Welcome to Research Medics’ page of most frequently asked questions
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Q: Does your company provide manuscript preparation services, or only editing?
Our service is comprehensive with regard to bio-medical research and publication. Our experts can engage with researchers at every level of the process from the inception of the research idea to publication of the manuscript. Just let us know what you need and we will quickly provide you with a free no-obligation customized service quote. Please visit the “our services” page to learn more about the services we have to offer.
Q: Do you offer different levels of editing?
Yes. Upon review of your manuscript, our expert editors will advise on the level of improvement they feel is most appropriate for your manuscript, and we will provide you with a free customized service quote.
We can also offer basic level manuscript editing, journal specific formatting, and reference verification. This basic service will include spelling, punctuation, grammar, and formatting consistency. The basic editing service will not include review or modification of the scientific content of the manuscript.
Q: What type of materials do you edit?
We offer editing services for a wide range of materials including: grant applications, research proposals, scientific manuscripts (original research, reviews, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, case reports, letters to the editor, commentaries, editorials, etc.), symposium and conference materials (abstracts, slide presentations, posters), cover letters, response to reviewers, bios and CV’s. We will also consider other projects. Visit the contact page on our website to let us know what you need.
Q: How long does it usually take to edit a manuscript?
The length of time will depend upon the amount of editing that is required. After expert review, a timeline for completion of the work will be provided with the free service quotation.
For basic editing, we aim to return the work to you within 48 hours of a quotation agreement.
Major work on a first draft, such as rewriting certain parts of the manuscript or carrying out statistical analysis, may take up to two weeks to deliver.
Publications aimed at very high-impact factor journals will, understandably, require more time for collaboration between specific expert editors, and statistical/technical editors.
Q: How is the editing done? Will I be able to see the changes made by the experts?
Where possible, we use the track changes feature in Microsoft Word to make any revisions to the material so authors can quickly and easily review all of the changes.
Q: Do you offer rush service, e.g., if I need my paper edited in a few days?
Yes, rush services are available upon request but may require additional charges. If you have a specific request or deadline, please contact us and we will do our best to meet your needs.
Q: Can I request that only part of my manuscript be edited?
Yes, you can. However, as we offer a free no-obligation service quote, we strongly advise that you send us the entire manuscript so the expert editor can advise on the work required to optimize publication success.
Q: Can you help me prepare my abstract?
Yes. The abstract is your opportunity to quickly convey the scope, purpose, main findings, and potential implications of your research. It is a crucial element in obtaining your goal of publication success. If you already have a draft abstract, please send it with your manuscript and our expert editors will review it and make any suggestions for improvement. If you don’t have a draft already, please let us know and we will advise on how to proceed.
Q: If I don’t understand or agree with some of the changes that are made, what do I do?
A dedicated publications specialist will be assigned to guide you through the entire publication process. At any time you can ask questions about the work provided, and the publications specialist will act as a liaison between you and our team of experts to answer all of your queries and concerns.
Q: Do you offer journal specific formatting?
Yes, just let us know your target journal and we will review their instructions to authors and help you format your paper accordingly. We will consider; the structure and length of abstract, standard use of abbreviations, font and style of the text, margins and alignment, references, running title and subtitles, figures and tables, and specific formatting of references. The manuscript formatting services will not include the review or modification of the scientific content of the manuscript.
Q: Do you edit, verify and/or format references in the correct journal style?
Yes. Our journal formatting service will include citation checking and verification. We will convert references to the specific journal’s format, verify citation details against published databases, and provide DOI numbers when available.
Q: Can you help me format images and graphics?
Yes, just send us the data/files that you have with details of what you need, and any journal specific requirements, and we will help you format your figures accordingly.
Q: Can I acknowledge your services in my manuscript?
Yes. To comply with good publication practices, all assistance in the preparation of your manuscript should be properly acknowledged in the published paper. We therefore grant permission to be included in the acknowledgment section. Here are some examples:
- We thank Research Medics for English language editing.
- We would like to acknowledge the medical writing and editorial assistance of Research Medics in the preparation of this manuscript.
Please be sure to tell us when your work is published so we can share your publication success.
Q: Can you provide an editing certificate?
Yes, just let us know that you need one.
Q: Do you provide pre-submission reviews of prepared manuscripts?
Yes. Receiving an expert review of your manuscript with constructive comments prior to submission will allow you to improve the scientific content of your paper, and increase your chances of publication success.
Q: What do you need from the authors to submit an article to a potential journal?
We will need the final author approved version of the manuscript plus any supplementary information, such as figures and/or tables. We may also ask whether the manuscript has been previously submitted elsewhere, and for a copy of any editor and/or reviewer’s comments. Please inform us of your target journal(s), or let us know if you need help with journal selection.
Q: Can you help me find the most suitable journal for my manuscript?
Yes. Selection of the right journal is extremely important in order to improve the chances of your manuscript being accepted. The journal selection can make the difference between rapid dissemination of your findings and a paper that is difficult to find and rarely cited. We can help you select the most suitable journal for your study. Our team of expert editors, consisting of published authors and former peer reviewers of various journals, will analyze your manuscript and recommend journals with the maximum chance of publication success and covering the appropriate target audience. For more information please have a look at journal selection service
Q: Can you help me prepare a suitable cover letter?
Yes. Strong cover letters not only introduce your manuscript – they offer an important opportunity to convince journal editors to consider your manuscript for publication. Our expert editors spare no effort to produce a cover letter that demonstrates the strengths of your article and highlights the significance and novelty of your research.
Q: Can you help me find suitable reviewers to recommend to a journal with my submission?
Yes. Selecting suitable reviewer(s) is critical to facilitating and surviving the peer-review process. Let our experts who are current or past editors/peer-reviewers for international journals, with extensive experience on both sides of the peer-review process, help you select potential reviewers to recommend to your target journal. Our experts will screen for research expertise in your subject area, and select potential reviewers based upon their recent publication record, academic experience, reputation, and geographic location.
Q: Do you offer post-submission support?
Yes. Our post-submission support services include assistance in responding to reviewers comments, and help with preparing and editing requested revisions or supplementary information. After acceptance, our publication experts can continue to support you by carefully reviewing and proofreading the prepared galley proofs, assisting you with answering any editorial queries, and helping you to prepare and submit your response to the journal.
Q: Can you help me reply to the reviewer’s comments and editorial queries?
Yes. If you provide copies of your originally submitted manuscript, the revised manuscript with highlighted changes, and the comments received from the editors/reviewers with your responses, we can help you in the preparation of a detailed response letter that answers all the points raised in the review process, and explains any major changes you made during the revision process.
Q: Do you offer resubmission support?
Yes. Resubmission editing is a service specially created for authors whose manuscripts have been rejected by a journal, or need to be revised before resubmission. We will first assess the peer reviewer’s comments and then customize an editing service package to deliver a manuscript that is consistent with the expectations of the target journal. We can also help with reformatting of your manuscript according to the guidelines of a new target journal, and provide a new covering letter and assistance with the submission of your manuscript.
Q: Can you help me revise a previously rejected manuscript?
Yes. Our medical writers can help you to re-write your manuscript, improve its clarity, format and structure, and ensure proper tone, coherency, logical flow, and consistency. We may ask you to provide previous versions of the manuscript, along with any editorial and peer review comments.
Q: Do you offer plagiarism screening?
Yes, we can offer plagiarism screening if requested. Any passages of text identified as potentially plagiarized will be brought to your attention with guidance on what to do to rectify this.
Q: What translation services do you offer?
Presently, we offer services in translation from Chinese to English and Spanish to English. We will soon be adding other languages.
Q: Do translation services include editing and formatting?
We offer unique translation services followed by substantive editing of scientific manuscripts for scientists, researchers, students, and corporate organizations. In addition, we can offer formatting and publication support. Please just let us know what you need and we will provide a free customized service quote.
Q: Do you offer any student services?
Yes, we do offer services for thesis or dissertation editing. However, thesis editing services will only be provided to students from universities that approve these types of services.
Q: What happens if we are not completely satisfied with the services offered?
Please let us know immediately if you have any concerns, and our experts will continue to work closely with you until all issues are resolved. We will not charge any fees until you are satisfied with the completed results.