The EASE Science Editors' Handbook is an invaluable resource for anyone working in the field of editing either in print, or digitally. It covers a wide range of subjects, including all aspects of copy editing and running a journal. It provides examples of good practice, plus hints and tips that can help to solve problems and support good decisions.
In September 2013, EASE published the Second Edition. This features 56 chapters written by 40 international authors with experience in all areas of science editing and publishing. Of the 56 chapters, 23 are completely new and all the others have been extensively revised and updated.
The Handbook is divided into the following six sections:
- 1. Editing: provides guidelines on copy-editing, working with tables and graphics, setting out lists, and standards for using numerals, symbols, references and indexing.
- 2. Nomenclature and terminology: features guidelines for non-specialists including anatomical, bacteriological, mineralogy, algae and plants, and biological and chemical nomenclature.
- 3. Policies and processes: covers the organisational issues that editors and publishers need to consider, from how to establish a new journal to how to establish effective working practices for processing manuscripts. It also covers the creation of policies to ensure ethical and efficient editorial systems, and how to ensure the journal provides sufficient guidance and support for authors.
- 4. Peer review: addresses an essential part of scientific publishing, looking at good practice and providing guidelines on managing peer review systems and developing suitable systems to meet the expectations of authors and readers.
- 5. Ethics: reviews one of the hot topics of publishing, and provides good practice guidelines for dealing with ethical problems.
- 6, Publishing and promoting: looks at the publishing issues that editors as well as their publishers need to consider. It explains developments such as DOIs and open access publishing, and provides guidance on legal issues and publishing different types of content in suitable formats and with effective presentation.
Pippa Smart is a research communication and publishing consultant, working for her own company, PSP Consulting. She has worked in academic and research publishing for almost 25 years for companies such as Cambridge University Press and Blackwell Science. She also spent several years working with editors and publishers in Africa and SE Asia to help them develop sustainable digital publishing strategies. Pippa now provides training for editors and publishers, consultancy services to journals around the world, and edits a newsletter for the Association of Learned, Professional and Society Publishers (ALPSP).
Hervé Maisonneuve, MD, is medically qualified from the University of Lyon with business administration qualifications (HEC, Paris). He practiced clinical medicine for ten years in hospitals in Lyon. He spent 10 years in clinical development in the pharmaceutical industry. In 1994 he joined the French national health care agency, and in 2000 became editor of a website dedicated to laparoscopic surgery. He is currently associate professor of public health (Univsersity Claude Bernard, Lyon 1), deputy editor at La Presse Médicale, and does consultancy in medical writing. Hervé was EASE President from 1994 to 1997 and Chief Editor of European Science Editing from 2000 to 2006. He has published books on medical writing in French, and runs www.redactionmedicale.fr
Arjan Polderman was educated as a biochemist at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. As a student, he joined the editorial committee of the Faculty Newsletter and since then editing has determined his career. His first job was with Natuur en Techniek, a Dutch-language popular science journal. In 1979 he became managing editor of Pharmaceutisch Weekblad and several scientific spin-offs, both in Dutch and in English. In 1982 Arjan joined the Wetenschappelijke-Redacteurenkring (Netherlands Association of Science Editors) and in 1984 he became a member of EASE. In both organisations he was a member of both the Editorial Committees and the Council. In 2006 he was elected President of EASE and since 2009 he holds the position of Past President.