Publishing Scientific Research Jacco Flipsen Editorial Director May 2013
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 2 Agenda Introduction: the scientific output is growing Composing a publishable manuscript To think about before submission Peer review Choose your journal Structure your manuscript Publishing ethics Submit your article and next steps Define Impact Books and more
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 3 Brief personal introduction MSc in Biology, Wageningen University, the Netherlands 1994 PhD in Chemistry, Utrecht University, the Netherlands 1998 MBA Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands- 2010 Started at Kluwer Academic Publishers, now Springer in 1999 14 years of academic publishing experience in books, journals with a focus on life sciences
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 4 Agenda Introduction: the scientific output is growing Composing a publishable manuscript To think about before submission Peer review Choose your journal Structure your manuscript Publishing ethics Submit your article and next steps Define Impact Books and more
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 5 QUESTION: WHEN WAS THE FIRST SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE PUBLISHED?
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 6 Philosophical Transactions the world's first science journal In 1662, the 'Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge' was given permission to publish by King Charles II In March 1665, the first issue of Philosophical Transactions was published The goal was to inform the Fellows of the Society, and other interested readers, of the latest scientific discoveries As such, Philosophical Transactions established the important principles of scientific priority and peer review, which have become the central foundations of scientific journals since Source: Royal Society Publishing (link)
Log # articles Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 7 Trends in Science Technology and Medicine (STM) Publishing: publication rates 7 Historical increase in research outputs 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050 Year Based on data published in Jinha, A. E. (2010). Article 50 million: An estimate of the number of scholarly articles in existence. Learned Publishing 23 (3): 258 263.
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 8 Research output in scholarly publications in Kenya 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Citable documents Source: http://www.scimagojr.com
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 9 Research output in scholarly publications in Kenya 2011 Biomedical Life Science Medicine Engineering/Physics Humanities/Social Science Other Source: http://www.scimagojr.com
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 10 Selection of African journals on SpringerLink African Journal of Cancer/Journal Africain du Cancer African Archaeological Review African Journal of Urology Journal Africain d Hepato-Gasroenterologie Afrika Matematica
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 11 Selection of recent ebooks published on SpringerLink
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 12 QUESTION: WHY SHOULD YOU PUBLISH YOUR RESEARCH FINDINGS IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS?
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 13 Why should you publish? Present new and original results or methods Exchange ideas, communicate with peers Advance (not repeat) scientific knowledge and enhance scientific progress Credibility of results Grant writing, research funding Recognition and career advancement Personal prestige, satisfaction and enjoyment
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 14 Why should you publish? Funding Bodies Grant writing Researchers Scientific Publication
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 15 Why should you publish in English? English is the international language of Science Foster (international) collaborations Develop an international status / reputation
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 16 Why not just blog about your work? Scientific publishing through reputed publishing houses ensures: Quality control Innovative publishing technology (POD/PTO, XML) Preservation Professional publishing services (e.g. Abstracting & Indexing ) Global marketing, global visibility and FINDABILITY
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 17 Agenda Introduction: the scientific output is growing Composing a publishable manuscript To think about before submission Peer review Choose your journal Structure your manuscript Publishing ethics Submit your article and next steps Define Impact Books and more
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 18 Composing a publishable manuscript Think of the challenges the Editor-in-Chief is facing: Number of submitted manuscripts is increasing Quality (scientific content / language) of submitted mss varies Risk of overburdening the editorial board Difficulties to find appropriate reviewers 1400 1200 1000 % 800 600 Journal numbers Journal MS submissions 400 200 (Daniel McGowan, Edanz, 2012) 0 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 Year
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 19 Composing a publishable manuscript Think of what the Editor-in-Chief wants to achieve: Journals that want to enhance their status / increase impact will be selective to what is accepted Manuscript should stand up to peer review (quality / language) Novel to the scientific community Of interest to the readers of the Journal Pass the selection process of peer review
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 20 Peer Review Differentiation in types of peer review: Discipline specific: open / blind / double blind Done before (traditionally anonymously), open or after publication Rejection Major revision Acceptance Minor revision Very few manuscripts get accepted without the need for any revision (Daniel McGowan, Edanz, 2012)
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 21 Reading before writing Read broadly Know the status quo of your field of research Have access to the most up-to-date scientific literature Develop concise writing skills as well as specialised vocabulary Determine a feel of (kind of) Journal you wish to publish in Narrow down the research questions in the appropriate context Citation of most appropriate research
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 22 QUESTION: HOW DO YOU CHOOSE YOUR JOURNAL?
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 23 Choose your Journal After completion of the research, but before writing up Select your readership/audience (aims and scope) Impact (regional / global, visibility, Impact Factor) Competing / collaborating researchers Cost (subscription journal / open access / page charges)
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 24 Choose your Journal Ask library staff Ask colleagues for experience with particular journals Useful tools available http://www.edanzediting.com/journal_selector
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 25 Choose your Journal: Business Models Who picks up the bill? Who owns copyright on the final published article? Subscription journals vs Open Access journals
2010 Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 26 Choose your Journal: Business Models Subscription journals The time for discrete institutional paper subscriptions is past Online deals for large consortia (400+), reaching 8000+ institutions Accountability: USAGE In general: copyright of the FINAL PDF is with the Publisher/Society: Springer allows to post the final accepted ms to be posted on author s homepage No publication charge Option to publish OA PDF for author
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 27 Choose your Journal: Business Models Open Access journals Pay for the publication service Article Processing Charge APC varies from EUR 500-1500 Membership arrangements Automatic waivers for low-income economies (next slide) Editor s waivers Many credible OA publications, with proper peer review Beware of less reputable OA publishers Beware on the license you sign off on (CC-BY / CC-BY-NC)
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 28 The success story of Open Access Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) at www.doaj.org is maintained by Lund University in Sweden and now contains over 9200 journals 1800 Number of journals added into DOAJ 1600 1400 1200 1471 1542 1000 800 846 759 600 525 557 580 500 550 400 200 0 33 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 74 Source: http://www.doaj.org date: January 25, 2012
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 29 Open Access by subject (Bio)medicine is the field where Open Access was first established because of funding; e.g. the NIH (National Institutes of Health) in the US Most Open Access journals are still in Health Sciences, but other fields are catching up fast 2500 Fully Open Access journals by subject 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Source: http://www.doaj.org date: January 25, 2012
http://www.biomedcentral.com/authors/oawaiverfund Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 30 Open Access journals
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 31 Choose your Journal How important are the following factors for you when deciding to submit a manuscript to a particular journal? The journal's reputation Quality of journal's papers Quality of peer review International scope Speed of publication Impact Factor Electronic submission system Coverage by major A&I Readership Advanced online publication Editors / editorial board Prior experience with this journal Design / layout "Author pays" open-access model 0% 100%
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 32 Agenda Introduction: the scientific output is growing Composing a publishable manuscript To think about before submission Peer review Choose your journal Structure your manuscript Publishing ethics Submit your article and next steps Define Impact Books and more
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 33 How to structure your article Follow the Author Instructions of your Journal Tell a story that is easy to understand Beginning (introduction) Middle (main body: results) End (conclusion) Writing order: Methods and Results Introduction, Discussion and conclusion Abstract, Title
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 34 How to structure your article Title Authors Abstract Keywords Introduction Methodology Read first and most. Keep it short and to the point. Must reflect the content of the paper. Correct spelling, consistency in affiliation. 100-300 word summary of objective and results. Includes key message of paper. Synonyms relevant as search terms e.g. in Google. Ideally not words from title because title words are automatically keywords. Explain i) why the work was conducted ii) what methodology was employed iii) why you chose this particular methodology iv) How the methodology accomplished the hypothesis set out in your abstract. Written clearly and concisely so that someone can follow how you did your research.
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 35 How to structure your article (cont.) Analysis/Results Discussion Present the results clearly and carefully. Discuss the results here. If the results were not what you were expecting this is where you can provide insights or speculations as to what happened and/or what you could have done differently. Conclusions Acknowledgements References Supplementary Material Write down your conclusions from the study. Acknowledge the people and institutions who have made your research possible e.g. funding. Properly cite your referenced material; use the style of the journal. List any supplementary materials, appendices.
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 36 Article metadata Increase the FINDABILITY of your article Abstracting Indexing services Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 37 Article metadata Increase the FINDABILITY of your article Abstracting Indexing services Search Engine Optimization (SEO) (BioEnergy Research, 2012)
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 38 Article structure: REFERENCES Format your references according to the Journal s Instructions Be precise in your references References form the link between your paper and the scientific literature Tools available to manage your own scientific library
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 39 Agenda Introduction: why should you publish? Composing a publishable manuscript To think about before submission Peer review Choose your journal Structure your manuscript Publishing ethics Submit your article and next steps Define Impact Books and more
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 40 QUESTION: WHAT TYPES OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT DO YOU KNOW?
W.F.C. Curtis, March 2012 Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 41 Publishing ethics Identifying misconduct and preserving integrity in academic publishing Scientific misconduct is a continuum ranging from honest errors to outright fraud (Nylemma and Simonsen (2006) Scientific misconduct : a new approach to prevention. The Lancet 367, 1882-1884)
W.F.C. Curtis, March 2012 Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 42 Common types of misconduct Data Fabrication Falsification Plagiarism Duplicate Publication Disputed Authorship Undeclared Conflict of Interest
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 43 7 steps for journal editors W.F.C. Curtis, March 2012
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 44 Making researchers unique: Open Researcher and Contributor ID
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 45 COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics Charity registered in the UK Established in 1997 Currently 5200 members COPE provides a forum for editors of academic journals to discuss issues relating to the integrity of the works in their Journals Impartial decision on disputes
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 46 Getting ready to submit Get agreement from all co-authors on what is submitted and where Cover letter Language check Conform to Author instructions in terms of set up, reference style, etc.
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 47 Preparing your submission: COVER LETTER Your chance to sell your manuscript to the Editor (EiC) Increasing submission numbers make that EiCs become selective from the outset Address the EiC personally Give background to your research Explain the importance of your article in relation to the scope of the Journal Emphasize the key take aways from your article This is your first opportunity to get the interest of the EiC for your contribution Recommend reviewers / exclude reviewers, and include rationale
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 48 Preparing your submission: LANGUAGE EDITING Professional editing services help you to improve the text on grammar and enhances the readability of your manuscript It is neither a requirement nor a guarantee of acceptance for publication. It raises your chances of acceptance and ensures clear communication of your research
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 49 Submitting your article Author Editor in Chief (EiC) Editorial Board Publishing Editor (Publisher) Journal Editorial Office (Publisher) Reviewers
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 50 Peer review - How to deal with feedback Nearly every manuscript requires revisions, often two or three revisions If you receive reviewer comments for resubmission, ACT on them Consider peer review feedback as advice to help you improve your article, do NOT take offense Minor revision does not guarantee acceptance after revision. Address all comments carefully
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 51 Rejection Science Novelty Research question Methodology Statistics Analysis Conclusion Manuscript Formatting References Language Other Scope Expected Impact Audience Too hypothetical
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 52 Upon acceptance Article workflow Manuscript accepted Typesetting & Author Forms Proof to author (and editor) Proof correction Published OnlineFirst Issue workflow Select available OnlineFirst articles Compile issue Publish issue online Print and distribute issue As soon as an article receives a DOI number (Digital Object Identifier) and is published online, it can be cited, e.g.: DOI: 10.1007/s10681-012-0632-1 This is the official publication of the article, and can not be changed afterwards
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 53 Agenda Introduction: why should you publish? Composing a publishable manuscript To think about before submission Peer review Choose your journal Structure your manuscript Publishing Ethics Submit your article and next steps Define Impact Books and more
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 54 QUESTION: HOW TO MEASURE IMPACT OF SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS?
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 55 How to measure IMPACT of research publications? The Impact Factor Formula for the 2011 Impact Factor: Number of citations in 2011 to articles published in 2009 + 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total citable articles published in 2009 + 2010 Example: 120 citations in 2011 (to articles published 2009 or 2010) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ = 1.5 80 articles published in 2009 and 2010
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 56 How to measure IMPACT of research publications? The Impact Factor Journal level metrics Limited time window of 2 years following publication Discipline specific Zero citation rate?? Self Citation rate??? Question: Which article made a bigger impact? An article published in: - A top tier journal with 0 citations after 2 years? Or - A lower impact factor journal, with tens of citations after 2 years?
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 57 How to measure IMPACT of research publications? The Impact Factor Discipline specific Average Impact Factor 2010 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Economics Computing, Cybernetics Environmental Sciences Physics, Multidisciplinary Infectious diseases Biochemical Methods
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 58 How to measure IMPACT of research publications? The H-index A scholar with an index of h has published h papers each of which has been cited in other papers at least h times. Evaluation of impact of the work of individual researcher Reflection on the number of papers published and the number of citations per publication Discipline specific H-index grows over time, depends on the academic age of the researcher
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 59 How to measure IMPACT of research publications? Growth of non-scholarly citations 10 7 5 4.4 3.7 2.63 4.37 0-5 -10 Facebook twitter Pinterest Reddit Q&A sites LinkedIn average monthly change, 1st Sep - 1st Dec '12-8 200,000 187408 absolute numbers Sept '12. 150,000 100,000 50,000 0 24052 2077 2195 471 833 73 174 Facebook twitter Blogs Google+ Pinterest Reddit Q&A sites LinkedIn
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 60 How to measure IMPACT of research publications? Question: Which article made a bigger impact? - An article with tens of citations? Or - An article widely discussed in various social networks? Or - An article widely downloaded?
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 61 How to measure IMPACT of research publications? Article Level Metrics Article-Level Metrics (ALMs, altmetrics, alternative metrics) are not just about citations and usage. The concept refers to a whole range of measures which might provide insight into impact or reach.
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 62 ALM at PLoS Real time listing of: Usage Citations Mention in social networks Post publication review
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 63 Agenda Introduction: why should you publish? Composing a publishable manuscript To think about before submission Peer review Choose your journal Structure your manuscript Publishing Ethics Submit your article and next steps Define Impact Books and more
Fulltext Downloads per Title Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 64 The importance of ebooks in scientific publishing (cont.) Migration from print to electronic ebooks have a long shelf life (see graph) ISI: Book Citation Index English Language Packages: Average Chapter Downloads 2010 by Title and Copyright Year 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 1,151 1,215 1,355 1,451 1,566 800 600 400 200-2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Copyright Years (Data adjusted for abnormal usage spikes due to massive downloading)
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 65 Springer is home to the world s largest STM ebook collection SpringerLink currently hosts over 129,000 ebooks (May 2013) Book output growing every year What about our ebooks? Completely DRM (Digital Rights Management) free Going forward, most ebooks (including much of the Springer Book Archives) will be available in epub format for easy reading on any mobile device All books are published e-first and then printed on demand, this includes the Springer Book Archives: books from 1846 will become available in print again!
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 66 Publishing your book with Springer When you submit a book (proposal) Submit proposal to Publishing Editor Book proposal review Invite authors, prepare manuscript Submit manuscript Editing, typesetting and formatting Print proofs: minor changes and corrections Book published!
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 67 Other products Springer Science Reviews Reviews by outstanding PhD students and early career researchers Multidisciplinary and cross-sectore discussion and research Current focus in life, biomedical sciences, but expanding into other areas of research Springerreference.com Dynamic Living editions of Springer s ereferences Wikipedia like, but peer reviewed
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 68 www.springer.com/authoracademy
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 69 Questions?
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 70 Thank you & Good luck! Jacco Flipsen Springer Editorial Director Life Sciences Jacco.Flipsen@springer.com
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 71 APPENDICES: HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR ARTICLE?
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 72 Article structure: TITLE Read first and foremost Be specific, yet concise Try to avoid abbreviations and acronyms
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 73 Article structure: ABSTRACT Concise (100-300 words) stand alone publication, describing: Research setting Hypothesis Methodology Most important results Conclusion and key take away message
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 74 Article structure: INTRODUCTION Place the current paper in context Background information (zoom in from general picture to the specific issue Cite relevant literature Rationale for the current paper Describe methodology / hypothesis and objectives
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 75 Article structure: METHODS Follow Author Instructions on how to write up methods New methods should be described such that they can be reproduced Existing methods can be referenced Statistical methodology Ethical declarations Use past tense for write up
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 76 Article structure: RESULTS Accurately describe your findings Use past tense to describe your results Use present tense when referring to figures and tables Do not duplicate data (text, graph, table) Do not explain your results
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 77 Article structure: DISCUSSION What is the relevance of your findings? Answer to your hypothesis / research questions Emphasize main findings first What is the main conclusion Compare to other studies / literature Elaborate on unexpected results Describe limitations of your study Restate main conclusions Project implications Suggest future work
Publishing Scientific Research May/June 2013 78 Article structure: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Give credit to those who have contributed Give credit to those that made the research possible Declare any conflicts of interest