Publishing in English as a French-Speaking Researcher: A Guide

Your data are solid, your research question is relevant, and yet the manuscript comes back with the comment “the English needs to be checked by a native speaker.” For French-speaking researchers, publishing in an international journal means a double effort: producing rigorous science and presenting it in a language that is not their own. The good news: the obstacles are well documented, and you can prepare for them.

The language barrier, measured

A study published in 2023 in PLOS Biology by Tatsuya Amano and colleagues put numbers on what non-native English-speaking researchers experience, based on a survey of 908 environmental scientists of eight nationalities. Among early-career researchers, for example:

• those with moderate English proficiency take about 50% more time to write a paper than native speakers;
• their papers are rejected because of the English about 2.5 times more often (38% had experienced such a rejection, versus 14% of native speakers);
• around 43% are frequently asked to improve their English during revisions, versus 3% of native speakers, a gap of about 12.5 times.

In other words, language weighs on careers regardless of scientific quality. The authors call on journals, institutions and funders to act, notably by providing language support rather than leaving each researcher to cope alone.

Statistical rigour, the reviewers’ first test

Flawless English cannot rescue a weak analysis. Reviewers first check that the method answers the question asked and that results are correctly interpreted. In 2016, the American Statistical Association published a statement of principles that remains the reference on p-values: a p-value measures neither the probability that the hypothesis is true nor the size of an effect, and conclusions should not rest solely on passing a threshold.

In practice, a strong manuscript presents:

• an analysis plan justified by the research question and the nature of the data;
• checks of the assumptions behind the tests used;
• effect sizes and confidence intervals, not just p-values;
• a transparent account of missing data and analytical choices.

For health research, the EQUATOR Network lists several hundred reporting guidelines (CONSORT for trials, STROBE for observational studies, PRISMA for systematic reviews, and more). Following them from the first draft avoids many rounds of revision.

Choosing the right journal and avoiding predatory ones

Predatory journals and conferences actively solicit researchers, often by email, promising fast publication for a fee without genuine peer review. In 2022, the InterAcademy Partnership, a global network of more than 140 science academies, devoted a full report to the problem and urged researchers, institutions and funders to protect themselves better.

The Think. Check. Submit. initiative, backed among others by COPE, DOAJ and OASPA, offers a simple checklist. Before submitting, make sure that:

1. you or your colleagues know the journal, and its name does not mimic another one;
2. the publisher is clearly identified, with verifiable contact details;
3. the peer review process is described;
4. the journal is indexed in recognised databases and its articles are archived for the long term;
5. publication fees, and any waivers, are clearly stated;
6. the journal is a member of recognised organisations (COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, etc.).

Only submit if you can answer “yes” to most of these questions.

Your pre-submission checklist

• Do the title and abstract clearly state the question, the method and the main result?
• Have the statistical analyses been checked by a second qualified person?
• Has the text been reviewed for language and substance by a specialist in your field?
• Does the manuscript follow the target journal’s author guidelines (length, reference style, figures)?
• Has the journal passed the Think. Check. Submit. test?
• Does the cover letter explain in a few lines why the paper matters to the journal’s readers?

How SciAut SID helps

SciAut SID is not software: it is a scientific support service for researchers, PhD students and students, quoted per project. It covers precisely the steps described above:

• Data analysis: statistical analyses suited to your research question, with reliable, interpreted results.
• Proofreading and editing: clarity, structure, consistency, grammar and formatting reviewed by specialists in your field.
• Scientific translation from French into English, respecting the terminology and nuances of your work.
• Publication support: from manuscript preparation to submission to international journals.
• Article summaries: the results, interpretation and conclusions of a paper, with an objective critique.
• Research watch: every month, conferences, workshops, grants and mobility funding, with the summaries subscription.

Conclusion

Publishing in English as a French speaker is not a matter of talent but of preparation: a rigorous analysis, a clear text and a well-chosen journal. You do not have to carry it all alone. Discover SciAut SID and request a quote for your project.

Sources

• The manifold costs of being a non-native English speaker in science — Amano et al., PLOS Biology, 2023
• American Statistical Association releases statement on statistical significance and p-values — American Statistical Association (via ScienceDaily), 2016
• EQUATOR Network: Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research — EQUATOR Network, accessed 2026
• Combatting Predatory Academic Journals and Conferences — InterAcademy Partnership, 2022
• Think. Check. Submit. — Journals checklist — Think. Check. Submit., 2023