More on British and American English

In a previous post, I had given a set of the more common rules for American and British English differences. Since then, I have received comments and emails asking me about how to submit to a journal that uses a form of English different from the one that you use.

I can speak for myself only, but it seems to me that if you send a high-quality scientific manuscript to a British journal using American English (or an American journal using British English), then, the reviewers and editor are unlikely to reject the manuscript because you spelled “favour” as “favor”. They may ask you to convert the manuscript the best you can, which is certainly not unreasonable. In the event they don’t, most quality journals with decent copyediting will make the conversion for you. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to do your best before submission.

Remember: when in Rome, do as the Romans do!

Here are a set of resources that you might find useful.

The instructions to Authors Web site for your target journal. Usually the journal may provide some instructions to the authors about style. In any case, emulate the papers that you see published in your target journal.

Oxford Dictionary for Scientific Writers and Editors

The Oxford Style Manual

Fowler’s Modern English Usage

And for Brits publishing in American journals:
Scientific Style And Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, And Publishers (CSE, Scientific Style and Format)

Thanks to Michelle at Corporate Writing Pro for some of the suggestions above. Image from <http://www.enduringamerica.com>.