These are improvements which will be expressed not only through the text of that paper, but more importantly, through the student's writing ability and successive composition efforts. In my personal experiences with writing papers in the sciences, I often find it beneficial to have a non-science major read preliminary drafts to ensure that I am communicating my data and conclusions in a clear and concise manner. If the consultant is able to understand, and even clarify, my ideas, then I can be confident that my theories have been effectively expressed. I will then defer to a consultant more experienced in the subject matter, someone who can help me detect areas that may need revisions at a more scientific level. It helps to have a writing center consisting of writing consultants from diverse majors so that, should the need arise, a consultant lacking science experience may direct a student to a consultant of similar academic background.
Experienced readers do enjoy a certain advantage in dealing with familiar subject matter.
For example, knowing the structure of the standard four section lab report and understanding where the divisions lie between the information presented in each area can lend a definite advantage in a conference with this type of paper. A consultant majoring in the sciences is also better equipped to evaluate raw data presented in charts and graphs. The experienced reader will be able to ask knowledgeable questions dealing with serious scientific discrepancies, directing the student toward a better understanding of the experiment and inconsistencies appearing in their writing. Because science is such a broad and varied field, these seem to be the best general methods for working with scientific writing. Regardless of major, there are certain benefits that any consultant can bring into this type of conference.