Academic Writing MAyu Kopertis3
Academic Writing
for Publication
Bimtek-Kopertis Wil 3
Febr 2017
A little about me
Media Anugerah Ayu
A happy mum of two lovely boys and currently working as an
academician at Sampoerna University-Jakarta.
Prior to that I was an Associate Professor in Faculty of Information
and Communication Technology-International Islamic University
Malaysia (IIUM)
Education:
PhD from The Australian National University, Canberra-Australia
MSc from The Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok-Thailand
Ir from Institut Pertanian Bogor, Bogor-Indonesia
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Web: medayu.mandalawangi.net
A little about me
Coverage
• Writing
• Academic writing
• Academic writing for publication
Writing…
Writing habits
Marshal D Carper
Writing habits
Hannah Heath
• The secret of good
writing is rewriting
• The secret of rewriting
is re-thinking
Academic writing…
Its general components…..
What is the point of academic writing?
• The substance of academic writing must be based on solid
evidence and logical analysis, and presented as a concise,
accurate argument.
• Academic writing can allow you to present your argument
and analysis accurately and concisely.
How is it done?
• Aim for precision. Don’t use unnecessary words or
waffle. Get straight to the point. Make every word
count.
• If there is any uncertainty about a particular point, use
cautious language (such as ‘may’, ‘might’, ‘could’,
‘potentially’).
• Unless you are a confident writer, it is best to avoid
over-long sentences and to aim for a mixture of long
and short sentences for variation and rhythm.
• Avoid repeating the same words.
Avoid overly elaborate language
• When using words that are not technical or subject
related, use simple words in place of obscure words
that have the same meaning.
• Using overly elaborate language can make your writing
seem pretentious.
Technical and specific language
• Use technical language and words specific to your
discipline where appropriate.
• However, it is wise to avoid convoluted phrases and
terms when writing about general information.
Is the following text a good example of
academic style?
• Today being fat is totally bad for your health.
About 30,000 fat people die every year in the UK
and loads more fat people die in the USA. By
2005 more people will die of being fat than
smoking and it doesn’t have to be this way, this
could easily be prevented, couldn't it?
Read this
• The number of deaths per year attributable to
obesity is roughly 30,000 in the UK and ten times
that in the USA, where obesity is set to overtake
smoking in 2005 as the main preventable cause of
illness and premature death.
Avoid abbreviations and contractions
• Abbreviations and contractions are informal, and
are best avoided in academic writing. For example:
• ‘Department’ should be used instead of the
abbreviation ‘dept’.
• ‘Is not’ should be used in place of the contraction
‘isn’t’.
Avoid slang words and phrases
Compare the following:
• ‘The individual was sentenced for nicking a bike.’
• ‘The doctor looked kind of worried when he reviewed
the case notes.’
• ‘The individual was sentenced for stealing a bike’
• ‘The doctor looked slightly worried when he reviewed
the case notes.’
Avoid conversational terms
• This totally changed people’s lives’
• Why is ‘totally’ there?
• If it’s a ‘filler’ it can be omitted.
• If it’s used for emphasis, a more appropriate word could be
used, for example ‘significantly’ or ‘fundamentally’
Avoid vague terms
Consider the following:
• ‘The right thing’ would be better expressed as ‘the right action’
or ‘the right procedure’
• ‘A nice addition to the collection’ would be better expressed as
‘A popular addition to the collection’ or ‘A prestigious addition
to the collection’
Be Impersonal
• In many academic disciplines, writing in the first
person is not acceptable as it is believed to be too
subjective and personal.
Writing in the first person
• First person sentences use the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’.
For example:
• We have considered...
• I suggest that...
• I have observed...
These can be transformed into-
Impersonal sentences
• Consideration has been given to...
• The suggestion is made that...
• It has been observed that...
Referencing…..
What does referencing mean?
• When writing an academic piece of work we
need to acknowledge any ideas, information or
quotations which are the work of other people.
This is known as referencing or citing.
Why should we include references in
our work?
• We should include references in order to:
– acknowledge the work of others
– provide evidence of your own research
– illustrate a particular point
– support an argument or theory
– allow others to locate the resources you have used
• And most importantly:
– avoid accusations of plagiarism
Referencing while writing
• References will be cited in our work in two places:
– 1) Where a source is referred to in the text (Citation)
– 2) In a list (the Bibliography/List of references) at the
end of the assignment.
Literature Review…..
Purpose of a Literature Review
The literature review is a critical look at the existing research
that is significant to the work that you are carrying out.
• To provide background information
• To establish importance
• To demonstrate familiarity
• To “carve out a space” for further research
Characteristics of
Effective Literature Reviews
• Outlining important research trends
• Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of existing
research
• Identifying potential gaps in knowledge
• Establishing a need for current and/or future research
projects
Analyzing Sources
• A literature review is never just a list of studies—
it always offers an argument about a body of
research
• Analysis occurs on two levels:
– Individual sources
– Body of research
Four Analysis Tasks of the Literature
Review
TASKS OF
LITERATURE
REVIEW
SUMMARIZE
SYNTHESIZE
CRITIQUE
COMPARE
Summary and Synthesis
In your own words, summarize and/or synthesize the key
findings relevant to your study.
• What do we know about the immediate area?
• What are the key arguments, key characteristics, key
concepts or key figures?
• What are the existing debates/theories?
• What common methodologies are used?
Sample Language for
Summary and Synthesis
• Normadin has demonstrated…
• Early work by Hausman, Schwarz, and Graves was
concerned with…
• Elsayed and Stern compared algorithms for
handling…
• Additional work by Karasawa et. al, Azadivar, and
Parry et. al deals with…
Example: Summary and Synthesis
Piaget’s theory of stages of cognitive development and
Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development are
commonly used for educational psychology courses
(Borich & Tombari, 1997; LeFrancois, 1997; Slavin,
1997). Piaget described characteristic behaviors, including
artistic ones such as drawing, as evidence of how children
think and what children do as they progress beyond
developmental milestones into and through stages of
development.
Comparison and Critique
Evaluates the strength and weaknesses of the
work:
• How do the different studies relate? What is new, different,
or controversial?
• What views need further testing?
• What evidence is lacking, inconclusive, contradicting, or
too limited?
• What research designs or methods seem unsatisfactory?
Sample Language for
Comparison and Critique
• In this ambitious but flawed study, Jones and Wang…
• These general results, reflecting the stochastic nature of
the flow of goods, are similar to those reported by
Rosenblatt and Roll…
Example: Comparison and Critique
• The critical response to the poetry of Phillis Wheatley often
registers disappointment or surprise. Some critics have
complained that the verse of this African American slave is
insecure (Collins 1975, 78), imitative (Richmond 1974, 5466), and incapacitated (Burke 1991, 33, 38)—at worst, the
product of a “White mind” (Jameson 1974, 414-15). Others,
in contrast, have applauded Wheatley’s critique of AngloAmerican discourse(Kendrick 1993,222-23), her revision of
literary models…
Common Errors Made in Lit Reviews
•
Review isn’t logically organized
•
Review isn’t focused on most important facets of the study
•
Review doesn’t relate literature to the study
•
Too few references or outdated references cited
•
Review isn’t written in author’s own words
•
Review reads like a series of disjointed summaries
•
Review doesn’t argue a point
•
Recent references are omitted
Writing a Literature Review:
In Summary
• As you read, try to see the “big picture”—your literature review
should provide an overview of the state of research.
• Include only those source materials that help you shape your
argument. Resist the temptation to include everything you’ve
read!
• Balance summary and analysis as you write.
• Keep in mind your purpose for writing:
– How will this review benefit readers?
– How does this review contribute to your study?
• Be meticulous about citations.
Supporting tools
Tools to support in writing related to referencing
and literature review:
- EndNote
- Mendeley
- Zotero
A peek on Mendeley
A peek on Mendeley
A peek on Mendeley
A peek on Mendeley
Academic Writing
for Publication
Determine if you are ready to publish
You should consider publishing if you have information
that advances understanding in a certain scientific field
This could be in the form of:
• Presenting new, original results or methods
• Rationalizing, refining, or reinterpreting published results
• Reviewing or summarizing a particular subject or field
If you are ready to publish, a strong manuscript is
what is needed next
What is a strong manuscript?
• Has a novel, clear, useful, and exciting message
• Presented and constructed in a logical manner
• Reviewers and editors can grasp the scientific significance easily
Editors and reviewers but also authors are all
busy scientists –
make things easy to save their time
What is a strong manuscript?
• A scientific paper is not a research report, but a contribution to
the scientific discussions
• A review is not an overview of the literature (as often in the
introduction of a thesis) but a discussion of the literature bringing
a new message
Before writing:
Define what it is you want to make clear
Identify the right audience for your paper
• Identify the sector of readership/community for which a paper is meant
• Identify the interest of your audience
• Is your paper of local or international interest?
Choose the right journal
Do not just “descend the stairs”
Top journals
Nature, Science, Lancet, NEJM, ......
Field-specific top journals
Other field-specific journals
National journals
Choose the right journal
• Ask help from your supervisor or colleagues
– The supervisor (who is sometimes the corresponding author) has at least coresponsibility for your work. You are encouraged to chase your supervisor if
necessary.
• Articles in your references will likely lead you to the right journal.
• DO NOT gamble by submitting your manuscript to more than one
journal at a time.
– International ethics standards prohibit multiple/simultaneous submissions, and
editors DO find out! (Trust us, they DO!)
Multiple submissions save you time but waste editor’s and
reviewer’s time.
The editorial process of your manuscripts will be completely
stopped if the duplicated submissions are discovered.
“It is considered to be unethical…We have thrown out a paper
when an author was caught doing this. I believe that the other
journal did the same thing. ”
Read the ‘Guide for Authors’! Again and again!
• Stick to the Guide for Authors in your
manuscript, even in the first draft (text layout,
nomenclature, figures & tables, references
etc.).
In the end it will save you time, and also the
editor’s.
• Editors (and reviewers) do not like wasting time
on poorly prepared manuscripts. It is a sign of
disrespect.
55
Scientific Language – Overview
Write with clarity, objectivity, accuracy, and brevity.
• Key to successful scientific writing is to be alert
for common errors:
– Sentence construction
– Incorrect tenses
– Inaccurate grammar
– Not using English
Check the Guide for Authors of the target
journal for language specifications
Scientific Language – Sentences
• Write direct and short sentences
• One idea or piece of information per sentence is sufficient
• Avoid multiple statements in one sentence
An example of what NOT to do:
“If it is the case, intravenous administration should result in that emulsion has
higher intravenous administration retention concentration, but which is not in
accordance with the result, and therefore the more rational interpretation
should be that SLN with mean diameter of 46nm is greatly different from
emulsion with mean diameter of 65 nm in entering tumor, namely, it is
probably difficult for emulsion to enter and exit from tumor blood vessel as
freely as SLN, which may be caused by the fact that the tumor blood vessel
aperture is smaller.”
General Structure of a Research Article
• Title
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Main text (IMRAD)
– Introduction
– Methods
– Results
– And
– Discussions
•
•
•
•
Make them easy for indexing and
searching! (informative, attractive,
effective)
Journal space is not unlimited.
Make your article as concise as
possible.
Conclusion
Acknowledgement
References
Supplementary Data
The process of writing – building the article
(a recommended approach)
Title & Abstract
Introduction Conclusion
Methods
Discussion
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Figures/tables (your data)
Elements of a manuscript/research article
Title
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Methodology
Results/Discussions/Findings
Conclusion
References
Let’s look at each element…..
Title
• A good title should contain the fewest possible words that
adequately describe the contents of a paper.
• Effective titles
– Identify the main issue of the paper
– Begin with the subject of the paper
– Are accurate, unambiguous, specific, and complete
– Are as short as possible
–
Articles with short, catchy titles are often better cited
– Do not contain rarely-used abbreviations
– Attract readers
62
Title
An effective title should…
•Answer
the reader’s question:
“Is this article relevant to me?”
•Grab
the reader’s attention
•Describe
the content of a paper
using the fewest possible words
•
Is crisp, concise
•
Uses keywords
•
Avoids jargon
Good
Title
VS.
Bad
Title
A Human Expert-based Approach to Electrical
Peak Demand Management
VS
A better approach of managing environmental and
energy sustainability via a study of different methods
of electric load forecasting
Good
Title
VS.
Bad
Title
Examples
Original Title
Revised
Remarks
Preliminary
observations on the
effect of Zn element
on anticorrosion of
zinc plating layer
Effect of Zn on
anticorrosion of
zinc plating layer
Long title distracts readers.
Remove all redundancies such as
“observations on”, “the nature of”, etc.
Action of antibiotics
on bacteria
Inhibition of growth
of mycobacterium
tuberculosis by
streptomycin
Titles should be specific.
Think to yourself: “How would I search for
this piece of information?” when you
design the title.
Fabrication of
carbon/CdS coaxial
nanofibers
displaying optical
and electrical
properties via
electrospinning
carbon
Electrospinning of
carbon/CdS coaxial
nanofibers with
optical and
electrical
properties
“English needs help. The title is nonsense.
All materials have properties of all varieties.
You could examine my hair for its electrical
and optical properties! You MUST be
specific. I haven’t read the paper but I
suspect there is something special about
these properties, otherwise why would you
be reporting them?”
– the Editor-in-Chief
Good
Title
VS.
Bad
Title
Keywords
• In an “electronic world”, keywords determine whether your
article is found or not!
• Avoid to make them
– too general (“drug delivery”, “mouse”, “disease”, etc.)
– too narrow (so that nobody will ever search for it)
• Effective approach:
– Look at the keywords of articles relevant to your manuscript
– Play with these keywords, and see whether they return relevant papers,
neither too many nor too few
66
Keywords
Use in the Title and
Abstract for enhanced
Search Engine Optimization
Logical
Appropriate
Applicable
Specific
Searchable
2/27/2017
Abstract
Tell readers what you did and the important findings
• One paragraph (between 50-300 words)
• Advertisement for your article
• A clear abstract will strongly influence if your work is considered
further
Graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) of composition
CxN(SO2CF3)2 · δF are prepared under ambient conditions in 48%
hydrofluoric acid, using K2MnF6 as an oxidizing reagent. The stage 2
GIC product structures are determined using powder XRD and modeled
by fitting one dimensional electron density profiles.
A new digestion method followed by selective fluoride electrode
elemental analyses allows the determination of free fluoride within
products, and the compositional x and δ parameters are determined for
reaction times from 0.25 to 500 h.
What has
been done
What are the
main findings
Abstract
A “stand alone”
condensed version of
the article
What you did
•No
more than 250
words; written in
the past tense
Why you did it
•Uses
keywords
and index terms
Why they’re useful & important
& move the field forward
How the results
were useful,
important & move
the field forward
Example: abstract template from Emerald
Abstract
PurposeDesign/Methodology/ApproachFindingsResearch limitations/implications (if applicable)Practical implications (if applicable)Originality/value-
Introduction
The place to convince readers that you know why your work is
relevant, also for them
Answer a series of questions:
General
– What is the problem?
– Are there any existing solutions?
– Which one is the best?
– What is its main limitation?
– What do you hope to achieve?
State its contribution
72
Specific
Introduction
•
A description of the problem you researched
•
It should move step by step through:
•
The introduction should be:
•
Specific, not too broad or vague
•
About 2 pages
•
Written in the present tense
Methods / Experimental
• Include all important details so that the reader can repeat the work.
•
Details that were previously published can be omitted but a general summary of
those experiments should be included
• Give vendor names (and addresses) of equipment etc. used
• All chemicals must be identified
•
Do not use proprietary, unidentifiable compounds without description
• Present proper control experiments
• Avoid adding comments and discussion.
• Write in the past tense
•
Most journals prefer the passive voice
• Consider use of Supplementary Materials
•
75
Documents, spreadsheets, audio, video, .....
Reviewers will criticize incomplete
or incorrect descriptions, and may
even recommend rejection
Methodology
•
Problem formulation and the processes used to solve the
problem, prove or disprove the hypothesis
•
Use illustrations to clarify ideas and support conclusions:
Tables
Graphs
Present representative data
or when exact values are
important to show
Show relationships
between data points
or trends in data
Figures
Quickly show ideas/conclusions
that would require detailed
explanations
Fig. A
Results – what have you found?
• The following should be included
– the main findings
– Thus not all findings
– Findings from experiments described in the Methods section
– Highlight findings that differ from findings in previous
publications, and unexpected findings
– Results of the statistical analysis
77
Results – Figures and tables
• Illustrations are critical, because
– Figures and tables are the most efficient way to present results
– Results are the driving force of the publication
– A figure/table should convey the message besides giving the data of the
experiment
"One Picture is Worth a
Thousand Words"
Sue Hanauer (1968)
Results – Appearance counts!
Un-crowded plots
3 or 4 data sets per figure; well-selected scales; appropriate
axis label size; symbols clear to read; data sets easily distinguishable.
Each photograph must have a scale marker
of professional quality in a corner.
Text in photos / figures in English
Not in French, German, Chinese, ...
Use colour ONLY when necessary.
If different line styles can clarify the meaning,
then never use colours or other thrilling effects.
Colour must be visible and distinguishable
when printed in black & white.
Do not include long boring tables!
Discussion – what do the results mean?
• Check for the following:
– How do your results relate to the original question or objectives outlined in
the Introduction section?
– Do you provide interpretation for each of your results presented?
– Are your results consistent with what other investigators have reported? Or
are there any differences? Why?
– Are there any limitations?
– Does the discussion logically lead to your conclusion?
• Do not
– Make statements that go beyond what the results can support
– Suddenly introduce new terms or ideas
80
Results/discussion
Demonstrate that you
solved the problem or
made significant advances
Results
Results: Summarizes the Data
•
Should be clear and concise
•
Use figures or tables with narrative
to illustrate findings
Discussion: Interprets the Results
•
•
Why your research offers
a new solution
How can it benefit other researchers
professionals
Discussion
Conclusion
•
•
•
Explain what the research has
achieved
•
As it relates to the problem stated
in the Introduction
•
Revisit the key points in each section
•
Include a summary of the main findings and
implications for the field
Provide benefits and shortcomings of:
•
The solution presented
•
Your research and methodology
Suggest future areas for research
Conclusions
•
The conclusion is not a summary of the paper and is no outlook
to future work
•
Present global and specific conclusions as a clear take home
message
•
Avoid judgments about impact
83
Abbreviations
• Abbreviations must be defined on the first use in both abstract
and main text.
• Some journals even forbid the use of abbreviations in the
abstract.
• Abbreviations that are firmly established in the field do not need
to be defined, e.g. DNA.
• Never define an abbreviation of a term that is only used once.
• Avoid acronyms, if possible
– Abbreviations that consist of the initial letters of a series of words
– Can be typical “lab jargon”, incomprehensible to outsiders
84
Another important element that needs
to be considered in academic
publication Ethics
Publish AND Perish! – if you break ethical rules
• International scientific ethics have evolved over centuries and are
commonly held throughout the world.
• Scientific ethics are not considered to have national variants or
characteristics – there is a single ethical standard for science.
• Ethics problems with scientific articles are on the rise globally.
M. Errami & H. Garner
A tale of two citations
Nature 451 (2008): 397-399
86
Ethics Issues in Publishing
Scientific misconduct
– Falsification of results
Publication misconduct
– Plagiarism
– Different forms / severities
– The paper must be original to the authors
– Duplicate publication
– Duplicate submission
– Appropriate acknowledgement of prior research and
researchers
– Appropriate identification of all co-authors
– Conflict of interest
87
Plagiarism includes (Galvan, pg. 89):
1.
Using another writer’s words without proper citation
2.
Using another writer’s ideas without proper citation
3.
Citing a source but reproducing the exact word without
quotation marks
4.
Borrowing the structure of another author’s phrases/sentences
without giving the source
5.
Borrowing all or part of another student’s paper
6.
Using paper-writing service or having a friend write the paper
A short‐cut to long‐term consequences!
Plagiarism is considered a serious offense by your institute, by
journal editors, and by the scientific community.
Plagiarism may result in academic charges, but will certainly
cause rejection of your paper.
Plagiarism will hurt your reputation in the scientific
community.
From: Elsevier
Plagiarism Detection Tools
• Plagiarism detection schemes:
– Turnitin (aimed at universities)
– Ithenticate (aimed at publishers and corporations)
Manuscripts are checked against a database of 20 million peer reviewed articles which have
been donated by 50+ publishers.
• Editors and reviewers
• Your colleagues
• "Other“ whistleblowers
– “The walls have ears", it seems ...
Data Fabrication and Falsification
- often go hand in hand
A Massive Case Of Fraud
Chemical & Engineering News
February 18, 2008
Journal editors are left reeling as
publishers move to rid their
archives of scientist's falsified
research
William G. Schulz
A CHEMIST IN INDIA has been
found guilty of plagiarizing and/or
falsifying more than 70 research
papers published in a wide variety
of Western scientific journals
between 2004 and 2007, according
to documents from his university,
copies of which were obtained by
C&EN. Some journal editors left
reeling by the incident say it is one
of the most spectacular and
outrageous cases of scientific
fraud they have ever seen. …
92
Data fabrication and falsification
Fabrication: Making up data or results, and recording
or reporting them
“… the fabrication of research data … hits at the heart of our
responsibility to society, the reputation of our institution, the trust
between the public and the biomedical research community, and our
personal credibility and that of our mentors, colleagues…”
“It can waste the time of others, trying to replicate false data or designing
experiments based on false premises, and can lead to therapeutic errors.
It can never be tolerated.”
Professor Richard Hawkes
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy
University of Calgary
“The most dangerous of all falsehoods is a
slightly distorted truth.”
G.C.Lichtenberg (1742-1799)
Publication ethics – Self-plagiarism
2003
2004
94
Publication ethics – How it can end .....
“I deeply regret the inconvenience and
agony caused to you by my mistake and
request and beg for your pardon for the
same. As such I am facing lot many
difficulties in my personal life and request
you not to initiate any further action against
me.
I would like to request you that all the
correspondence regarding my publications
may please be sent to me directly so that I
can reply them immediately. To avoid any
further controversies, I have decided not to
publish any of my work in future.”
A “pharma” author
December 2, 2008
95
The article of which the authors committed plagiarism: it won’t be
removed from ScienceDirect. Everybody who downloads it will see
the reason of retraction…
96
Types of misconduct
Conflict of Interest
Author Attribution
•
•
A financial or other relationship
Must be given if you use another
with the publication at odds with
author’s ideas in your article, even
the unbiased presentation of
if you do not directly quote a source
data or analysis
Plagiarism
•
Copying another person’s work
Author involvement/
contributions
•
Include any and all who have made
word for word or paraphrasing
a substantial intellectual contribution
without proper citation
to the work
•
Do not include minor
contributors
2/27/2017
Ethical publishing
Plagiarism
•
Avoid plagiarism
•
Cite and separate any verbatim copied
material – but how much?
•
Paraphrase other’s text properly, and
include citation
•
Credit any ideas from other sources
•
Familiarize yourself with IEEE Policies
2/27/2017
Ethical publishing
Duplication, Redundancies &
Multiple Submissions
•
Author must submit original work that:
•
Has not appeared elsewhere for
publication
•
Is not under review for another refereed
publication
•
Cites previous work
•
Indicates how it differs from the previously
published work
•
Authors MUST also inform the editor
when submitting any previously published
work
2/27/2017
Publication process
Your personal reason for publishing
• However, editors, reviewers, and the research community
don’t consider these reasons when assessing your work.
• If these are the drivers, consider a career switch
101
The Peer Review Process - Overview
Author
Editor
Reviewer
START
Submit a
paper
Basic requirements met?
[Yes]
Assign
reviewers
[No]
REJECT
Revise the
paper
Collect reviewers’
recommendations
[Reject]
Review and give
recommendation
Make a
decision
[Revision required]
[Accept]
ACCEPT
Michael Derntl
Basics of Research Paper Writing and Publishing.
http://www.pri.univie.ac.at/~derntl/papers/meth-se.pdf
First Decision: “Accepted” or “Rejected”
Accepted
Rejected
• Very rare, but it happens
• Probability 40-90% ...
• Do not despair
– It happens to everybody
• Try to understand WHY
– Consider reviewers’ advice
– Be self-critical
• If you submit to another journal,
begin as if it were a new
manuscript
– Take advantage of the reviewers’
comments
• Congratulations!
–
Cake for the department
–
Now wait for page proofs and
then for your article online and in
print
– The same reviewer may again
review your manuscript!
– Read the Guide for Authors of the
new journal, again and again.
First Decision: “Major” or “Minor” Revision
• Minor revision
– Basically, the manuscript is worth being published
– Some elements in the manuscript must be clarified, restructured, shortened
(often) or expanded (rarely)
– Textual adaptations
– “Minor revision” does NOT guarantee acceptance after revision!
• Major revision
– The manuscript may be worth being published
– Significant deficiencies must be corrected before acceptance
– Involves (significant) textual modifications and/or additional experiments
Why editors and reviewers reject
papers
•
The content is not a good fit for the publication
•
There are serious scientific flaws:
•
Inconclusive results or incorrect interpretation
•
Fraudulent research
•
It is poorly written
•
It does not address a big enough problem
or advance the scientific field
•
The work was previously published
•
The quality is not good enough for the journal
•
Reviewers have misunderstood the article
There is no way to
for Publication
Bimtek-Kopertis Wil 3
Febr 2017
A little about me
Media Anugerah Ayu
A happy mum of two lovely boys and currently working as an
academician at Sampoerna University-Jakarta.
Prior to that I was an Associate Professor in Faculty of Information
and Communication Technology-International Islamic University
Malaysia (IIUM)
Education:
PhD from The Australian National University, Canberra-Australia
MSc from The Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok-Thailand
Ir from Institut Pertanian Bogor, Bogor-Indonesia
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Web: medayu.mandalawangi.net
A little about me
Coverage
• Writing
• Academic writing
• Academic writing for publication
Writing…
Writing habits
Marshal D Carper
Writing habits
Hannah Heath
• The secret of good
writing is rewriting
• The secret of rewriting
is re-thinking
Academic writing…
Its general components…..
What is the point of academic writing?
• The substance of academic writing must be based on solid
evidence and logical analysis, and presented as a concise,
accurate argument.
• Academic writing can allow you to present your argument
and analysis accurately and concisely.
How is it done?
• Aim for precision. Don’t use unnecessary words or
waffle. Get straight to the point. Make every word
count.
• If there is any uncertainty about a particular point, use
cautious language (such as ‘may’, ‘might’, ‘could’,
‘potentially’).
• Unless you are a confident writer, it is best to avoid
over-long sentences and to aim for a mixture of long
and short sentences for variation and rhythm.
• Avoid repeating the same words.
Avoid overly elaborate language
• When using words that are not technical or subject
related, use simple words in place of obscure words
that have the same meaning.
• Using overly elaborate language can make your writing
seem pretentious.
Technical and specific language
• Use technical language and words specific to your
discipline where appropriate.
• However, it is wise to avoid convoluted phrases and
terms when writing about general information.
Is the following text a good example of
academic style?
• Today being fat is totally bad for your health.
About 30,000 fat people die every year in the UK
and loads more fat people die in the USA. By
2005 more people will die of being fat than
smoking and it doesn’t have to be this way, this
could easily be prevented, couldn't it?
Read this
• The number of deaths per year attributable to
obesity is roughly 30,000 in the UK and ten times
that in the USA, where obesity is set to overtake
smoking in 2005 as the main preventable cause of
illness and premature death.
Avoid abbreviations and contractions
• Abbreviations and contractions are informal, and
are best avoided in academic writing. For example:
• ‘Department’ should be used instead of the
abbreviation ‘dept’.
• ‘Is not’ should be used in place of the contraction
‘isn’t’.
Avoid slang words and phrases
Compare the following:
• ‘The individual was sentenced for nicking a bike.’
• ‘The doctor looked kind of worried when he reviewed
the case notes.’
• ‘The individual was sentenced for stealing a bike’
• ‘The doctor looked slightly worried when he reviewed
the case notes.’
Avoid conversational terms
• This totally changed people’s lives’
• Why is ‘totally’ there?
• If it’s a ‘filler’ it can be omitted.
• If it’s used for emphasis, a more appropriate word could be
used, for example ‘significantly’ or ‘fundamentally’
Avoid vague terms
Consider the following:
• ‘The right thing’ would be better expressed as ‘the right action’
or ‘the right procedure’
• ‘A nice addition to the collection’ would be better expressed as
‘A popular addition to the collection’ or ‘A prestigious addition
to the collection’
Be Impersonal
• In many academic disciplines, writing in the first
person is not acceptable as it is believed to be too
subjective and personal.
Writing in the first person
• First person sentences use the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’.
For example:
• We have considered...
• I suggest that...
• I have observed...
These can be transformed into-
Impersonal sentences
• Consideration has been given to...
• The suggestion is made that...
• It has been observed that...
Referencing…..
What does referencing mean?
• When writing an academic piece of work we
need to acknowledge any ideas, information or
quotations which are the work of other people.
This is known as referencing or citing.
Why should we include references in
our work?
• We should include references in order to:
– acknowledge the work of others
– provide evidence of your own research
– illustrate a particular point
– support an argument or theory
– allow others to locate the resources you have used
• And most importantly:
– avoid accusations of plagiarism
Referencing while writing
• References will be cited in our work in two places:
– 1) Where a source is referred to in the text (Citation)
– 2) In a list (the Bibliography/List of references) at the
end of the assignment.
Literature Review…..
Purpose of a Literature Review
The literature review is a critical look at the existing research
that is significant to the work that you are carrying out.
• To provide background information
• To establish importance
• To demonstrate familiarity
• To “carve out a space” for further research
Characteristics of
Effective Literature Reviews
• Outlining important research trends
• Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of existing
research
• Identifying potential gaps in knowledge
• Establishing a need for current and/or future research
projects
Analyzing Sources
• A literature review is never just a list of studies—
it always offers an argument about a body of
research
• Analysis occurs on two levels:
– Individual sources
– Body of research
Four Analysis Tasks of the Literature
Review
TASKS OF
LITERATURE
REVIEW
SUMMARIZE
SYNTHESIZE
CRITIQUE
COMPARE
Summary and Synthesis
In your own words, summarize and/or synthesize the key
findings relevant to your study.
• What do we know about the immediate area?
• What are the key arguments, key characteristics, key
concepts or key figures?
• What are the existing debates/theories?
• What common methodologies are used?
Sample Language for
Summary and Synthesis
• Normadin has demonstrated…
• Early work by Hausman, Schwarz, and Graves was
concerned with…
• Elsayed and Stern compared algorithms for
handling…
• Additional work by Karasawa et. al, Azadivar, and
Parry et. al deals with…
Example: Summary and Synthesis
Piaget’s theory of stages of cognitive development and
Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development are
commonly used for educational psychology courses
(Borich & Tombari, 1997; LeFrancois, 1997; Slavin,
1997). Piaget described characteristic behaviors, including
artistic ones such as drawing, as evidence of how children
think and what children do as they progress beyond
developmental milestones into and through stages of
development.
Comparison and Critique
Evaluates the strength and weaknesses of the
work:
• How do the different studies relate? What is new, different,
or controversial?
• What views need further testing?
• What evidence is lacking, inconclusive, contradicting, or
too limited?
• What research designs or methods seem unsatisfactory?
Sample Language for
Comparison and Critique
• In this ambitious but flawed study, Jones and Wang…
• These general results, reflecting the stochastic nature of
the flow of goods, are similar to those reported by
Rosenblatt and Roll…
Example: Comparison and Critique
• The critical response to the poetry of Phillis Wheatley often
registers disappointment or surprise. Some critics have
complained that the verse of this African American slave is
insecure (Collins 1975, 78), imitative (Richmond 1974, 5466), and incapacitated (Burke 1991, 33, 38)—at worst, the
product of a “White mind” (Jameson 1974, 414-15). Others,
in contrast, have applauded Wheatley’s critique of AngloAmerican discourse(Kendrick 1993,222-23), her revision of
literary models…
Common Errors Made in Lit Reviews
•
Review isn’t logically organized
•
Review isn’t focused on most important facets of the study
•
Review doesn’t relate literature to the study
•
Too few references or outdated references cited
•
Review isn’t written in author’s own words
•
Review reads like a series of disjointed summaries
•
Review doesn’t argue a point
•
Recent references are omitted
Writing a Literature Review:
In Summary
• As you read, try to see the “big picture”—your literature review
should provide an overview of the state of research.
• Include only those source materials that help you shape your
argument. Resist the temptation to include everything you’ve
read!
• Balance summary and analysis as you write.
• Keep in mind your purpose for writing:
– How will this review benefit readers?
– How does this review contribute to your study?
• Be meticulous about citations.
Supporting tools
Tools to support in writing related to referencing
and literature review:
- EndNote
- Mendeley
- Zotero
A peek on Mendeley
A peek on Mendeley
A peek on Mendeley
A peek on Mendeley
Academic Writing
for Publication
Determine if you are ready to publish
You should consider publishing if you have information
that advances understanding in a certain scientific field
This could be in the form of:
• Presenting new, original results or methods
• Rationalizing, refining, or reinterpreting published results
• Reviewing or summarizing a particular subject or field
If you are ready to publish, a strong manuscript is
what is needed next
What is a strong manuscript?
• Has a novel, clear, useful, and exciting message
• Presented and constructed in a logical manner
• Reviewers and editors can grasp the scientific significance easily
Editors and reviewers but also authors are all
busy scientists –
make things easy to save their time
What is a strong manuscript?
• A scientific paper is not a research report, but a contribution to
the scientific discussions
• A review is not an overview of the literature (as often in the
introduction of a thesis) but a discussion of the literature bringing
a new message
Before writing:
Define what it is you want to make clear
Identify the right audience for your paper
• Identify the sector of readership/community for which a paper is meant
• Identify the interest of your audience
• Is your paper of local or international interest?
Choose the right journal
Do not just “descend the stairs”
Top journals
Nature, Science, Lancet, NEJM, ......
Field-specific top journals
Other field-specific journals
National journals
Choose the right journal
• Ask help from your supervisor or colleagues
– The supervisor (who is sometimes the corresponding author) has at least coresponsibility for your work. You are encouraged to chase your supervisor if
necessary.
• Articles in your references will likely lead you to the right journal.
• DO NOT gamble by submitting your manuscript to more than one
journal at a time.
– International ethics standards prohibit multiple/simultaneous submissions, and
editors DO find out! (Trust us, they DO!)
Multiple submissions save you time but waste editor’s and
reviewer’s time.
The editorial process of your manuscripts will be completely
stopped if the duplicated submissions are discovered.
“It is considered to be unethical…We have thrown out a paper
when an author was caught doing this. I believe that the other
journal did the same thing. ”
Read the ‘Guide for Authors’! Again and again!
• Stick to the Guide for Authors in your
manuscript, even in the first draft (text layout,
nomenclature, figures & tables, references
etc.).
In the end it will save you time, and also the
editor’s.
• Editors (and reviewers) do not like wasting time
on poorly prepared manuscripts. It is a sign of
disrespect.
55
Scientific Language – Overview
Write with clarity, objectivity, accuracy, and brevity.
• Key to successful scientific writing is to be alert
for common errors:
– Sentence construction
– Incorrect tenses
– Inaccurate grammar
– Not using English
Check the Guide for Authors of the target
journal for language specifications
Scientific Language – Sentences
• Write direct and short sentences
• One idea or piece of information per sentence is sufficient
• Avoid multiple statements in one sentence
An example of what NOT to do:
“If it is the case, intravenous administration should result in that emulsion has
higher intravenous administration retention concentration, but which is not in
accordance with the result, and therefore the more rational interpretation
should be that SLN with mean diameter of 46nm is greatly different from
emulsion with mean diameter of 65 nm in entering tumor, namely, it is
probably difficult for emulsion to enter and exit from tumor blood vessel as
freely as SLN, which may be caused by the fact that the tumor blood vessel
aperture is smaller.”
General Structure of a Research Article
• Title
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Main text (IMRAD)
– Introduction
– Methods
– Results
– And
– Discussions
•
•
•
•
Make them easy for indexing and
searching! (informative, attractive,
effective)
Journal space is not unlimited.
Make your article as concise as
possible.
Conclusion
Acknowledgement
References
Supplementary Data
The process of writing – building the article
(a recommended approach)
Title & Abstract
Introduction Conclusion
Methods
Discussion
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Figures/tables (your data)
Elements of a manuscript/research article
Title
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Methodology
Results/Discussions/Findings
Conclusion
References
Let’s look at each element…..
Title
• A good title should contain the fewest possible words that
adequately describe the contents of a paper.
• Effective titles
– Identify the main issue of the paper
– Begin with the subject of the paper
– Are accurate, unambiguous, specific, and complete
– Are as short as possible
–
Articles with short, catchy titles are often better cited
– Do not contain rarely-used abbreviations
– Attract readers
62
Title
An effective title should…
•Answer
the reader’s question:
“Is this article relevant to me?”
•Grab
the reader’s attention
•Describe
the content of a paper
using the fewest possible words
•
Is crisp, concise
•
Uses keywords
•
Avoids jargon
Good
Title
VS.
Bad
Title
A Human Expert-based Approach to Electrical
Peak Demand Management
VS
A better approach of managing environmental and
energy sustainability via a study of different methods
of electric load forecasting
Good
Title
VS.
Bad
Title
Examples
Original Title
Revised
Remarks
Preliminary
observations on the
effect of Zn element
on anticorrosion of
zinc plating layer
Effect of Zn on
anticorrosion of
zinc plating layer
Long title distracts readers.
Remove all redundancies such as
“observations on”, “the nature of”, etc.
Action of antibiotics
on bacteria
Inhibition of growth
of mycobacterium
tuberculosis by
streptomycin
Titles should be specific.
Think to yourself: “How would I search for
this piece of information?” when you
design the title.
Fabrication of
carbon/CdS coaxial
nanofibers
displaying optical
and electrical
properties via
electrospinning
carbon
Electrospinning of
carbon/CdS coaxial
nanofibers with
optical and
electrical
properties
“English needs help. The title is nonsense.
All materials have properties of all varieties.
You could examine my hair for its electrical
and optical properties! You MUST be
specific. I haven’t read the paper but I
suspect there is something special about
these properties, otherwise why would you
be reporting them?”
– the Editor-in-Chief
Good
Title
VS.
Bad
Title
Keywords
• In an “electronic world”, keywords determine whether your
article is found or not!
• Avoid to make them
– too general (“drug delivery”, “mouse”, “disease”, etc.)
– too narrow (so that nobody will ever search for it)
• Effective approach:
– Look at the keywords of articles relevant to your manuscript
– Play with these keywords, and see whether they return relevant papers,
neither too many nor too few
66
Keywords
Use in the Title and
Abstract for enhanced
Search Engine Optimization
Logical
Appropriate
Applicable
Specific
Searchable
2/27/2017
Abstract
Tell readers what you did and the important findings
• One paragraph (between 50-300 words)
• Advertisement for your article
• A clear abstract will strongly influence if your work is considered
further
Graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) of composition
CxN(SO2CF3)2 · δF are prepared under ambient conditions in 48%
hydrofluoric acid, using K2MnF6 as an oxidizing reagent. The stage 2
GIC product structures are determined using powder XRD and modeled
by fitting one dimensional electron density profiles.
A new digestion method followed by selective fluoride electrode
elemental analyses allows the determination of free fluoride within
products, and the compositional x and δ parameters are determined for
reaction times from 0.25 to 500 h.
What has
been done
What are the
main findings
Abstract
A “stand alone”
condensed version of
the article
What you did
•No
more than 250
words; written in
the past tense
Why you did it
•Uses
keywords
and index terms
Why they’re useful & important
& move the field forward
How the results
were useful,
important & move
the field forward
Example: abstract template from Emerald
Abstract
PurposeDesign/Methodology/ApproachFindingsResearch limitations/implications (if applicable)Practical implications (if applicable)Originality/value-
Introduction
The place to convince readers that you know why your work is
relevant, also for them
Answer a series of questions:
General
– What is the problem?
– Are there any existing solutions?
– Which one is the best?
– What is its main limitation?
– What do you hope to achieve?
State its contribution
72
Specific
Introduction
•
A description of the problem you researched
•
It should move step by step through:
•
The introduction should be:
•
Specific, not too broad or vague
•
About 2 pages
•
Written in the present tense
Methods / Experimental
• Include all important details so that the reader can repeat the work.
•
Details that were previously published can be omitted but a general summary of
those experiments should be included
• Give vendor names (and addresses) of equipment etc. used
• All chemicals must be identified
•
Do not use proprietary, unidentifiable compounds without description
• Present proper control experiments
• Avoid adding comments and discussion.
• Write in the past tense
•
Most journals prefer the passive voice
• Consider use of Supplementary Materials
•
75
Documents, spreadsheets, audio, video, .....
Reviewers will criticize incomplete
or incorrect descriptions, and may
even recommend rejection
Methodology
•
Problem formulation and the processes used to solve the
problem, prove or disprove the hypothesis
•
Use illustrations to clarify ideas and support conclusions:
Tables
Graphs
Present representative data
or when exact values are
important to show
Show relationships
between data points
or trends in data
Figures
Quickly show ideas/conclusions
that would require detailed
explanations
Fig. A
Results – what have you found?
• The following should be included
– the main findings
– Thus not all findings
– Findings from experiments described in the Methods section
– Highlight findings that differ from findings in previous
publications, and unexpected findings
– Results of the statistical analysis
77
Results – Figures and tables
• Illustrations are critical, because
– Figures and tables are the most efficient way to present results
– Results are the driving force of the publication
– A figure/table should convey the message besides giving the data of the
experiment
"One Picture is Worth a
Thousand Words"
Sue Hanauer (1968)
Results – Appearance counts!
Un-crowded plots
3 or 4 data sets per figure; well-selected scales; appropriate
axis label size; symbols clear to read; data sets easily distinguishable.
Each photograph must have a scale marker
of professional quality in a corner.
Text in photos / figures in English
Not in French, German, Chinese, ...
Use colour ONLY when necessary.
If different line styles can clarify the meaning,
then never use colours or other thrilling effects.
Colour must be visible and distinguishable
when printed in black & white.
Do not include long boring tables!
Discussion – what do the results mean?
• Check for the following:
– How do your results relate to the original question or objectives outlined in
the Introduction section?
– Do you provide interpretation for each of your results presented?
– Are your results consistent with what other investigators have reported? Or
are there any differences? Why?
– Are there any limitations?
– Does the discussion logically lead to your conclusion?
• Do not
– Make statements that go beyond what the results can support
– Suddenly introduce new terms or ideas
80
Results/discussion
Demonstrate that you
solved the problem or
made significant advances
Results
Results: Summarizes the Data
•
Should be clear and concise
•
Use figures or tables with narrative
to illustrate findings
Discussion: Interprets the Results
•
•
Why your research offers
a new solution
How can it benefit other researchers
professionals
Discussion
Conclusion
•
•
•
Explain what the research has
achieved
•
As it relates to the problem stated
in the Introduction
•
Revisit the key points in each section
•
Include a summary of the main findings and
implications for the field
Provide benefits and shortcomings of:
•
The solution presented
•
Your research and methodology
Suggest future areas for research
Conclusions
•
The conclusion is not a summary of the paper and is no outlook
to future work
•
Present global and specific conclusions as a clear take home
message
•
Avoid judgments about impact
83
Abbreviations
• Abbreviations must be defined on the first use in both abstract
and main text.
• Some journals even forbid the use of abbreviations in the
abstract.
• Abbreviations that are firmly established in the field do not need
to be defined, e.g. DNA.
• Never define an abbreviation of a term that is only used once.
• Avoid acronyms, if possible
– Abbreviations that consist of the initial letters of a series of words
– Can be typical “lab jargon”, incomprehensible to outsiders
84
Another important element that needs
to be considered in academic
publication Ethics
Publish AND Perish! – if you break ethical rules
• International scientific ethics have evolved over centuries and are
commonly held throughout the world.
• Scientific ethics are not considered to have national variants or
characteristics – there is a single ethical standard for science.
• Ethics problems with scientific articles are on the rise globally.
M. Errami & H. Garner
A tale of two citations
Nature 451 (2008): 397-399
86
Ethics Issues in Publishing
Scientific misconduct
– Falsification of results
Publication misconduct
– Plagiarism
– Different forms / severities
– The paper must be original to the authors
– Duplicate publication
– Duplicate submission
– Appropriate acknowledgement of prior research and
researchers
– Appropriate identification of all co-authors
– Conflict of interest
87
Plagiarism includes (Galvan, pg. 89):
1.
Using another writer’s words without proper citation
2.
Using another writer’s ideas without proper citation
3.
Citing a source but reproducing the exact word without
quotation marks
4.
Borrowing the structure of another author’s phrases/sentences
without giving the source
5.
Borrowing all or part of another student’s paper
6.
Using paper-writing service or having a friend write the paper
A short‐cut to long‐term consequences!
Plagiarism is considered a serious offense by your institute, by
journal editors, and by the scientific community.
Plagiarism may result in academic charges, but will certainly
cause rejection of your paper.
Plagiarism will hurt your reputation in the scientific
community.
From: Elsevier
Plagiarism Detection Tools
• Plagiarism detection schemes:
– Turnitin (aimed at universities)
– Ithenticate (aimed at publishers and corporations)
Manuscripts are checked against a database of 20 million peer reviewed articles which have
been donated by 50+ publishers.
• Editors and reviewers
• Your colleagues
• "Other“ whistleblowers
– “The walls have ears", it seems ...
Data Fabrication and Falsification
- often go hand in hand
A Massive Case Of Fraud
Chemical & Engineering News
February 18, 2008
Journal editors are left reeling as
publishers move to rid their
archives of scientist's falsified
research
William G. Schulz
A CHEMIST IN INDIA has been
found guilty of plagiarizing and/or
falsifying more than 70 research
papers published in a wide variety
of Western scientific journals
between 2004 and 2007, according
to documents from his university,
copies of which were obtained by
C&EN. Some journal editors left
reeling by the incident say it is one
of the most spectacular and
outrageous cases of scientific
fraud they have ever seen. …
92
Data fabrication and falsification
Fabrication: Making up data or results, and recording
or reporting them
“… the fabrication of research data … hits at the heart of our
responsibility to society, the reputation of our institution, the trust
between the public and the biomedical research community, and our
personal credibility and that of our mentors, colleagues…”
“It can waste the time of others, trying to replicate false data or designing
experiments based on false premises, and can lead to therapeutic errors.
It can never be tolerated.”
Professor Richard Hawkes
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy
University of Calgary
“The most dangerous of all falsehoods is a
slightly distorted truth.”
G.C.Lichtenberg (1742-1799)
Publication ethics – Self-plagiarism
2003
2004
94
Publication ethics – How it can end .....
“I deeply regret the inconvenience and
agony caused to you by my mistake and
request and beg for your pardon for the
same. As such I am facing lot many
difficulties in my personal life and request
you not to initiate any further action against
me.
I would like to request you that all the
correspondence regarding my publications
may please be sent to me directly so that I
can reply them immediately. To avoid any
further controversies, I have decided not to
publish any of my work in future.”
A “pharma” author
December 2, 2008
95
The article of which the authors committed plagiarism: it won’t be
removed from ScienceDirect. Everybody who downloads it will see
the reason of retraction…
96
Types of misconduct
Conflict of Interest
Author Attribution
•
•
A financial or other relationship
Must be given if you use another
with the publication at odds with
author’s ideas in your article, even
the unbiased presentation of
if you do not directly quote a source
data or analysis
Plagiarism
•
Copying another person’s work
Author involvement/
contributions
•
Include any and all who have made
word for word or paraphrasing
a substantial intellectual contribution
without proper citation
to the work
•
Do not include minor
contributors
2/27/2017
Ethical publishing
Plagiarism
•
Avoid plagiarism
•
Cite and separate any verbatim copied
material – but how much?
•
Paraphrase other’s text properly, and
include citation
•
Credit any ideas from other sources
•
Familiarize yourself with IEEE Policies
2/27/2017
Ethical publishing
Duplication, Redundancies &
Multiple Submissions
•
Author must submit original work that:
•
Has not appeared elsewhere for
publication
•
Is not under review for another refereed
publication
•
Cites previous work
•
Indicates how it differs from the previously
published work
•
Authors MUST also inform the editor
when submitting any previously published
work
2/27/2017
Publication process
Your personal reason for publishing
• However, editors, reviewers, and the research community
don’t consider these reasons when assessing your work.
• If these are the drivers, consider a career switch
101
The Peer Review Process - Overview
Author
Editor
Reviewer
START
Submit a
paper
Basic requirements met?
[Yes]
Assign
reviewers
[No]
REJECT
Revise the
paper
Collect reviewers’
recommendations
[Reject]
Review and give
recommendation
Make a
decision
[Revision required]
[Accept]
ACCEPT
Michael Derntl
Basics of Research Paper Writing and Publishing.
http://www.pri.univie.ac.at/~derntl/papers/meth-se.pdf
First Decision: “Accepted” or “Rejected”
Accepted
Rejected
• Very rare, but it happens
• Probability 40-90% ...
• Do not despair
– It happens to everybody
• Try to understand WHY
– Consider reviewers’ advice
– Be self-critical
• If you submit to another journal,
begin as if it were a new
manuscript
– Take advantage of the reviewers’
comments
• Congratulations!
–
Cake for the department
–
Now wait for page proofs and
then for your article online and in
– The same reviewer may again
review your manuscript!
– Read the Guide for Authors of the
new journal, again and again.
First Decision: “Major” or “Minor” Revision
• Minor revision
– Basically, the manuscript is worth being published
– Some elements in the manuscript must be clarified, restructured, shortened
(often) or expanded (rarely)
– Textual adaptations
– “Minor revision” does NOT guarantee acceptance after revision!
• Major revision
– The manuscript may be worth being published
– Significant deficiencies must be corrected before acceptance
– Involves (significant) textual modifications and/or additional experiments
Why editors and reviewers reject
papers
•
The content is not a good fit for the publication
•
There are serious scientific flaws:
•
Inconclusive results or incorrect interpretation
•
Fraudulent research
•
It is poorly written
•
It does not address a big enough problem
or advance the scientific field
•
The work was previously published
•
The quality is not good enough for the journal
•
Reviewers have misunderstood the article
There is no way to