Why did you become an independent editor?
I joined LSE and LSEF because I enjoy helping scientists most effectively communicate their work to others and it’s fun to read about a wide variety of biological fields.
What do you like most about editing a paper?
The most fun part of editing a paper is learning the new science (and sometimes the old science!) in a topic area different from your own deep expertise. The most rewarding part is helping to shape the narrative so that the authors can tell their story in the most effective and exciting way so that others get to learn the same.
What do you like least?
When it’s difficult to parse the big idea of a paper from the way that it’s written.
What is your top tip for writing the best paper?
It’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of your data because you’ve been working on every last detail for years. My advice is to take a step back and explain to someone in a completely different field, possibly someone not in science, why you’re so excited about the findings in your paper and then to make sure that the paper is emphasizing the same points throughout its length.
What is the most common mistake people make when writing their paper?
Common mistakes include using too much jargon and not explicitly stating what conclusions each experimental result allows you to draw and how those fit into the bigger picture of the full manuscript.
When Stacie is not editing, she enjoys scuba diving, reading fiction, mixing cocktails, and playing with her dog Gatsby.