2007 Short Course for Manuscript Editors

8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday, 19 May

Objective

To introduce beginning editors to the tools of the trade and to enable seasoned editors to stay competitive in the field.

Course Description

This 1-day course is designed both for novices and for experienced editors who need to stay current in the skills required for mechanical and substantive editing of scientific materials for publication. Full-group sessions address topics of central importance to scientific manuscript editors (grammar and usage; tables); concurrent afternoon sessions on statistics, ethical and legal issues, levels of editing, and freelance editing allow participants to customize the day and expand their knowledge in specific areas of interest.

The 2007 short course will include, for the first time, a faculty panel on text editing, grammar, usage, and jargon; participants will have the opportunity to hear a range of views on issues facing manuscript editors across the sciences. The session on tables provides a comprehensive overview that will serve as both a clear introduction to less-experienced editors and a focused, systematic review for more-experienced editors whose skills need refreshing. Previous sessions on editing text and tables have been among the most popular in the course.

Concurrent afternoon sessions address (1) ethical and legal issues that confront manuscript editors, including copyright and permissions, financial conflicts of interest, informed consent and IRB approval, and criteria for authorship and acknowledgment; (2) various systems for categorizing editing tasks, along with practical ways to think about and define levels of editing for a workplace or for a specific project; (3) an overview of statistics from a manuscript editor's point of view, including common statistical terms and tests and their relevance during editing; and (4) the rewards and challenges of freelance editing: how to be an effective freelance editor, how to find work and price your services, how to manage workflow and deadlines, how to satisfy clients with different needs, and what professional resources are available to freelance editors.

An opportunity for questions and informal discussion with course faculty ends the afternoon. All participants receive a three-ring binder containing course materials.

Who Should Attend?

Manuscript editors at any level of experience and expertise.

Faculty

• Course organizer: Margaret Perkins, MA, ELS, Director of Manuscript Editing, New England Journal of Medicine

• Stacy Christiansen, Director of Manuscript Editing, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
  
• Gordon Rudy, Managing Editor, Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
  
• Karen Hellekson, PhD, ELS, freelance editor; former director of copyediting services, Allen Press
  
• David Nadziejka, Science Editor, Van Andel Research Institute
  
• Jessica Ancker, MPH, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Course Organizer, CSE Short Course on Statistics