Academic Editing and Proofreading Guide for Non-Native Researchers

This guide is for postgraduate PhD and Master’s students who want to learn how to edit and proofread their own academic work before submitting it for publication. Whether you are preparing a journal manuscript for a Scopus-indexed publication, finalizing your PhD thesis, or polishing a conference paper, the language quality of your writing directly affects whether it gets accepted or sent back.

After editing and proofreading thousands of academic manuscripts across all types, lengths and disciplines (ranging from linguistics and social sciences, engineering and artificial intelligence, medicine and life sciences, all the way to finance and management), we want to highlight the most common language errors that non-native English speakers make when preparing their journal papers and research manuscripts.

We also provide examples of common mistakes and how to fix them. Language errors can be categorized into two major classes, namely, (1) technical, surface-level errors, which can be resolved by proofreading; and (2) formative, readability errors, which can be resolved by editing.

Before we take a closer look at all of the components involved, we should first clarify the difference between editing and proofreading. People tend to use these terms interchangeably, but there is a significant difference between the two, especially when preparing a journal article or thesis for submission.

What Is Editing in the Context of a Journal Manuscript?

Editing is a formative process that takes place on every draft of the manuscript. When you edit a journal paper, you are refining it in terms of sentence structure and composition, coherency and flow of ideas, clarity and conciseness, and academic tone. Editing improves the overall readability of your manuscript and brings it up to the standard that journal peer reviewers expect.

An editor aims to ensure that the journal article communicates the author’s meaning to the intended audience in the clearest way possible. This often means cutting irrelevant words and eliminating redundant portions of the text so that it is straightforward and concise. The editor makes choices about what to keep, what to remove, and what to develop in more detail.

In the editing process, semantics and factual aspects of the writing come into play. This is a broader process than proofreading, involving structural adjustment, rephrasing, additions, deletions, formatting, and commenting on the content. For journal manuscripts headed to peer review, this stage is critical because reviewers will assess your writing quality alongside your research quality.

What Is Proofreading for a Journal Paper?

Proofreading focuses on technical, surface-level issues of grammar and syntax rather than on semantics and readability. It is more corrective than formative. Proofreaders are essentially ‘word mechanics‘, focusing on adjusting grammatical/syntactic, punctuation and spelling/typographical errors.

Since it is not the role of the proofreader to address factual issues or the actual context of the research, they sometimes read one word at a time, or even read the text backwards, to pay closer attention to each individual sentence. Proofreading is a lighter process compared to editing, but it requires very careful attention. For a journal article, proofreading is typically the last step before the manuscript is submitted to the journal’s editorial system.

Which Comes First When Preparing a Journal Article for Submission?

If you plan to perform both tasks, editing should always come before proofreading. During editing, you reorganize portions of text, make additions and deletions to improve readability, adjust sentence structure, and refine academic tone. These are major modifications. Once editing is complete, proofreading for surface-level errors like typos and punctuation can be performed as the final step, right before your journal manuscript is submitted for peer review.

Many researchers make the mistake of proofreading first and then making structural edits afterwards. This wastes time because the structural changes introduce new grammar and punctuation errors that need a second round of proofreading. Edit first. Proofread last. Always in that order.

Editing Your Journal Manuscript for Readability

1. Coherence, cohesion and flow of ideas

Coherence and cohesion in academic writing is the ‘bridge’ between words, sentences, and paragraphs. Coherent and cohesive writing seamlessly connects ideas and concepts throughout your journal paper. This is the ‘glue’ that holds your argument together and ensures that your readers can follow your train of thought from introduction to conclusion. At the word level, always maintain parallel construction, which involves presenting words and ideas in parallel grammatical form, especially in lists.

Four factors to help maintain coherence in your journal article:

1. Arranging your statements, ideas and topics in logical order
2. Repeating key terms and nouns consistently
3. Using consistent pronouns throughout
4. Using strategic transition signals to link your ideas together

If your writing lacks coherence and you shift topics at the sentence and paragraph level, your readers will struggle to follow your argument. For example, if you are discussing Theory A, you should discuss Theory B next, not jump to Theory C. Journal peer reviewers are particularly sensitive to this. A manuscript that is difficult to follow will attract negative reviewer comments about “clarity” and “organization,” even if the research itself is sound.

2. Sentence structure and composition in journal papers

‘Let the reader find that he cannot afford to omit any line of your writing because you have omitted every word that he can spare’ (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

The most common issues with sentence structure in journal manuscripts are run-on sentences, sentence fragments, overuse of the passive voice and incorrect use of conjunctions. Avoid the use of very long and complex sentences. Journal reviewers read dozens of papers. If your sentences are hard to parse, they will lose patience quickly.

Run-on sentences are sentences that are improperly formed by connecting two independent clauses. Longer sentences are not necessarily better. Sometimes they are stretched too far and become run-on sentences. Sometimes a comma is inserted between two sentences, resulting in a comma splice.

Simplicity and directness should be your main priority. This can be done by using simple sentences, or by adjusting the sentence structure using a period, semicolon, comma, or subordinating conjunction. Some examples:

Incorrect run-on: I am writing a research paper It has taken six months.

Incorrect run-on due to comma splice: I am writing a research paper, It has taken six months.

Correctly splitting run-on in two: I am writing a research paper. It has taken six months.

Correctly using a semicolon: I am writing a research paper; it has taken six months.

Correctly using a comma and subordinating conjunction: I am writing a research paper, but it has taken six months.

Sentence fragments are groups of words that do not form a complete sentence. This is often a case of a missing subject or predicate. An example of a sentence fragment: Was implemented in the study. This can be corrected by adding a subject: A survey was implemented in the study.

Overuse of the passive voice occurs when you rely on passive constructions instead of active voice, which is generally recommended in academic writing.

Passive voice: The survey was completed by the participants in three hours.

Active voice (recommended): The participants completed the survey in three hours.

Incorrect use of conjunctions occurs when conjunctions are inappropriately used between clauses. This is a very common error in journal manuscripts written by non-native speakers.

Incorrect: Although the model achieved high accuracy, but it was relatively slower than state-of-the-art.

Correct: Although the model achieved high accuracy, it was relatively slower than state-of-the-art.

3. Clarity and conciseness in academic journal articles

‘A good style must first be clear’ (Aristotle, The Art of Rhetoric, 350 BC)

Clarity refers to concise sentences that are short, to-the-point and easy to read. Use words frugally to eliminate redundancy and wordiness. Adding too much irrelevant filler content dilutes your journal paper and shifts focus away from the topic being discussed. A good question to ask yourself about every sentence is: “Does this contribute to the argument?” If not, remove it.

Journal articles have strict word limits. Most journals cap manuscripts at 6,000 to 8,000 words. Every sentence needs to earn its place. Keep in mind that it is your ideas that should be complex, not the sentences discussing them.

Some tips to maintain concise writing in your journal manuscript:

• Remove unnecessary words that do not contribute to the meaning (The author attempted to meet the participants and requested for them to carry out the survey sessions [17 words] can be condensed to The author carried out the survey with the participants [nine words]).
• Merge synonyms together (Authors, researchers and scholars agree that… can be changed to Authors agree that…).
• Eliminate expletive constructions (it is, there are, there was). For example, There was a total of eight datasets for evaluation can be replaced with Eight datasets were used for evaluation.
• Edit mercilessly. Refine your sentences so that they are short, simple and to-the-point.

4. Academic terminology and tone for journal publication

Academic style comes with a formal, objective tone in the majority of disciplines. This distinguishes it from other types of writing, which can be more subjective in nature. For journal articles specifically, the tone must match the conventions of your target publication. Reading two or three recently published papers in the same journal will give you a clear sense of the expected register.

Here is what to avoid when writing your journal manuscript:

• Avoid the second person. Maintain your writing in the third person for theses (e.g. “the researcher conducted…” instead of “I conducted…”), and in the third or first person for journal papers, depending on journal preference.
• Avoid giving personal opinions. Discuss factual, logical arguments instead.
• Avoid unsupported claims. Always back up your statements by citing related studies.
• Avoid informality, slang, metaphors and figures of speech. Use formal words from a recognized dictionary.
• Avoid contractions (can’t, weren’t, etc.).
• Avoid exaggeration and vague writing. Precision is always preferred in journal articles.
• Avoid rhetorical questions.
• Avoid overuse of the passive voice.
• Avoid broad generalizations.
• Avoid an emotional or subjective tone.
• Avoid using too many adverbs and adjectives.
• Avoid casual, everyday language. Replace it with key terminology from the discipline of your research topic.

Proofreading Your Journal Manuscript for Surface-Level Errors

1. Grammatical and syntactic errors in journal papers

This involves checking your journal manuscript for any grammatical errors and fixing them. Some common grammatical errors in non-native journal articles are subject-verb agreement, noun-pronoun agreement, verb tense, squinting modifiers, overuse of adverbs, incorrect article usage, and active voice issues.

Subject-verb agreement

A singular subject should always correspond to a singular verb (the list is), while a plural subject should correspond to a plural verb (the lists are). A tricky example: the group of researchers is analyzing the results. The subject here is group, not researchers, so we use is rather than are. This type of error appears frequently in journal manuscripts and is one of the first things a proofreader checks.

Noun-pronoun agreement

If the noun is singular, the pronoun should also be singular. For example: Every researcher must specify his or her field of study. Since researcher is singular, the pronoun must also be singular. Conversely: The researchers must specify their corresponding fields of study.

Verb tense in journal articles

The most common tenses in journal papers are the simple present, simple past and present perfect. Getting verb tense wrong in a journal manuscript is a subtle but persistent error that reviewers notice.

The simple present is used to discuss a general truth or implications of results: This result demonstrates that…

The simple past is used to discuss a completed event: Smith et al. (2021) claimed that the majority of the population was in agreement with…

The present perfect is used for events that occurred at an unspecified point in the past: Researchers have investigated this phenomenon…

For research proposals, the future tense is used: This research will explore the existing literature on…

Squinting or dangling modifiers

A dangling modifier occurs when it is unclear what the modifier is describing. This is common in journal manuscripts where researchers try to write complex sentences.

Incorrect: To enhance the results, the experiment was conducted again.

Correct: The experiment was conducted again to enhance the results.

Overuse of adverbs

Using too many unnecessary adverbs makes your journal paper feel cluttered. For example, blaring does not need the adverb in blaring loudly, since blaring already implies loudness. Strong verbs are weakened by redundant adverbs. Use them sparingly, only if they genuinely contribute to meaning.

Article misuse

Article errors are among the most common mistakes in journal manuscripts written by non-native English speakers, particularly those whose native language does not use articles (such as Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Turkish, and many others).

• Use a/an with countable, singular nouns on first mention (a chair, an apple).
• Use an if the word starts with a vowel sound (an apple, an institute, but a university).
• Use a/an on the first mention, then the for later mentions. For example: I found an institute that teaches Computer Science. I later found that the institute also offers Programming courses.
• Use the to specify a particular entity or one that is well-known: the final exam, the universe.

Active voice in journal articles

In academic and scientific writing, using the active voice helps ensure clarity and produces more concise sentences.

Active voice: Smith et al. (2021) conducted a study on the new dataset.

Passive voice: A study on the new dataset was conducted by Smith et al. (2021).

Passive voice can be used strategically when the subject is implied or when you want to emphasize the action itself. For example: The participants each received a phone call one week prior to the interview. The passive is intentional here because the researcher wants to emphasize the action rather than themselves. When in doubt, default to active voice. Most journal style guides prefer it.

2. Spelling and typographical errors in journal manuscripts

‘That awkward moment when you spell a common word correctly, but it just looks so wrong that you stare at it forever, questioning its existence’

Spelling and typographical errors in a journal article signal carelessness to reviewers. They are easy to fix and there is no excuse for submitting a manuscript with them. Some tips:

• Use an automated spell checker first to catch obvious mistakes.
• Check whether your target journal requires US or UK English and remain consistent throughout your manuscript. This is determined by the journal or publisher and should be specified in the author guidelines.
• Be consistent with terminology. If you use “dataset” in one section, do not switch to “data set” in another.
• Pay attention to the capitalization of proper nouns and key terminology. If unsure, refer to a dictionary or the journal’s published papers for convention.

3. Punctuation and comma usage errors in journal papers

This involves checking the punctuation (commas, colons, semicolons, apostrophes) of each sentence and making sure they are applied properly. Correct punctuation enhances clarity and keeps content organized. In journal manuscripts, inconsistent or incorrect punctuation is one of the most frequently flagged issues during copyediting. Save punctuation checking for last, and inspect it carefully on a sentence-by-sentence basis.

Why Journal Manuscript Editing Matters for Non-Native Researchers

There is a reason that “language quality” appears in the reviewer feedback forms of almost every major journal. Editors and reviewers assess your English alongside your research. A journal article with strong methodology but poor language will receive reviewer comments asking for “major language revision” or “English editing required.” In many cases, the manuscript is rejected outright at the desk review stage before it even reaches a reviewer.

For non-native English speakers, this is not a fair fight. You are competing for publication space against researchers who write in their native language. Your ideas may be just as strong, your data just as rigorous, but if the writing does not meet the expected standard, reviewers cannot evaluate the research properly.

This is why professional journal manuscript editing exists. It is not about someone else doing your thinking. It is about getting expert help with the English so that your research is judged on its merits, not on your grammar.

A professionally edited journal paper communicates your findings clearly, follows the conventions of your target journal, and gives reviewers confidence in the quality of your work from the first paragraph. Combined with a language editing certificate, it demonstrates to editors that your manuscript has been prepared to publication standard.

Conclusion: Good Research Deserves Good Writing

If there is one thing to take away from this guide, it is that editing and proofreading your journal manuscript are not optional extras. They are part of the research process. A poorly written journal article with strong findings will struggle to get published. A well-written manuscript gives reviewers confidence in your work before they even evaluate your methodology.

For non-native English speakers, the challenge is real. You are doing research at the highest level but communicating it in a language that is not your own. That takes effort. And it is completely reasonable to get professional help with the language side so you can focus on the research side.

Start with editing: fix the structure, the flow, the clarity. Then proofread: catch the grammar, the typos, the punctuation. Do it in that order. And if you want a second pair of expert eyes before you submit your journal paper, that is what professional editing services are for.

Ready to submit your journal manuscript? PM Proofreading’s journal manuscript editing service covers grammar, sentence structure, academic tone, coherence, and clarity in one comprehensive edit. Every order includes tracked changes and a free language editing certificate accepted by Scopus and Web of Science journals. Upload your manuscript and get a quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between editing and proofreading a journal manuscript?

Editing is a formative process that improves the overall quality of your journal paper. It addresses sentence structure, coherence and flow of ideas, clarity, conciseness, and academic tone. Proofreading is a corrective process that fixes surface-level errors like grammar, spelling, punctuation, and typographical mistakes. Editing should always come before proofreading, because structural changes during editing can introduce new surface errors that proofreading then catches.

Why do non-native English speakers get desk rejected for language issues?

Journal editors often make an initial assessment of manuscript quality based on the English language standard. If the writing contains frequent grammatical errors, awkward sentence structures, or unclear phrasing, editors may reject the journal article before it reaches peer review. This is not a reflection of the research quality. It is a practical decision, because poorly written manuscripts are harder for reviewers to evaluate and more expensive for the journal to copy-edit. Professional editing before submission removes this barrier entirely.

Should I use active or passive voice in my journal article?

Active voice is generally recommended because it produces clearer, more direct sentences. “Smith et al. (2021) conducted the study” is more readable than “The study was conducted by Smith et al. (2021).” However, passive voice is acceptable when the action is more important than who performed it, or when the subject is implied. The best practice is to use active voice as your default and switch to passive only when you have a clear reason to do so. Check your target journal’s style guide, as some journals have specific preferences.

Do I need a language editing certificate for journal submission?

Many international journals, particularly those indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, require or recommend a language editing certificate when the corresponding author is a non-native English speaker. The certificate confirms that your journal manuscript has been professionally edited by a native English speaker. PM Proofreading provides a free language editing certificate with every editing order, and it is accepted by all major academic publishers including Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, and IEEE.