Publishing in an internationally respected scientific journal is one of the greatest achievements for any researcher. Reaching that goal, however, means overcoming a number of challenges, and one of the most important is producing a good translation of the scientific paper. The quality of the language and fidelity to the original content are crucial, especially when the language of publication is not the author’s own. In fact, more than 80% of the scientific publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science are written in English, even when they come from countries where English is not spoken.

A piece of research published in PLOS ONE found that 43.5% of Colombian doctoral students in the biological sciences had at least one paper rejected or sent back for revision because of grammatical problems in English. In addition, a study in The Journal of Electronic Publishing indicated that rejection rates are higher among non-native English-speaking authors, often for reasons connected with language proficiency. These findings underline how important an accurate, specialist translation of a scientific paper is for improving the quality of the manuscript and increasing the chances of acceptance in international journals.

Elsewhere, the publisher Springer Nature warns that the incorrect use of ambiguous abbreviations and imprecise grammatical structures is one of the most common causes of misunderstandings and editorial errors when scientific papers are reviewed. Turning to specialist translators who master both technical language and editorial conventions has therefore become an essential strategic step.

Why does a good scientific translation matter so much?

A high-quality scientific translation is not merely a question of form: it has a direct effect on the acceptance rate of papers in indexed journals, on the clarity of the message and on the author’s international reputation. Publishing a badly translated or badly written paper can lead to:

• Misinterpretation of the results
• Distrust of the methodology
• Rejection by the editor without peer review
• Damage to the researcher’s credibility

A translation produced by professionals trained in the relevant scientific field, by contrast, considerably increases the chances of publication, impact and citation.

Common mistakes when translating scientific papers

1. False friends: words that look alike in two languages but mean different things. For example, translating actual into Spanish as “actual”, which means present-day, instead of “real”; the English word for present-day iscurrent).

2. Literal translation: renderings such as “grupo de control” for control group without checking the technical context can be incorrect or misleading.

3. Inconsistent style: inconsistent use of the passive and active voice, or mixing academic English with informal expressions, affects the tone of the paper.

4. Errors in abbreviations: misusing abbreviations without defining them properly can cause confusion. For example: N/A, et al., cf., and so on.

Frequent abbreviations that need careful handling

e.g. – exempli gratia, for example

i.e. – id est, that is

etc. – et cetera, and so on

et al. – and other authors

cf. – compare with

sp. – species

spp. – species (plural)

n.d. – no date

N/A – not applicable

DOI – digital object identifier

Keys to a quality translation

• Clarity and concision: avoid redundancy, simplify without losing precision.

• Scientific fidelity: never alter the meaning of the results.

• Command of terminology: use the terms accepted in the field (consult MeSH, IUPAC and similar sources).

• Editorial adaptation: respect the citation style (APA, Vancouver), the IMRAD structure and the instructions for authors.

• Cross-review: it is essential that another professional reviews the final text.

The benefits of a professional translation for your career

Investing in a professional scientific translation is not simply one more step in the publication process: it is a strategic decision that can mark a turning point in your academic career. Some of the benefits of having your scientific papers translated professionally are the following:

1. A higher acceptance rate in indexed journals: one of the most immediate and tangible benefits is the increased likelihood that a scientific journal will accept your paper. The content is often methodologically sound, yet ends up rejected because of writing problems, ambiguous terminology or incorrect use of academic English. A professional translation removes those linguistic and editorial barriers, so that the manuscript is judged on its true scientific merit.
2. Greater international visibility and more citations: a clear, accurate and well-structured translation allows international readers to understand the research better. That means more readers, more citations and more references to your work, which is crucial for your h-index, your reputation and your funding prospects. A badly translated paper, by contrast, risks being ignored or misunderstood.
3. Less time spent on corrections and revisions: a well-executed translation keeps requests for revision from editors to a minimum, which speeds up the publication process. That saves not only time but also resources and energy. It also reduces the frustration of seeing a paper enter a repetitive cycle of corrections because of avoidable language errors.
4. International professional standing: researchers who publish in English tend to be seen as more competitive and better prepared to take part in international projects, apply for research calls abroad and join global scientific networks. A good translation opens doors to conferences, collaborations and academic mobility opportunities.
5. Terminological consistency for future publications: working with professional translators who build terminology glossaries for your field guarantees linguistic consistency across papers, theses, projects and future publications. That makes it easier to build a solid, recognisable line of scientific work that is respected in your academic community.

Real cases of poor translation and their consequences

Translation errors in scientific contexts are not merely anecdotal: they can have a real impact on credibility, on how results are understood and even on safety in clinical research. Some cases of poor translation in scientific papers are the following:

• False cognates that distort the scientific meaning. In a biomedical paper, for example, the term “actual” was translated literally as “actual” in Spanish, when it should in fact have been “real” or “efectivo”. This caused confusion in a table of results, because readers took the data to be “recent” rather than “verified”. The editor asked for a correction before considering peer review.

• Technical terms that are misunderstood. In an environmental science manuscript, “control group” was translated as “grupo de controlado”, which completely changed the methodological sense of the study. The statistical reviewer considered the error a critical flaw, and the paper was rejected.

• Abbreviations left undefined or misused. One instance of this appeared in a pharmacology study, where the abbreviations “spp.” (species) and “cf.” (compare with) were not properly defined and caused ambiguity in the phylogenetic analysis.

• Grammatical errors that affect the logic of the argument. One researcher translated a paper personally and used phrases such as “the results was analyzed”, which not only produced obvious grammatical errors but also led to the type of analysis applied being misunderstood. That damaged how the work was perceived by reviewers.

Taking all of the above into account, translation errors are not only linguistic barriers but structural failures that can invalidate the transmission of scientific knowledge. Relying on specialist professionals is therefore not an option but a necessity.

Discover our services

At Alos Soluciones Lingüísticas we understand that the quality of a scientific publication does not end with the research: it continues in the way that research is communicated. That is why we offer a complete set of services designed specifically for researchers, universities, research groups and technology centres.

• Specialist scientific translation.

We translate academic papers from English, French, German, Portuguese and Italian. We also adapt to the requirements of indexed journals (Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, Taylor & Francis and PLOS, among others), using technical terminology validated by international databases such as MeSH, PubChem and IUPAC. We assign translators trained in the author’s own discipline.

• Language revision and academic editing.

We correct style, grammar and flow in papers already written in English. We also offer cross-review by native speakers and professionals with editorial experience, and we format the manuscript so that it follows each journal’s rules (APA, Vancouver and others).

• Academic language training.

We offer online courses in scientific English and academic writing. We also run preparation workshops for conferences, thesis defences and similar events. In addition, we provide tailored training for researchers, doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers.

• Editorial advice.

We help with writing cover letters and we review responses to reviewers (response to reviewers). Finally, we provide consultancy for applications to European funding calls.

All our services include confidentiality, full traceability of the process and delivery within deadlines adapted to the researcher’s publication schedule.