How authors can speed up post-acceptance copyediting
Authors can speed up post-acceptance copyediting and get their papers published online faster by providing editable tables and high-quality figures, expanding all abbreviations, making sure citations and references are complete and accurate, verifying data accuracy, providing complete and accurate author information, being available to review proofs and respond to copyeditor queries, and limiting post-acceptance changes to corrections of actual errors. We’ll explore each of these in detail in this article, to understand how to minimize the time between acceptance and publication.
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Provide clear and high-quality images
Ensure that your references and citations are accurate
Provide accurate author information
The process of post-acceptance copyediting is a crucial step in ensuring the quality and accuracy of a manuscript before it is published. Since this is the final step before publication, copyeditors are extremely careful and may wish to query authors about potential discrepancies, seek clarifications for any unclear portions from authors, or ask them to check if a certain copyediting change reflects what the authors wanted to convey. Authors play a significant role in facilitating this process and can help minimize queries from copyeditors by adopting certain best practices. Here are a few effective strategies to avoid some of the most common queries during copyediting:
Provide editable tables
One common issue during copyediting is the difficulty in making changes to tables that are submitted as images or non-editable formats. To minimize queries, authors should provide editable tables in formats such as Excel or Word, allowing copyeditors to make necessary modifications directly. This will also reduce the potential for misinterpretation or errors.
Provide clear and high-quality images
Authors should ensure that all figures, diagrams, and illustrations submitted are of high quality and clarity. Images should be in a common format such as JPEG, PNG, or TIFF and should meet the resolution requirements specified by the journal. Providing clear and legible images will let copyeditors accurately interpret them.
Expand abbreviations
Any non-standard abbreviations should be clearly spelt out. This helps copyeditors understand the intended meaning and context, reducing the likelihood of queries or confusion. Authors should consult established abbreviations lists, such as those provided by the International System of Units (SI) or other relevant organizations, to ensure clarity and consistency.
Ensure that your references and citations are accurate
Accurate references and citations are vital for the integrity and credibility of a manuscript. Authors should double-check all references and citations, ensuring they are relevant, accurate, and complete. This will help minimize queries from copyeditors, and they can focus on formatting them. It’s a good idea to use reference managers like Zotero or Mendeley, or to get your manuscript professionally formatted prior to journal submission itself.
Ensure data accuracy
To ensure the integrity and reliability of a manuscript, authors should diligently double-check all data, including statistics, percentages, calculations, and numerical values. This practice helps minimize errors, inconsistencies, and queries during the copyediting process.
Provide accurate author information
Providing clear and accurate author information, including names, affiliations, and contact details, is crucial for proper identification and attribution.
Be available
The corresponding author, in particular, should avoid travelling or being unavailable for extended periods during the post-acceptance period, so that they can review proofs on time.
Limit post-acceptance changes
Do not introduce new data or chunks of text after acceptance. Limit your changes to correcting any actual errors.
By following these best practices, authors can contribute to a smooth and efficient copyediting process, thereby letting copyeditors focus on formatting per the required style guides.
