GOOGLE SCHOLAR AS AN EDITING TOOL

In academic research, new words are being invented at a much faster rate than dictionaries (even online ones) can keep up with, while existing words are constantly changing their function and/or meaning.

How, then, does an editor decide whether an unfamiliar word is a misspelling or a ‘valid’ word that hasn’t yet made it into the dictionary, or whether a word that the dictionary lists as a verb can now be accepted as a noun?

As an editor, I would initially consult an online dictionary. (My personal favourites are the Oxford and  Collins dictionaries.) If my chosen word isn’t in a dictionary, I search for it in Google Scholar.

Use of Google Scholar to check words/phrases is based on the number of hits; however, incorrect words and phrases frequently return a significant number of hits, so finding a word on Google Scholar does not guarantee that it is correctly spelled; clearly, many errors pass the editing process.

Provided that there is a significant number of hits, comparing one version of a word with another based on the number of hits is a reasonably reliable way to decide which version to use. Even dictionary spellings are based on which ones are most commonly used, so this is an acceptable strategy.

For example, should “photo-caged” or “photocaged” be used in a scientific paper? (Neither is in the dictionary.) The former returns 440 hits while the latter returns 3,800. I would therefore use the latter as this is most commonly used.

Google Scholar frequently suggests corrections/improvements.
e.g. A search for the phrase “our manuscript titled” returns 101 hits, while the suggested correction, “our manuscript entitled” returns 800. (Suggested corrections do not always return more hits and may be incorrect, so should be checked with a new search.)

It should be noted that this is not a fail-safe method of ensuring correct writing; sometimes, errors outnumber correct versions. Here's an example:
The phrase “No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript” returns 528 hits. Clearly, this is incorrect and “exits” should be changed to “exists”; however, the correct phrase “No conflict of interest exists in the submission of this manuscript” returns only 214 hits - less than half the number for the incorrect phrase. This technique is therefore best combined with a good knowledge of English and the subject in question.

This is based on my own editing experience. I hope it is helpful.