By Joely Taylor ELS(D), AE
The invitation
Late in 2025 I was invited by Science Editor, the journal of the Council of Science Editors in the United States, to write an article for its special issue on international perspectives in science editing and publishing.
At the time, I was a digital nomad as part of a working “gap year”. My husband and I had just completed a five-month driving trip across the United States and continued our travels in Australia once we returned home. Those many thousands of kilometres across red desert landscapes undoubtedly influenced the direction of my article.
The article
My article explores how Australia’s geographic isolation both challenges and shapes our scientific publishing identity. I framed the discussion through Geoffrey Blainey’s The Tyranny of Distance and drew on previously unpublished data from the IPEd Editors Directory, together with findings from the most recent IPEd member survey, to examine Australia’s science editing community.
The opportunities
Like Blainey, I considered both the advantages and disadvantages of Australia’s distance from the world’s major publishing centres. While geographic and cultural distance presents challenges, it also creates opportunities for Australian science editors to specialise in uniquely Australian content, including First Nations subjects and Australian-based research.
Although Australian journals constitute only around 4 per cent of global publications, they produce almost 8 per cent of the world’s most highly cited research.
My article concludes by arguing that Australian science editors have become adept at turning distance into an advantage through strong professional networks, favourable exchange rates, time-zone differences and expertise in preparing Australian content for international audiences.
The full article appears in the March 2026 edition of Science Editor.
Taylor, J. (2026). How the “tyranny of distance” influences science editing in Australia. Science Editor, 49(1), 31–35.