How to recognize, respect and restore author voice in scientific papers

Workshop review

As a manuscript editor who had never considered the aspect of voice in scientific writing, I was excited to attend this online workshop on How to recognize, respect and restore author voice in scientific papers by Kate McIntyre*.

Voice is defined as “recognizable traits of text that make a particular author’s text unique and that suggest the author’s attitude or personality”, and the workshop took us through the various constraints on scientific writing, how voice is expressed and how it can be lost, and how to help authors when their voice fails to come through. There was also a strong hands-on component with four breakout sessions, where we had a go at recognizing author voice, identifying classical markers of voice, diagnosing and treating different types of voice problems, and applying what we had learned to real-life texts.

Particular struggles faced by authors include difficulty in using their own voice in an area of writing characterized by a high level of formality and structure; erosion of voice by all the different players in the writing, revision and publication process; and the struggle of junior researchers to find their own voice while still lacking their own identity.

Some of the most interesting aspects of the workshop for me were how generative AI is changing the editing landscape, with a shift – at least in Kate’s experience – from editing “incomprehensible” texts to solving broader structural problems. Kate began the workshop by stating her belief that we need to think more about voice in the era of LLM-based generative AI tools, highlighting their ability to generate large amounts of text that is correct language-wise but not honed to the author’s message.

At a time when translators and editors are struggling to convey the value of our work as AI continues to dominate the conversation, and to understand how to navigate this new reality, my biggest takeaway was the greater need for editors who are focused on higher-level coherency and effective storytelling, and who are able to help authors “be themselves” when they write.
 

Review by Fiona Grace Peterson

*Sign‑in required to view Kate's MET member profile.