Science needs to hear from everyone.

Diverse voices advance science better than just a few. English is the dominant language of science, but much of the world does not speak English as their first language. This creates additional barriers for many scientists trying to communicate their important ideas and results. If we want to advance scientific understanding we need to hear from all the brilliant voices of the world.

What does Peer Edits do?

Peer Edits aims to facilitate a supportive volunteer community of editors and writers of science. It is, and always will be, free of charge. We encourage connections amongst scientists who are looking to improve the clarity of their English writing and those offering to help.

Writers provide scientific manuscripts, grant proposals, or job or fellowship applications ready for the editing stage. Editors help with the clarity and structure of writing rather than the content, but they might also help to navigate some of the ‘unspoken rules’ or expectations that might otherwise act as a barrier.

While acknowledging that reinforcing English as the dominant language of science is not a perfect solution, we nevertheless hope to provide voluntary and free support for anyone looking to improve the clarity of their English science writing. We are here to help one another.

Why did we create Peer Edits?

“As an editor of a scientific journal, I saw some really great manuscripts that were not able to be properly assessed or were not ready for publication simply because of the clarity of English writing. Professional editing services were available, but they were very expensive and didn’t always result in an acceptable final product. At the same time, there exists a large community of scientists who are eager to help with the peer review process and to globalise the voices of science. As a community we can reduce the barriers that currently exist for scientists trying to communicate their discoveries. “

- Dr. Andrew McAdam, University of Colorado