Tips and resources for non-native English speaking authors

Article Outline

• Copyright

The goal of The Journal is to advance pediatric research and serve as a practical guide for the continuing education of physicians who diagnose and treat disorders in infants and children worldwide. More than 60% of manuscripts submitted to The Journal are from corresponding authors outside of the United States; however, only 40% of accepted manuscripts are from other countries. Although manuscripts are usually not rejected on the basis of poor English, vital information may be lost or misunderstood by Editors or reviewers if not communicated clearly. Manuscripts are, however, likely to be rejected if they do not (1) adhere to the format of The Journal; (2) describe high quality research; (3) provide novel and important observations; and (4) seem appropriate for our readership.

The Journal has revised the Guide for Authors (http://jpeds.com/authorinfo) in an effort to provide authors with detailed submission requirements and expectations that may increase the potential for publication. We also have included the guidelines for reviewing manuscripts for The Journal so authors can write their manuscripts based on the criteria by which the reports will be judged. It is recommended that non-native English speaking (NNE) authors should, if possible, solicit an individual for whom English is his/her first language to review the manuscript prior to submission. Online resources, such as AuthorAid (http://www.authoraid.info/), can provide valuable assistance for all steps of the manuscript preparation process to NNE. The Journal's Guide for Authors now includes a list of online resources that may be beneficial to both English speaking and NNE authors. If you have suggestions for additional resources that can be added to the Guide for Authors, especially those that may be of interest to NNE authors, please e-mail them to journal.pediatrics@cchmc.org.