Scientific writing & editorial consulting
Turning dense research into words people actually read.
I'm Joel Johnson — a freelance science writer, copyeditor, and manuscript consultant. I help researchers get published and help everyone else understand why it matters.
What I do
Five ways I can help
From first draft to final submission — or from a dense finding to a story a lay reader will finish.
Science communication for lay audiences
Translating research findings, technical reports, and complex concepts into clear, engaging writing for general readers — without losing the science.
Academic writing
Full drafting or co-writing of papers, technical reports, and literature reviews, structured to the conventions your field and target journal expect.
Manuscript preparation & copyediting
Line-by-line editing, formatting, and submission preparation to get a manuscript ready for peer review — and past it.
Data analysis & visualisation
Working through datasets and results to build the figures, tables, and analysis your paper or report needs to make its case clearly.
Grant writing & experimental design
Structuring proposals and study designs that communicate rigour and significance to the reviewers deciding on funding.
Latest publication
Recently in print
Selected work
A body of work in two registers
The same research, told two ways: precise for peer reviewers, plain for everyone else.
Science writing for lay audiences
Feature articles, explainers, and long-form pieces that bring research to readers outside the field.
Browse the portfolio →Academic & journal work
Peer-reviewed papers, technical reports, and manuscript editing across scientific disciplines.
Browse the portfolio →Have a manuscript, dataset, or deadline?
Get in touch →Get in touch