The EASE Science Editors’ Handbook

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:

• Editing: provides guidelines on copy-editing, working with tables and graphics, setting out lists, and standards for using numerals, symbols, references and indexing.
• Nomenclature and terminology: features guidelines for non-specialists including anatomical, bacteriological, mineralogy, algae and plants, and biological and chemical nomenclature.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ethics: reviews one of the hot topics of publishing, and provides good practice guidelines for dealing with ethical problems.
• 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.

Contents

Introduction to the Second Edition 410K pdf
Table of Contents 442K pdf

Paper copies

The Handbook is available in paperback format and the price is £20 for members and £30 for non-members. Orders may be placed online HERE.  Delivery may take up to two weeks. Please ask the secretary for details of postage on more than one copy.

ISBN 978-0-905988-11-5
Publisher: European Association of Science Editors

Digital version

EASE members can download individual chapters or sections of the Handbook  in pdf format. Please note that these documents are  for personal use or educational purposes only; they should not be forwarded to third parties.

About the Editors

Pippa Smart
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.

Hervé Maisonneuve
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 the Lyons hospitals. 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
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.