Academic Translation in Social Sciences and the Humanities for Research, Publishing, and Teaching
German–English · French–English · Spanish–English
Scholarly Translations
by John Rosenthal, PhD
I offer scholarly translations in the social sciences and humanities for academic publication, peer review, and teaching. With a PhD in Philosophy and extensive experience working with complex theoretical texts, I ensure translations that meet the expectations of international journals and academic presses.
About me
With extensive experience in research and teaching in the social sciences and humanities, I bring to scholarly translation not only full professional fluency in German, French, and Spanish, but also a deep command of the conventions of academic writing in these languages. For more than two decades, I have produced precise, publication-ready translations for scholars, research institutions, and academic publishers.
A native New Yorker, I have lived, studied, and taught in Germany, France, Belgium, and Spain. This sustained immersion in multiple academic cultures informs my sensitivity to disciplinary norms, stylistic expectations, and intellectual traditions across languages.
I hold a PhD in Philosophy, with a minor in Economics, from the New School for Social Research in New York, as well as a combined first degree in Literature, History, and Philosophy. My academic training also includes study at the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago, and a DAAD fellowship at the Free University of Berlin. In addition to teaching posts in the United States, I have been a visiting scholar in Economics at the Open University in the United Kingdom and a visiting professor of Political Philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure in Lyon.
My own scholarly work is interdisciplinary in orientation, spanning philosophy, economics, political science, history, international relations, international law, and cultural studies. This breadth enables me to translate complex theoretical and analytical texts with precision, terminological consistency, and stylistic fidelity.
Alongside my academic career, I have worked as a journalist and political analyst specializing in European politics and transatlantic relations. I have contributed to leading publications on international affairs, including Policy Review and World Affairs, and served as European Corresponding Editor for World Politics Review, where I also curated and edited a regular translation series from the international press.
I have published two books and numerous articles in English, and I have also published in German and French in leading intellectual journals such as Merkur and Les Temps Modernes.
Recent Book Translations
Carl Christian von Weizsäcker and Hagen Krämer, Saving and Investment in the Twenty-First Century: The Great Divergence (Springer, 2021)
Jean-François Pirson, Pratiques de territoire (Territorial Practices) (Cellule architecture – Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, 2020), bilingual French–English edition
Services
Translation
Scholarly translation requires more than an accurate and idiomatic rendering of the source text. It also involves the careful adaptation of scholarly apparatus from source to target language. I ensure that footnotes, references, and bibliographic entries conform to established English-language citation conventions and, where appropriate, I identify and substitute authoritative English-language editions of works cited in German, French, Spanish, or other languages.
My translations are designed to meet the expectations of academic journals and presses, preserving both the conceptual precision and the stylistic register of the original while producing fluent, publication-ready academic English.
Editing
I offer substantive editing and stylistic revision of texts written in English by non-native speakers, as well as careful revision of machine-translated drafts. This service focuses on improving clarity, coherence, terminological consistency, and adherence to the conventions of academic English, while preserving the author’s argument and voice.
While machine translation tools can be useful for producing an initial draft, they often struggle with key aspects of scholarly writing, including syntax, argumentation, disciplinary terminology, and the correct handling of citations and references. My editing addresses these limitations, bringing such texts up to the standards required for academic review and publication.
Proofreading
I provide final-stage proofreading for texts that are already complete and stylistically settled. This service is intended for manuscripts at or near submission stage and focuses on correcting residual errors in grammar, punctuation, formatting, references, and typographical consistency.
Proofreading does not involve rewriting or restructuring the text, but rather ensures accuracy, polish, and compliance with publication standards prior to submission or print.
Testimonials
John Rosenthal is a translator of rare talent. His profound knowledge of both German and English and his willingness and ability to truly understand the intentions behind my texts and to bring them into English played a crucial role in my being able to establish myself as a writer in the English-speaking world.
Matthias Küntzel
Political scientist and author
We are totally satisfied with the translation and proofreading services provided by John Rosenthal for our program of publications on architecture and visual arts. We especially want to note his professionalism, responsiveness and dedication to projects and their sponsors.
Wallonia-Brussels Federation
John Rosenthal’s excellent language skills and deep understanding of specialized terminology resulted in precise and reader-friendly translations of my scholarly articles and books into English. I would gladly work with him again and can recommend him unreservedly.
Hagen Krämer
Professor of Economics
Karlsruhe University
of Applied Sciences
Contact
Please use the contact form to get in touch.
I would be delighted to discuss your projects and offer you a quote!
