaluating proficiency in editing in the life sciences according to internationally recognized standards.
Why is certification important?
An internationally recognized certification paves the way for a practitioner in a field to avail of the benefits offered by all other stakeholders in the field. In the case of scientific, technical, and medical publishing, where "supply" and "demand" are not geographically localized, an international accreditation such as the BELS certification brings editors and authors closer.
- It provides qualified manuscript editors in the life sciences a way to demonstrate their editorial proficiency.
- It provides employers and clients of manuscript editors in the life sciences a way to identify proficient editors.
- It establishes a standard of proficiency for editing in the life sciences in particular and scientific editing in general.
There are currently more than 750 BELS–certified editors in 16 countries. The fact that 35 of the 38 BELS–certified editors in India are associated with Editage is a significant achievement in itself, and it validates the considerable investments made by Editage in quality and training.
