Copy-editing and transparency

• In Event: Meet the editors of the Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education: Bringing access, transparency, and kindness to publishing

Proposal

Introduction and Relating Publishing to Higher Education
The Directors of Copyediting will explain the crucial role of copyediting as both a quality-control process and a means of advancing the journal’s mission: making the knowledge of epistemically excluded scholars available to the world through open access and in so doing contribute to the advancement of comparative and international higher education. At the Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education (JCIHE), copyediting is not merely a technical step—it is an intentional scholarly practice that ensures authors’ contributions are preserved, respected, and presented with clarity for a global readership. The Directors in this presentation will share the multi-step process for copyediting and completion.

Theoretical Construct
Copyediting at JCIHE operates at the intersection of scholarly precision and epistemic inclusion. We work to remove barriers that can prevent important research from being accessible, understandable, and recognized within the wider academic community. This is done through a collaborative process with the authors, the copy editors, and the Directors of Copyediting. At the basic level, copyediting provides authors with clear style guidelines and explanations for edits. It is important to note that in this process, the author’s conceptual frameworks and linguistic choices are preserved, especially when grounded in specific cultural or disciplinary contexts. The ability to clarify language without diluting meaning, particularly for authors whose first language is not English becomes part of the copyeditor and author collaborations. It is of utmost importance to JICHE to ensure that the scholarship emerging from underrepresented geographies or theoretical perspectives is presented in a way that invites engagement from a global audience.

Methodology
The copyediting process has three stages. First, the Directors invite one of the many JCIHE volunteer copy editors to take on the review. Second, the copyeditor returns the review to the Directors who then engage in conversation with the author(s). Finally, the review process is completed and the article moves into production stage. A strong copyediting team supports the journal’s mission by making high-quality, theoretically grounded, and empirically rigorous scholarship more accessible across linguistic, cultural, and disciplinary borders. By strengthening the clarity and presentation of such work, we help ensure that contributions from epistemically excluded scholars are part of global scholarly dialogue.

Relevance to Conference Theme
The Directors of Copyediting will provide a behind-the-scenes look at copyediting as a collaborative and meaning-preserving process. We will share practical strategies for preparing manuscripts and discuss the challenges of balancing editorial standards with the imperative to maintain each author’s unique scholarly voice. This presentation acknowledges the conference theme of Power of Conflict as JCIHE publishes research that helps to advance current understanding of topics that frame and re-frame the study of comparative and international higher education. In copyediting, the Directors highlight the power of copyediting to support the circulation of diverse ideas that reframe and expand the field of comparative and international higher education.

Findings/Conclusion
Transparency in copyediting helps future authors understand and be a collaborator in the publishing process.

Author

• Al Dabiri, University of Missouri