How MDPI’s Article Processing Charge Covers English Editing
As part of the production process for MDPI journals, all manuscripts go through minor English language editing once they have passed peer review. This ensures that all papers are grammatically correct and clear, as well as adhere to MDPI’s house style.
In this article, we look at how the article processing charge (APC) covers minor English editing, as well as the difference between extensive and minor editing.
What is the Article Processing Charge?
As an Open Access publisher, MDPI does not charge readers to view academic research, making high-quality scholarly content available to all.
The publication costs, then, are covered by the authors, who pay a one-time APC to make their work globally and universally accessible. This fee is used to cover the costs of the publication process, including peer review, dissemination of research, copyediting, typesetting, etc., as well as minor English editing.
Authors are only charged once accepted, and there are no extra payments to be made, e.g., based on the length of articles.
How the article processing charge covers minor English editing
The English editing process each MDPI paper goes through is a rigorous one. A highly trained and experienced English editor will ultimately ensure that
- The text can be clearly understood;
- Grammar and language are correct;
- MDPI house rules are adhered to;
- The manuscript is consistent and the author’s voice is maintained.
They are trained to avoid overediting, i.e., to not rewrite sentences that are already clear and grammatically correct, even if the text could be slightly better phrased. Thus, they make the least invasive edits possible and don’t risk changing the author’s intended meaning.
The APC covers this level of editing so that all published papers are clear and correct, ensuring consistency and accuracy across all MDPI publications.
Some papers, however, require a greater level of intervention to bring the language up to a publishable quality. It is ultimately the author’s responsibility to make sure the language of their work is of acceptable quality, as the language editing provided by the APC does not include significant intervention.
Minor editing vs. extensive editing
Minor editing is an important step in the process that helps minimise the negative effects that language errors can have on authors’ research, such as reducing its impact. Our aim is to ensure that all papers clearly convey the author’s intended meaning and that errors do not detract from the quality of the research.
Unlike the language editing process included in the APC, Author Services provides extensive editing to papers that are written in English that is unclear with many grammatical errors.
The editors carrying out this service are English experts who use their advanced knowledge to make edits in such a way that improves the clarity of the text while minimising the risk of changing the author’s meaning. Their work is then checked and approved by senior PhD-holding editors before being returned to the author.
Editors of these papers pay much more attention to phrasing and grammar. This includes significantly rephrasing, shortening, and combining confusing/wordy sentences; removing redundancy and repetition in language; resolving inappropriate word choice; and more.
How do I ensure the language of my paper is acceptable?
Writing clearly and accurately in English can be challenging, especially for authors publishing in a second language. To improve the quality of their manuscripts before submission, many researchers seek feedback from colleagues or use online writing resources, such as those provided on the MDPI blog.
By taking proactive steps to enhance the language quality of their work, authors can improve their chances of successful publication and ensure their research reaches a wider audience with maximum impact.
For authors who need more substantial improvements, however, there is no adequate substitute for professional language editing services. These services help refine clarity, grammar, and readability, ensuring that research is presented in the best possible way.
MDPI Author Services offers affordable and professional language editing services to all authors, whether submitting to an MDPI or non-MDPI journal. We provide a comprehensive language edit, correcting grammar, punctuation, and phrasing. Users of our Rapid Service will receive their edit within 1 working day.
