MATERI BIMTEK PUBLIKASI ILMIAH DR. NIZAR

A Workshop on
How to Write
Scientific
Publication

By
Dr. Achmad Nizar Hidayanto
Faculty of Computer Science
Universitas Indonesia
Kopertis 3, Februari 2017

Biography







Name
: Achmad Nizar Hidayanto

Position
: Coordinator of IS/IT Stream, Fasilkom UI
Education
: S1 – S3, in Computer Science, Univ. Indonesia
Interests
: e-commerce, e-government, knowledge management,
enterprise systems, IT management, and information systems in general.
Editorial Board:








Reviewer:











International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, Inderscience
Publisher
Jurnal Sistem Informasi, ITS
Jurnal Sistem Informasi, UI
Jurnal Pekommas, BBPPKI Makassar, Kominfo
International Journal of Industrial Management and Data Systems (Emerald
Insight)
Entropy (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)
Knowledge Management and e-Learning (The University of Hongkong)
International Journal of Innovation and Learning (Inderscience)
International Journal of Management in Education (Inderscience)

Contact

: nizar@cs.ui.ac.id
Web : http://staf.cs.ui.ac.id/~nizar

Purpose
The purpose of this workshop is to describe
and practice writing a scholarly paper.
1.I

will introduce the importance of topic
selection
2.I will explain the importance of writing
papers in high quality journals
3.I will explain the main points that need to
be addressed in each of the major sections
commonly found in scholarly papers.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO
SELECT A GOOD RESEARCH
TOPIC?


Why is it Important to Select a
Good Research Topic?
A

good topic is a key for international
publication!!


Although you write your paper very well,
if the topic is not good, your effort will be
useless

What should we do to get
insight of a good topic?
 Read,

Read and Read…
 Knows good journals and conferences in your
research area
 For example (in my research area)




IS/IT top conferences:
Top conferences:







IS/IT: ICIS, ECIS, AMCIS, PACIS, ACIS, MCIS, HICSS, etc.
CS: VLDB, ICDE, SIGKDD, etc.

Top IS/IT journals:
 MIS Quarterly, Computer in Human Behavior, Journal
of Management Information Systems, etc
Edited and peer reviewed book chapters


Criteria for a good research
topic


A good research topic should be:






Feasible (can be done)
Interesting (up-to-date, wider audience, etc)
Novel
Ethical
Relevant (has an implication)

These criteria have been collectively called
the FINER formula (Hulley et al., 2001)


Criteria for a good research
topic
 Example

of interesting issues in my area:



social media, cloud computing, outsourcing, big
data, global software development, internet of
things, mobility, e-health (medical informatics),
etc.



Could you mention interesting topics in your
area?

How to assess the novelty of your
research?

 Do




systematic literature review

To obtain the state of the art
See the position of your work among
others
Is your work just repeating
other
Technolo
researcher’s work?
gy
Adoption

Existing literature
Technology
characteristi

cs
Social
Cognitive

My work
Benefits and
Cost

Technology
readiness

Stimulus,
Org.,
Response
(SOR)

Etc.

Technology
,

Organisatio
n,
Environme
nt (TOE)

PRISMA 2009 Flow Diagram

PRISMA 2009 Checklist

PRISMA 2009 Checklist (2)

PRISMA 2009 Checklist (3)
Methods - continued

PRISMA 2009 Checklist (4)

Mistake in the
published PRISMA
papers: Item 21
should read


Present the main results of the review. If meta-analyses are done,
include for each, confidence intervals and measures of consistency

PRISMA 2009 Checklist (5)

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO
PUBLISH IN HIGH
IMPACT FACTOR JOURNALS?

Why it is Important to Publish in High
Impact Factor Journals
 Publish

or perish
 Greater visibility of research findings
 Increase chances of citations
 Greater recognition among peers
 Associated benefits such as promotions,
productivity allowances, etc

Which Manuscript are Published in
High
Impact Factor Journals
 Work

of established scientists
 Results of general interest
 Novelty of findings
 Concise and well written

Attributes of a Good Manuscript
 Concise

but powerful
 Story like
 To the point
 Free from grammatical and stylistic
errors
 Recognizing contributions of others
 Technically correct

Deciding the Journal for
Publishing
 Aim

high- Go for first tier journals if you have time
and temperament to write a good manuscript.
 Decide the target journal before writing or drafting
the article.
 Prefer those journals which publish similar work or
the journal articles you are citing for your work.
 If you think that your competitor is ahead of you,
go for second tier rapid publication journal,
because it is important to first

Deciding the Journal for
Publishing
 How

to find the impact factor and rank for a
journal?


Journal Citation Report (JCR) Impact Factor – ISI
Thompson (beware of another ISI impact used by
predatory journals)





SCI, SSCI, SCIE, ESCI

SJR – Scopus
Journal List from reputable organization (ERA
Australia, ABS Journal Ranking, etc)

Deciding the Journal for
Publishing
 Example



Scopus Ranking based on SJR

Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 (the highest is Q1)
See http://scimagojr.com

 Example


Scopus Ranking based on SJR

Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 (the highest is Q1)

Deciding the Journal for
Publishing






Do all journals charge publishing fee to authors?
 NO!!!
Reputable publishers (IEEE, Elsevier, Springer, Palgarve, etc.)
usually offer two options to authors: open access vs non open
access
 If we choose an open access mode, we have to pay some
money to publisher
Some publishers also offer open access mode with free of
charge (usually affiliated with university)
 Knowledge Management & E-Learning (KMEL), Journal of
Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research
(JTAER), Electronic Journal of University of Malaya (Malaysian
Journal of Computer Science, Malaysian Journal of Library &
Information Science, etc), International Journal on Smart
Sensing and Intelligent Systems, etc

Deciding the Journal for
Publishing
 Recommended

publishers for
beginner(free publishing fee and easier
to accept)



Inderscience
IGI Global

Points to be Considered before
Publishing
 Targeted

audience
 Prestige of journal and your own institution
 Access (open access/ subscribed)



availability free of charge on the World Wide Web
On payment

 Impact

factor of the journal
 Probability of acceptance
 Publication time

How Important Citations
are???

How to Write A
Scholarly Paper

Writing is a critical step in
science although scientists are
not trained to write.
Even very creative experiments
and novel results will have dull
impact if the manuscript is not
written well.

Key to Writing Skills
 The path to writing well is to read excellent
writers and write…….and write…and write.
 “Free write” your thoughts. Don’t worry about
structure initially.
 Use the best paper in your field as a template
and try to convert your free write-up into a
formate.
 Keep writing concise, dynamic and simple in
construction.
 Convey enthusiasm in your writing so it attract
the audience.

When to Write a Draft of
Manuscript?
 Best practice- Prepare the figures and write
the draft as the experiment is progressing
 Second Best practice- Write the first draft at a
meeting where work is first presented. The
experiment will be fresh in mind and free
time in the evenings may be sufficient to
write a draft.
 Alternatively, the script of a seminar can
often be used as a starting draft.
 The worst practice- to write a paper after you
have left the place (lab.) where the work was
performed.

Divide and
Conquer!!!!!!!
 Divide

and work on.....

Eat an elephant bit by bit
 If you get stuck on a particular section, just skip
to a different section that is easiest to write.
 It means the easiest first and the most difficult
latter.

Four Questions of Manuscript
Writing
What
What
What
What

is the?
INTRODUCTION
did you do?
METHODS
did you find?
RESULTS
does that means? DISCUSSION

Structure of a
Manuscript
 Title
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 Acknowledgements
 References
 Title,

key words and abstracts are used for
electronic searches

Title- The Backbone of an
Article
It indicates content and main discoveries and
attracts the readers attention.
It decides whether article is worth reading or will
get attention of the readers.
Go for the Journal instruction in writing titles.
Examples:
Good Title: The Natural Product Cyclomarin Kills
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis by Targeting the
ClpC1 Subunit of the Caseinolytic Protease (online
article in Angewandte Chemie International, 11
May 2011)
Bad Title:

Anti-Tuberculosis agent Cyclomarin.

Attractive and
Catchy Title –
makes reader
going through
the
article for sure
Graphics plays
an important
role in
catching the
eyes of readers.

The Impact of Article Titles on
Citation Hits
 Most

published articles are not cited- the title play
a vital role
 Construction of an article title has a significant
impact on citation frequency.
 By a study conducted by Thomas S. Jacques and
Neil J. Sebire* there was a strong association
between increasing title length and citation rate.

*J R Soc Med Sh Rep 2010;1:2. DOI 10.1258/shorts.2009.100020

The Impact of Article Titles on Citation
Hits-Contd.

Reason:
 Electronic

searches are now preferred over other
means, which includes SciFinder, PubMed, Web of
Sceince, Google Scholar, etc.
 These searches are based on the title or key word
.
 Longer, comprehensive titles are more likely to
contain given search terms.
 Therefore the title should provide clear
description, finding of study
*J R Soc Med Sh Rep 2010;1:2. DOI 10.1258/shorts.2009.100020

Nature’s style -Manuscript Formatting Guide
Titles
 Titles do not exceed two lines in print.
 Titles do not normally include numbers,
acronyms, abbreviations or punctuation.
 They should include sufficient detail for indexing
purposes but be general enough for readers
outside the field to appreciate what the paper is
about.

www.nature.com

Abstract- Most Critical Part of
Paper
 Should

be informative, indicative and reflects the
main ‘story’ of the article.

 The

only chance you have to get the reader’s
attention.

 Should

be crisp, concise and accurate.

 Gives

the quick idea of the contents (Stand alone).

 What

and how was done

 Provide
I

a brief conclusions

generally write abstract at the end

 The

detailed information must be present in the
body text, not in abstract.

Skeleton of an Article
IMRaD

formula (will discuss
more on next slide)

Skeleton of an Article-Continued
IMRaD structure- Writing a
draft

Introduction--- What is the?
Materials and methods/experimental
procedures-- What did you do?
Results-- What did you find?
and
Discussion-- What does it mean?
Huth EJ. Writing and Publishing in Medicine, 3rd ed. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins; 1999.
Scientific Writing: My Approach and Irreverent Opinions, Mark Yeager.

Introduction- Setting the
Scene
<

2% readers actually cite your article
 And

among these < 2% approximately 98%
reader just read the introduction

 Brief

background information of the current study
 Focused
 Integrated review of pertinent work
 Updated literature citation
 Should not be too long
 Importance of current study/advancement
needed/summary of new findings

Introduction
Ask question to yourself that why should anyone read your
paper amongst the 1000’s appearing that month?
Create-A-Research-Space
 Identify research question and define key constructs
 Explain why the research question is important (researchers
and/or practitioners) i.e. advancing understanding
 Describe setting
 Recognize issues raised in the existing literature
 Identify contribution
 Capture your audience. Why is your experiment important?
 Introduce the structure of the paper
Avoid comprehensive review, self citations, etc


Example of Introduction
“Recently, there has been a shift in the internationalization literature,
from the strategic (e.g., diversification), ……to sensemaking theories
which contend that a firm’s success in international markets is tied to
managerial mindsets-the lens through which top managers view the
environment and make decisions.......Despite its importance, several
gaps persist in research on sensemaking in internationalization. First,
……. Second,…..Finally,……We address these important gaps by
developing and testing an integrated sensemaking model that ties
domestic mindset of top managers to international industry conditions
and early international performance………………We theorize that …The
fit between the international industry conditions and domestic mindsets
of top managers will maximize early international performance..
Theoretically, our results extend previous literature in two
ways….Moreover, our results inform top managers …..on how to reduce
the risks of failures and how to successfully prepare for and cope with
international environments by matching their domestic mindsets with
the international industry environments……..” (Nadkarni, Herrmann,
and Perez, 2011; pg.510 and 511).

Example of Introduction
(Bowen & Wiersema, 2005)
“For over 30 years the topic of corporate
diversification strategy has been a central
focus of strategy research. Despite the
importance of this topic, few studies
consider the fundamental question of how
corporate diversification strategy evolves in
response to changes in a firm’s business
environment. …………A significant source of
change in business conditions since the late
1970s has been the growing presence and
pressure of foreign competition…” (p.1153).

Example of Introduction
(Bowen & Wiersema, 2005)
“This paper seeks to fill this important gap,
and to contribute to the literature on corporate
diversification strategy, by providing a
theoretical framework and thorough empirical
examination of how the hostile competitive
conditions engendered by foreign-based
competition in a firm’s core business
influences a firm’s choice of both the extent
and nature of its diversification; relationships
not previously examined…” (pg.1154).

Example of Introduction
(Bowen & Wiersema, 2005)
“Our theoretical framework utilizes both transaction
cost theory and resource-based theory to formulate
predictions about a firm’s strategic response, in terms
of the extent and nature of its diversification, to
competition from foreign-based firms. Transaction
cost theory (Williamson, 1985)……………….
Our empirical analysis of these theoretical predictions
of a firm’s response to foreign-based competition
contains several novel elements……………our
research design and choice of estimation technique
represent important methodological contributions in
the domain of empirical strategy research……” (pg.
1154 and 1155).

Material and Methods













Write the methods section first because it is the easiest to
write.
Provide enough details for competent researchers to repeat
the experiment (Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why?)
Start writing when experiments still in progress
Sufficient information must be provided for reproducibility
Study design-new methods must be described in detail
Supplies, manufacturer, country needs to be added
Animal, human, protections details
Measurements/ instruments
Statistical analysis and data collection
Descriptive subheadings– general experimental methods,
animals, spectral data, etc

Example of Material and
Methods

Example of Material and
Methods

Results
 Use

descriptive headings that concisely
state the results.

 Data

representation-concise and accurate.

 Short

and easy to understand

 Consistent

with the abstract and
introduction

 Give

tables and figures where needed

 With

sufficient information so that minimum text
is required.

 Don’t

repeat information in graphics and text.

Results
 Appropriate

numbering of figures and table
mentioned in the text.

 Use

significant figures where required.

 Avoid
 Avoid

speculations and over discussion.

using words such as proves, confirmed,
removed all doubts, etc. Remember science is
dynamic and ever changing.

Example of Results

Example of Results

Discussion
 Hardest section to write, but it is also
the most important.
 Use descriptive headings that concisely
summarize the interpretation of the
results.
 Answer the question posed in
introduction
 Correlation of your finding with the
existing knowledge
 Discrepancies between new results and
previously reported results.

Discussion
What is new without exaggerating.
Conclusion/summary, perspectives,
implications.
Research limitations and need for
future research.
Theoretical implications and possible
practical applications.

Example of Discussion

Example of Discussion

Conclusion
 Identify

key findings and application

 Should

not be a summary of the work
done- abstract is doing fine with that.

 Consistent

with experimental and
introduction

References
 Cite current and key pertinent
references
 Reference citations must be accurate
and complete
 Read the references (APA Style, IEEE,
etc)
 Use correct style for journal

Modern electronic tools for writing manuscript

Use

for references

Acknowledgments





Funding agencies
Intellectual contributions
Dedications
Notes

Final Step is Revision and
Proofreading

Revision, Revision, Revision




After writing the first draft, at
least a dozen revision are
usually needed to improve to
the text.
Make sure that all authors read
the first draft. Give them
timeline...

Revision and Proofreading
Revision
Effectiveness of the study
 Supporting information
 Order and flow of the article
 Must be leaving reader with a new
question


Revision and
Proofreading

 Proofreading

All authors should participate
 Grammar and spelling errors
 Consistent

verb tense

 Vocabulary
 Tighten

the sentences
 spell-check
 Punctuation
 typos


Technical terms
 Scientific

symbols
 Reaction scheme
 Chemical structures/names
 references

Responsibilities of Authors
from Preparation of Manuscript to
Submission






New and original research
Manuscript have been checked by all the
listed authors.
Obtain copyright permission if
figures/tables need to be reproduced
Proper affiliation
Acknowledgement

Criteria for Acceptance


Originality



Novel or creative research methodology



New and important research findings



Scientific Quality (It is impossible to write a
good paper on the basis of lousy science!!!!)



Experimental design and methodology




Research data representation
Depth of the investigation
Thorough and logical discussion of results

Criteria for Acceptance
 Clarity




of Presentation

Organization/ presentation
Readability/ clarity of writing/ grammar
Paper is much more likely to be rejected based on
inadequate analysis than lack of originality

 Importance

in the scientific world

Major Reasons for Rejection





The study is just confirmation of
previous research i.e. not novel
Poor experimental design
Targeted journal is not suitable
Weakly written/presentation and
language

Process of Research and its
Publication
Completion
of research
Preparation of manuscript
Submission of manuscript
Assignment and peer review
Decision
Rejection

Revision
Resubmission
Re-review
Acceptance
Publication

Rejection

The most important factors that
influence whether your manuscript
will be considered/reviewed for
publication are the title, abstract,
cover letter, and your reputation
based on your previous work.

Thank you.
Any questions?

REFERENCES
Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary H.I., S.I., T.I., Dr. Atia-tul-Wahab and Dr. Hina Siddiqui. Skill Development
Workshop on Art of Scientific and Research Writings. International Center for Chemical and Biological
Sciences
Bowen, H. P., & Wiersema, M. F. (2005). Foreign-based competition and corporate diversification
strategy. Strategic Management Journal, 26(12), 1153-1171.
Cannella Jr, A. A., Park, J.-H., & Lee, H.-U. (2008). Top management team functional background
diversity and firm performance: examining the roles of team member colocation and environmental
uncertainty. Academy of Management Journal, 51(4), 768-784.
Daft, R. L. (1995). Why i recommend that your manuscript be rejected. In L. L. Cummings & P. J. Frost
(Eds.), Publishing in the Organizational Sciences. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
Huff, A. (1999). Writing for scholarly publication. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
Nadkarni, S., Herrmann, P., & Perez, P. D. (2011). Domestic mindsets and early international
performance: The moderating effect of global industry conditions. Strategic Management Journal, 32(5),
510-531.
Nadkarni, S., & Herrmann, P. O. L. (2010). Ceo personality, strategic flexibility, and firm performance:
the case of the indian business process outsourcing industry. Academy of Management Journal, 53(5),
1050-1073.
Ortinau, D. J. (2011). Writing and publishing important scientific articles: A reviewer's perspective.
Journal of Business Research, 64(2), 150-156.