Careers in Scientific Editing: Results from the 2024 Scientific Editors Network (ScENe) Survey

The 2024 Scientific Editors Network (ScENe) Survey has shed light on the career landscape of scientific editors, a profession that plays a crucial role in ensuring clear and accurate scientific communication. With funding and publishing of scientific research becoming more competitive, the need for effective communication of research findings to diverse audiences has grown. However, there is a dearth of comprehensive data characterizing the scientific editing profession.

Aiming to fill this gap, the study collected data from 132 scientific editors across various aspects of their careers, including demographics, education, career experience, current employment, skills, types of editing, and outcomes and satisfaction. The findings reveal that while scientific editors share similar demographic traits, they exhibit considerable variation in job titles, employment mechanisms, and career pathways.

Interestingly, the survey indicates that the responsibilities of many scientific editors, such as supporting proposal development, applying best practices in grantsmanship, and identifying strategies to enhance competitiveness for research funding, overlap significantly with those of research development professionals. Consequently, the findings offer insights into how scientific editors can be integrated or better defined within research development offices.

Additionally, the results provide guidance on career trajectories for scientific editors, suggesting starting or advancing their careers. The authors believe that these findings will not only contribute to discussions on the future direction of the scientific editing profession but also identify areas for future research and professional development.