Enhancing the Quality of Research Publication: AuthorAID in the Eastern Mediterranean

Help is needed to close the gaps in knowledge dissemination and access One of the current barriers to international knowledge-sharing is the assortment of obstacles to publication that non-native users of English from resource-limited settings must overcome. 1 In some countries, efforts to build research capacity are hampered by limited access to English-language resources for the professional development and training of researchers, science editors and peer reviewers. Throughout the Eastern Mediterranean region, infrastructural, linguistic, economic and even political factors can limit access to professional development tools for both researchers and publication gatekeepers (editors and peer reviewers). Iran is a special case because despite the country's well-developed university system and active academic community, economic sanctions can make it difficult for scientists to obtain reference works and self-training resources. Hooman Momen, Special Coordinator for the Promotion of Multilingualism in the World Health Organization, has drawn attention to the recent increase in efforts to help developing-country researchers publish successfully. But significantly, he recognized that the current capacity of these initiatives is insufficient: " …an array of editors (language editors, author's editors, copy editors, technical editors and manuscript editors) is valiantly bridging the gap by trying to harness the output of scientists, whose mother tongue is often not English, within the syntax and grammar of the English language. They often succeed brilliantly, but the demand is so great and is increasing so quickly for the small and stagnating number of editors, that change needs to occur ". 2 In most developing countries, access to high-quality on-site editorial mentoring is limited or nonexistent. AuthorAID projects 3 are designed to overcome inequities in access to publication assistance by facilitating contacts between researchers and volunteer advisors. These advisors include scientific experts, journal gatekeepers, professional language editors and author's editors. The AuthorAID in the Eastern Mediterranean (AAEM) project 4-6 aims to increase the dissemination of research results from Eastern Mediterranean countries through editorial mentoring. AAEM advisors help researchers prepare manuscripts to a high standard of linguistic and editorial quality, and help editors strengthen the science journals published in the region. AAEM sometimes works via email but also provides on-site author-editing, journal management support and training. 7 where the idea for an AuthorAID project focussed on the Eastern Mediterranean region arose. The Eastern Mediterranean Association of Medical Editors (EMAME), which organizes periodic meetings 8 and communicates through its active email list, has made it possible to share knowledge and …