Research editors verify factual information, write and edit, and research new ideas for print and online journals, book publishers, and other publications. A university degree in journalism, English, or a related field is usually required, along with experience in a lower-level editorial role or as a writer. Freelance opportunities are available, including photo editing.
Research editors verify the accuracy of factual information contained in manuscripts, find additional information to support written material, write and edit and research new ideas. To become a research editor for a consumer or trade magazine or book publisher, strong writing and editing skills are required. Gaining experience editing and conducting research for high school and university publications is a good step toward getting a job as a research editor. Internship is usually a good way to gain experience in that field.
Most research editors work for print and online journals, book publishers, medical and scientific journals, and other publications and organizations. Depending on the size of the publication, the research editor may do all the hands-on checking or oversee a team of fact-checkers or assistant research editors. Smaller publications generally do not have formal research editors. Rather, this task falls to lower-level editors.
Like other editorial professions, you usually need a university degree in journalism, English, mass media, communications, or a related field to become a research editor. An exception is for research editors working on scientific and medical journals that publish original research. Rather than being educated as journalists, research editors in these fields are often highly qualified specialists in their publishing fields, with strong communication skills that make them a good fit for working in an editorial field.
That said, the most common way to become a research editor is to first gain experience in a lower-level editorial role or as a writer. Many people start out as editorial assistants, assistant editors or fact checkers. Sometimes writers, used to performing research when writing articles, move to the editorial side and find that research editing is a good option. A strong curiosity and interest in the subject of the publication and the world at large are very important when looking to become a research editor.
Research editors may work on the publications staff or they may be freelancers. Once you get the proper education and editorial experience, finding work involves networking and looking through job postings to find open positions. For freelancers, building a large network of editorial contacts can open doors to becoming a research editor. Often, freelancers start work on fact-checking. Freelance job boards can also provide information on research jobs.
Another research editing position often held by freelancers is photo editing. Photo search editors identify photographs and images for books and publications and obtain the necessary usage permissions. They also select the final images to be used.
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