A white paper published by Edanz Editing highlights the unique needs of researchers whose first language is not English.

English is the unofficial language of science; from conferences to research articles, it has achieved a sort of default status.

However, the increasing impact of scientific authors for whom English is a secondary language (abbreviated as ESL) makes it clear that this landscape is changing.

Edanz notes the increasing number of research manuscripts submitted to peer-reviewed journals by ESL authors, as well as their reported dissatisfaction with the process across all disciplines.

Prestigious research journals usually only accept articles written in English; ESL authors report that peer reviewers have rejected manuscripts based on the quality of English use, not on the scientific merit of the work.

This makes it difficult for ESL authors to present their findings to the international community.

In addition, Edanz notes, ESL authors face other barriers to publication success, noting that many ESL manuscripts are “submitted to inappropriate journals, do not conform to journal guidelines, and do not adhere to recognized guidelines for publication ethics.”

“It is clear that ESL authors from non-traditional markets will contribute to most of the future growth in scholarly publishing,” the paper concludes. “Therefore, journals and publishers need to shift their thinking, embrace these markets and authors, and adopt author-centric points of view.”

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