How to Publish a Great Journal Article. Parker J. Wigington, Jr., Ph.D. JAWRA Editor-in-Chief

Transcription

1 How to Publish a Great Journal Article Parker J. Wigington, Jr., Ph.D. JAWRA Editor-in-Chief

2 Agenda Ethics Choosing the right journal Writing your paper Submitting your paper Navigating the peer review process Maximizing impact

3 Ethics Research misconduct is defined as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. (US Federal Policy) See: Best Management Practice Guidelines on Publishing Ethics: A Publisher s Perspective. Second Edition. Wiley (

4 Who should be an author? JAWRA All persons listed as an author of a paper are expected to have contributed substantially to its production and to be knowledgeable about the entire paper, including drafting or revising it for important intellectual content and reviewing and approving the final version to be published. Minor contributors should be mentioned in the acknowledgments section. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND Final approval of the version to be published; AND Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

5 Wiley s Best Practice Guidelines on Publishing Ethics Top Tips 1. Be mindful of breaches of publication ethics 2. Disclose conflict of interest 3. Accurately list those who contributed to the work and how 4. Comply with discipline guidelines for reporting standards 5. Take action and alert journals to suspected malpractice 6. Correct errors where found 7. Protect intellectual property

6 Additional Resources from Wiley Perspectives on Publication Ethics Blog series hosted on Wiley Exchanges by journal editors and Wiley employees dedicated to providing ideas, experiences, and information on ethical concerns in publishing Intellectual Property Group The referral body for review and approval of retractions and other publication ethics issues Ethics Helpdesk Publication ethics queries or matters may be submitted to at which point they will be directed to the appropriate person at Wiley

7 Choosing the Right Journal Which audience is right for me? Where do you read papers? Which journals do you like the most? Where were your references published? What do your peers suggest?

8 Evaluating the target audience Prestige Speed Audience Aesthetics Author service / experience Cost Likelihood of acceptance 8

9 Choosing the Right Journal Read Aim & Scope Read Author Guidelines Keep the Journal and the intended audience in mind as you write, or even before doing the experiments Think about what the editor/reviewer is looking for

10 Abstract Choosing best the Right practices Journal Capture key points Don t in simple aim too language. high Use keywords. Publication charges? opage charges? ocolour charge? Place essential findings first. Publication Speed: ospeed of peer review 7-10 sentences: Why did you do oonline publication research/what is after acceptance key conclusion? Reputation of the Editorial Board What were your research aims and methods for gathering data? More services beyond text and figures? How are findings valuable for your field?

11 How to Write Your Journal Article 1. Define Objectives and Scope 2. Establish Authorship 3. Select Journal 4. Outline 5. Write, Review and Revise

12 Typical Reading Order 1. Title 2. Abstract 1. Conclusions 1. Figures and Tables 1. Paper

13 What the Editor is looking for? Title Abstract: the only pieces of your manuscript reviewers will look at before they decide to review a paper Cover letter Figures Presentation of the manuscript

14 Title The first impression counts A strong title will convince the editor/reviewer and will attract readers leading to more citations Short not more than 15 words Informative main message, main finding of the paper Precise - Do not use vague titles Avoid starting with ostudies on. ocharacterization of.. ooptimization of. oinvestigations on. Do not use new or novel

15 Abstract Maximum 200 words (Pubmed truncates at 250 words) What are the significant results? Important methodology (Experimental systems) What are the conclusions/implications/applications? Start by writing in bullet points and take time to write and re-write this part with some distance Write in past tense No citations, avoid non-standard abbreviations Most important: First and last sentence

16 Figures and Tables Use strategically Must stand alone good caption Define abbreviations Use units correctly and consistently

17 Main Body Introduction Methods Results Discussion Conclusions

18 Improve your English Work with someone who is good at English writing Get the help of a native English speaker who is also familiar with the topic of your research Wiley Editing Services English Language Editing Translation Service Manuscript Formatting Figure Preparation wileyauthors.com/languagehelp 18

19 Manuscript Submission Manuscript text and files Names, addresses and affiliations of all authors Suggested referees (preferred and nonpreferred) Information about the manuscript pages, words, # of Figures Agree to journal polices copyright etc. Funding information Conflict of interest

20 Cover Letter Convince the editor of the importance of your work State in a few sentences what the paper is about (not abstract) Why does it fit the scope of the journal? Why is it novel? Why will it be of interest to reviewers? Think of the practical application Clarify any point that may raise question A statement that the paper has been read and approved by all the authors Write this for the EDITOR!

21 What is peer review? Peer review is the process of screening a submitted manuscript. The manuscript will be reviewed by professionals in the same field before it is published in a journal. The process encourages authors to meet the accepted standards of their discipline and prevents the irrelevant findings, unwarranted claims and personal views being published. 21

22 The Peer Review Process Paper submitted to Editor Editor sends paper to referees Referees return comments Editor makes decision Reject Accept 22 Return for revisions

23 Referees Look For: Is your article within scope for the journal? Is it of sufficient quality e.g. Is it novel and important work? Are the research, analysis and conclusions valid? Does it give a clear statement of aims and achievements? Is the presentation of figures, tables correct? Are calculations correct, do models work? Is existing literature cited appropriately? Is statistical analysis used appropriately? Areas for improvement Ethics publishing or experimental 23

24 Rules of Thumb It is rare that the reviewer is completely right, and the author completely wrong, or vice versa. Understand that editors and reviewers are trying to improve your paper; accept feedback as a learning experience. Always show the editor you are doing everything you can to improve the paper. Rejection/Criticism does not automatically mean that your work is not good. 24

25 Before You Respond Remember: Editors/Reviewers are just trying to help It s nothing personal! Don t get angry Don t respond immediately Seek advice from your supervisor or colleagues. 25

26 How to Respond Persistence pays answer questions, and address requests for revisions in a clear and timely fashion Avoid personal attack and defensive behaviour Be polite but not obsequious Address each point/comments in the order given Explain which changes have been carried out 26

27 Useful Reference Cargil, M., and P. O Connor Writing Scientific Research Articles: Strategy and Steps, 2 nd Edition. Wiley-Blackwell. 27

28 Questions?

29 Jim Wigington