Do not consider publishing if
The work is outdated
If the work duplicates previously published work
Your conclusions are incorrect or not acceptable
Consider publishing if
Presenting new, original results or methods
Rationalizing, refining or interpreting published results
Reviewing or summarizing a particular subject or field
Aim to reach the intended audience for your work
If the paper is outside the scope of the journal, it will be rejected immediately.
Choose only one journal, as simultaneous submissions are prohibited
Supervisor and colleagues can provide good suggestions
Shortlist a handful of candidate journals and investigate them:
Aims
Scope
Accepted types of article
Readership
Current hot topics
Impact factor
It indicated how many times the more recent papers in a journal are cited on average in a given year
It is influenced by editorial policies of journals and turnover of research
Review articles tend to have higher impact factors since they are cited more
It can help in text layout, reference style, nomenclature, figures and tablesIt will save time
It includes types of papers the journal accepts, ethical standard, copyright information, supplementary materials, funding source information, publishing process the journal uses, article structure
Clear and useful message
A logical manner
Readers grasp the research
Conducts or supervises data collection, analysis, presentation, interpretation of the results
Puts together the paper for submission
Figures and tables
Methods, Results, Discussion
Conclusion
Introduction
Title, abstract, keywords
Attract reader’s attention
Contain fewest possible words
Adequately describe content
Are informative but concise
Identify the main issue
Do not use technical jargon and rarely used abbreviations
Labels of the manuscript
Used by indexing and abstracting services
Should be specific
Should use only established abbreviations
Summarize the problem, methods, results, and conclusions in a single paragraph
Make it interesting and understandable
Make it accurate and specific
Keep it as brief as possible
Write it last
Reviewers only see the title and abstract of an article before they decide to review it or not
A title and abstract are the only parts of an article that are freely available to everyone unless they are open access
While reading the abstract, the reader will decide if the rest of the article is of interest to them
The value of your abstract is the difference between your article being read or not
The more researchers who want to read your article, the more chance you have it will be cited in future research papers
Check the guide for authors
Style
Write in active voice
Use 10-12 keywords or phrases
Maintain specified word count
Avoid being general and vague
Abstract length
Typically, 200-250 words
Concise and avoid descriptive sentences
Purpose/ Motivation
Be clear about the purpose and outcome of the research and describe it here
Entice the readers by attracting their interest
Clearly state your key argument or main finding in your abstract
Methodology
Ensure that you clearly mention the methodology of your research
Briefly discuss your research and include variables and scope of your work
Include evidences if you have, to support your main claim or key finding and include your most important resources
Findings/ Conclusion
Do not use vague language
Consider the implication of your findings
Value
Represent a fair analysis of the value of your research in your opinion
Ask peers to assess whether you have judged the value of your results correctly before submission
Discuss the limitation of your research
Pose a question or opinion on what the next step in this research might include
Represent a single, concise, pictorial and visual summary of the main findings of the article
This captures the content of the article for readers at a single glance
This could either be the concluding figure or a figure that is specifically designed for the purpose
It allows readers to quickly gain understanding of the main take-home message of the paper
It is intended to encourage browsing, promote interdisciplinary scholarship and help readers identify more quickly the papers that are more relevant to their research interests.
A key figure from the original paper summarizing the content can also be submitted as a graphical abstract
A concise pictorial summary of the main findings of the articles
It should be brief
It contains white spaces and visual data
It contains title, copyright line, citation, summary of methods and findings, conclusion, journal, authors
It should answer the following questions
What are the most important takeaways?
What story do your figures focus on?
Powerpoint is the most common format
Key components:
Visual abstract title/ article title
Main section – visual representation of methods/ cohort, intervention, control, results
Conclusion statement
Author names and social media handles, article citation/ DOI
Image size
If using Powerpoint, size slide for widescreen (16:9 ratio) with high resolution images (minimum of 300 dpi)
If using another program, provide images with a minimum of 531 x 1328 pixels (H x W) and a minimum resolution of 300 dpi, For larger images, use 200 x 500 pixels (H x W)
Fonts:
Arial, Calibri, Times, Courier, Symbol with 12-18 pt size
Do not use more than 2 fonts
Use complementary fonts that go together
Play with font to emphasize
Type hierarchy: use headings, subheadings, labels, normal information
For printing, use serif font times new roman
For web, use sans serif font arial
Newspaper and magazines are great inspiration for learning type + alignment of text, grid structure
Heading can be serif and text can be sans serif
Use the same font family and add variation
Avoid using effects like 3D effects and rotations, shadow, bezels for design purpose
Color:
Draw attention, influence meaning and make the visual abstract accessible
Use shades, tints and tones of one primary color and add an accent color and secondary color based on the complexity of the visual
Color interaction alters our perception of hue, value and saturation
Check your colored visual abstracts in grey scale to make sure the contrast is right
The use of fewer and muted colors are preferable
Use colors sparingly
Design
Avoid similar shapes for more than one element. Label clearly without adding any effects
Scales should be altered or dramatized only when visual demands it
Align your content depending on your story
All stories have characters, settings and some type of message that needs to be conveyed
Depending on your message and audience, visuals can take on a number of styles like photographs, illustrations, iconography, simple shapes
Group your visual assets together based on story check points
Arrange your story in a way that is legible
Whitespaces helps graphics to breath but also help guide the eye comfortably
Putting whitespace between several graphic elements is also very important
Adjust the proportion of your graphics to accommodate other dimensions
Always consider your audience and any biases that may have or strategies that would benefit them
Sometimes being literal with what we are describing helps non-specialized audiences
Key steps
Follow the journal guidelines
Identify the main outcome of your research
Sketch and layout your message – design elements and text
Keep the design crisp and simple with appealing colors and type
The Noun Project
Mindthegraph
Canva
Piktochart
Easel.ly
Infogram
Graphicsurf
Flaticon
Biorender
Bioicons
A series of bullet points which makes it easier for the reader to judge the value of their own interest in the article.
They must portray the core findings for the article
Check the Guide for Authors to find the number of bullet points allowed and the maximum number of characters
Provide a brief context to the readers
Address the problem
Identify the solutions and limitations
Identify what the work is trying to achieve
Provide a perspective consistent with the nature of the journal
Describe how the problem was studied
Include the detailed information
Do not describe previously published procedures
Identify the equipment and materials used
Include only data of primary importance
Present results that are essential to discussion
Put data of secondary importance in the supporting materials section
Use sub-headings to keep results of the same type together
Number the sub-sections for convenience of internal cross-referencing
Decide on a logical order that tells a clear story
Be clear and easy to understand
Highlight the main findings
Feature unexpected findings
Provide statistical analysis
Include illustrations and figures
Legend of a figure should be brief and should contain sufficient explanatory details to explain the figure without needing to refer to the text
Use colors only when necessary
Prefer line styles instead of color variations
Graphs should not appear crowded
Present at most 3-4 datasets per figure
Use well selected scales
Label the axes clearly
Use different symbols so that one can discriminate between the datasets
Do not include long boring tables
Make table as easy to read as possible
Each image should be presented with a scale marker and resolution should be clear
Interpretation of results
Most important section
Make the discussion correspond to the results and complement them
Compare published results with your own
Do not use the following
Statements that go beyond what the results can support
Non-specific expressions
New terms not already defined or mentioned in your paper
Speculations on possible interpretations based on imagination
Shows how your work advances the field of the study
Be clear
Provide justification for the work by indicating uses, extensions, applications of the work
Explain how your work advances the present state of knowledge
Do not just repeat the abstract
Do not list the experimental results here
Suggest future experiments
Advisors
Financial supporters and funders
Proof readers and typists
Suppliers who have donated materials
Do not use too many references
Always ensure you have fully absorbed the material you are referencing
Avoid excessive self-citations
Avoid excessive citations of publications from the same region or institute
Confirm strictly to the style given in the Guide for Authors
Read, annotate and cite from one place
Share references with the co-authors
Access research across multiple devices
Edit reference styles for publishing in various journals and conferences
Share annotations with collaborators
Store all the references in one place
Paid or free solution
Mendeley
Zotero
Endnote
RefWorks
Citavi
Exploration and analysis
Explore a dataset, ask specific questions
Many charts, not much time spent on individual ones
Generic charts to understand the data, no time for polish
Goal is to work through many charts, not be selective
Charts: Bar charts, line charts, scatterplots, etc.
Explanation
Help others understand, collaborate on analysis
Fewer charts, more carefully chosen
Interaction with others
Start framing findings, sequence ideas
Possibly use more specific charts, like Sankey diagrams, treemaps, etc
Presentation
Show what you found to an external audience
Polished and well-chosen charts, both in type and content
Highlighting and annotation
Possibly use unusual charts that are more specific and/or memorable
Overarching story when presenting, not just a collection of facts
Andy Kirk, Data Visualization: A handbook for data driven design
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, Storytelling with data
Jonathan Schwabish, Better Data Visualizations: A guide for Scholars, Researchers and wonks
Purpose
The role of the covering letter is to correspond directly with the journal handing Editor as to why your manuscript is special or worthwhile.
Mention in an explicit way why your manuscript is original and useful to researchers in the journal's field, It should stress the fit between your submission and the journal.
Give the research question you were trying to answer and then list a few important results and mention why this journal and your submission are a good fit- maybe because of solving problems previously reported in this journal. Or perhaps this journal is the journal where quality work on this topic is published. The current Aims and Scope are guidance on what you need to highlight.
Content
The information you provide the Editor in the covering letter should assure him/her that your manuscript deserves consideration for publication in the journal and that you have carefully selected this journal as the best fit for your research work.
The covering letter is not seen by the referees, publisher, or the readers of the journal. lt is only seen by the handling Editor.
Address the letter to the Editor formally by name, with the journal name and address. Begin the letter by giving the title of the manuscript and the authors' details -in case the letter gets separated from your manuscript.
Mistakes to avoid
Do not summarize the manuscript or repeat the abstract in the covering letter. The Editor will read the abstract. Use the letter as an opportunity to highlight how your paper fits within the field and the conceptual advance it provides.
Check that the journal has not changed its Aims and Scope recently, and thus excluding your field.
Although humor can be used in some situations in science, it should be avoided here as you do not know how your humor will be received.
Do not exaggerate or inflate the claims you are making.
The cover letter should not be too long -one side of a sheet of paper is the maximum length using normal 12-point Times or Ariel font.
Make sure you spell the Editor's name and the journal title correctly!
Essential Components
Stress that the manuscript is original, and if parts of it have appeared in a pre-print server or as a poster, give clear details of this.
Mention what type of paper this is -e.g. research paper, review, case report, etc.
State that the manuscript is not published and is not being considered by any other journal at this time. If another journal has declined your manuscript you do not have to mention this, but sometimes there are advantages doing so.
Mention that all co-authors have given their approval to submit the manuscript and all authors have completed a Conflict of Interest form, there is compliance with ethical practices and the like.
Special requests
If the journal does not ask for reviewer suggestions during submission, then you should list a few suitable referees along with their Institute details and Institutional email addresses.
If you have already given reviewer suggestions as part of the submission process, you can at this time suggest people you would rather not review your manuscript as they would be conflicted. Tip: do not list too many names!
Final Comments
View a cover letter as an opportunity.
A missing or bad covering letter will not mean that your submission will be rejected by the Editor without peer review.
But a good, well-written, strong cover letter can help get the Editor interested in your manuscript and help them to see how it fits within the scope of the journal. This can facilitate getting your paper into the peer-review process, as long as the scientific content is sound.
What is a Proposal?
Your way of asking for an invitation to submit a review article
Direct submission: you go to the website and press Submit
Like how you'd submit a research article
May or may not be possible at every journal (not an option at Trends)
By invitation:
An editor contacts you with an invitation to write an article
You contact the editor to request an invitation
"Presubmission inquiry": publisher jargon for asking the editor if your article is a good fit for the journal
Research: generally asking about the suitability of a finished study
Reviews: interchangeable with proposal
I prefer "proposal" because its meaning is more easily understood, but sometimes you will see "presubmission"
Why do editors ask for them?
For the author: it saves you work!
For the editor: better understand scope, key take-home messages, niche that the paper will fill
It starts a collaborative process between the author and editor
Get to know your writing style (if I can't understand your proposal, the paper probably won't be suitable for a general audience either)
Why you shouldn't send a 6000+ word paper unsolicited:
Maybe it's impossible to revise to fit journal style
Maybe we don't have room for it
Maybe it's not a good fit
No opportunity for collaboration
"Cuts in line" ahead of other proposals
How is a proposal different from a cover letter?
A proposal is meant to introduce an idea for a manuscript that hasn't been written yet
A cover letter should accompany the submission of a drafted manuscript:
Introduce the authors and the topic
Explain anything unusual or exceptional about the manuscript
Maybe suggest or oppose reviewers (more common in the old days)
There are some similarities:
Convey excitement, timeliness, novelty
Justify the fit with the journal
Take time to learn the editor's name
Why editors ask for certain information in a proposal?
Article working title
Author names P affiliations
Does the author team have the necessary expertise?
A point-by-point summary (~300-600 words) outlining what will be discussed in the article and why it is timely and novel
A list of 10-20 key recent references (published in the past 2-4 years) that indicate the intended breadth and balance of the proposed article
Demonstrate fit to the journal
Show the topic is timely
Highlight novel aspects of your work
Different proposals for different article formats
Every journal publishes a range of article types
Review, Opinion, Forum, Science & Society, Spotlight, Letter, Scientific Life, Book Review, X of the Month
Don't make us guess what article type you're proposing!
Information required for the proposal can differ for different article types
Review and Opinion articles
Science & Society, Forum
Spotlights and Book Reviews.
Letters
Sometimes we'll suggest a different format might be more appropriate
How important is the information you include?
Absolutely critical: the things the journal asks for on its website
Explanation of the topic and why it's timely
List of key recent references Format
List of authors and affiliations
Possibly informative but not necessary
Longer outline including planned figures
Your preferred submission date (the editor might prefer something else)
Not that useful
Extensive author biographies (we will look you up, don't worry)
Word count and number of references (we don't want you to know this)
That ubiquitous bar chart of number of publications vs. time
Flattery
I need an exception from your guidelines!
The earlier you do this the better
Whether an exception is possible at depends
On the guideline
On the article type
Can you see examples of where exceptions have been granted in the past?
However, this does NOT, mean that one will be granted for you
Clearly define what you need
"We would like an extra figure to explain x", "Could Box 2 be 600 words?"
Explain why
"Our review covers x, y & z so we need author expertise covering these areas"
Be prepared to be told that it's not possible -> have a backup plan
What if the editor says no?
Many journals are heavily over-subscribed - simply unable to take all pieces that are pitched
Need to balance all subfields covered by the journal
Something similar in the pipeline
Not the right time - topic has been reviewed recently
Not the right journal
Topic area
Scope of article
Writing truly great proposals
What makes a truly great, must take proposal?
the "x factor"
Not about "big names"
Well formulated question of general interest
Clear, logical arguments
Reference list suggesting broad interest
Get your colleagues outside your immediate subfield to read it- do they think it's exciting? Would they read it?
What makes me want to say yes?
A concept that was part of every talk at a recent conference
A truly new way of thinking about a topic (show, don't tel, that your idea is novel)
A "story" that is obvious even to me, a non-expert (rather than "Many reviews exist about disease X, therapeutic Y, and device Z, but ours is the first to review specifically using device Z to deliver therapeutic Y to treat disease x")
An author list that reflects intentional collaboration
A unique personal perspective on the topic that only you can provide
10 dos and don'ts of writing proposals for review articles
Do include all of the information that the journal asks for
Do explain your own expertise and the relevance of the proposed article for the journal
Do indicate the intended article format
Do customize your proposal for the journal
Don't assume the editor is an expert in the topic of the review
Do inform the editor as soon as possible if you want an exception from the guidelines, but
Don't assume the editor will necessarily be able to grant your
Don't equate the editor saying no with the editor thinking your proposal was bad
Do seek advice from colleagues, especially ones outside your immediate field
Do explain why the topic is exciting instead of stating that it is
Differences between thesis and article
Thesis
Meets academic requirements
Reviewed by select committee members
Chapters
Lengthy, no word limits
Table of contents
Lengthy research of literature
IRB approval described in detail
Description and copies of tools used
All findings presented
Verb tenses vary
Article
Meets journalistic standards
Reviewed by panel of blind reviewers
Sections
Word limits
Manuscript format
Succinct research of literature
IRB described in 1 to 3 sentences
Essential and succinct tool information
Selected findings presented
Tip 1: Identify the appropriate target journal
Read the aims and scope journal
Most journals' websites provide information about the recommended structure and reference style for articles
Typical structure:
Title page
Abstract
Keywords
Main text introduction
Materials and methods
Results
Discussion
Acknowledgments
Declaration of interest statement
References
Appendices
Table(s) and figure(s)
Journal/ Author Name Estimator (JANE) is a good resource.
Ask colleagues to read abstract and provide recommendations.
Review journal website for
Impact Factor
Cite Score
Information for authors
Journal metrics
Journal announcements
Special issues
Examples of articles previously published
Review process
Tip 2: Shorten length of thesis
Journal articles are much shorter than theses/dissertations/capstones
Require tighter framework and more compact style
It is not a matter of copying and pasting
Treat your thesis as a separate work
Paraphrase and express the same ideas in a different way
Select and repurpose
Highlight the key points you want the readers to understand
Tip 3: Reformat the introduction as an abstract
Abstracts in journal articles are typically shorter (100-250 words)
Some journals require structured abstracts, others do not
Tip 4: Modify introduction
Be concise
Unless otherwise suggested, keep the introduction short and straight to the point.
Use previously published papers (at |east three) from the target journal as templates
Your thesis may have more than one research question or hypothesis
Combine research questions or focus on one for the article
Tip 5: Tighten the methods section
No extensive discussion needed about your research approach
Keep the method section succinct
Use previously published papers (at least three) from the target journal as templates
Formatting may differ
Some sections are emphasized more than others
Tip 6: Report main findings in results
Present the findings relevant to the research question(s)
If you conducted exploratory analyses, provide concise statements of the findings.
Source: Elsevier Researcher Academy