As part of my biomedical research consultant work, I provide help with preparing, reviewing, or editing scientific, medical, and clinical manuscripts. I am trained and experienced in microbiology. You can find more details in my Linkedin profile.
I am a lecturer in microbiology and a lab diagnostician of many years experience acquired both at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Kabete, Kenya, and the University of Nairobi. I teach microbiology, immunology, molecular biology among other subjects. I also review both student projects and thesis in microbiology. I am also an author and co-author of two manuscripts in veterinary microbiology currently in press at the University of Nairobi Press.
I just had a paper accepted for Science Advances where we used www.scilluminate.com
This was my first time being on a paper that used such a service, and they helped do a full re-write, shift paragraphs and sentences, fix the grammar, flow, whatever else, and it ended up being pretty impressive. I wasn't covering the cost, but seems like a decent deal for the actual service they provided.
(I've pasted this response elsewhere as I know lots of researchers have this questions, so you might see this comment on other threads)
Grammarly: Grammarly (https://www.grammarly.com/) is a popular writing assistant tool that helps identify and correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style errors. It suggests sentence structure, vocabulary enhancement, and overall writing improvements.
Microsoft Word or Google Docs: Word processors like Microsoft Word or Google Docs have built-in spell checkers and grammar checkers that can help identify errors in your writing. They highlight potential issues and offer suggestions for corrections.
LanguageTool: LanguageTool (https://languagetool.org/) is an open-source proofreading tool that checks grammar, style, and spelling errors in multiple languages. It provides detailed explanations for identified issues and offers suggestions for improvement.
Hemingway Editor: Hemingway Editor (http://www.hemingwayapp.com/) is a web-based tool that analyzes your writing for readability, highlighting complex sentences, excessive adverbs, and other areas needing improvement. It provides a readability score and suggestions for simplifying your writing.
ProWritingAid: ProWritingAid (https://prowritingaid.com/) is a comprehensive writing and editing tool that checks for grammar, style, readability, overused words, and other writing issues. It offers detailed reports and suggestions for improving your writing.
Zotero: Zotero (https://www.zotero.org/) is a reference management tool that helps organize and cite sources in your scientific paper. It can automatically generate in-text citations and bibliographies in various citation styles, saving time and ensuring accuracy.
As Tajinder mentioned, resources such as Grammarly, ProWritingAid, or Microsoft Word’s built-in tools can provide a starting point for simple grammatical corrections. They are cost-effective, user friendly, and relatively efficient.
As a next step, I would recommend engaging with a friend, local colleague, or your graduate adviser. Even if their English language proficiency is similar to yours, a second pair of eyes can often help identify issues that the original author may have inadvertently overlooked. Some schools even offer in-house editorial support via the university library or student services. Ask around, you may be surprised by the options available in your personal network.
After you’ve exhausted these resources, if your budget allows, I would suggest engaging with a professional editorial service. A professional editor can enhance the word choice, logic, and clarity of your writing, increasing the likelihood for manuscript acceptance.
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Best wishes for a smooth and successful publication journey!