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How to Write for and Get
Published in Scientific Journals


      Daniel McGowan, PhD
      Science Director
      Edanz Group
      Universidade de São Paulo (Campus São Carlos)
      13 March 2012
A little about me…




                     Edanz Group | 2
Presentation

 Section One: Scientific publishing

 Section Two: Before you start…

 Section Three: Structuring your manuscript

 Section Four: Hints and tips


                                       Edanz Group | 3
Section One Scientific publishing
 Why publish?

 Publishing in English

 The publishing timeline

 Peer review




                                    Edanz Group | 4
Why publish?
               Nature is complex




                               Edanz Group | 5
Why publish?
     We use complex technologies and
     methods to understand it…




                                       Edanz Group | 6
Why publish?
 …and the science is often necessarily complex




                                                 Edanz Group | 7
Why publish? To exchange ideas globally!



 Your research is not complete until it has
             been published




                                      Edanz Group | 8
Why publish?


   New findings of                                 New validated
 relevance published                              method published

                              Hypothesis


                   Draw                     Design
                conclusions                research

                              Perform
                              research



                                                            Edanz Group | 9
Why publish in English?
 English is the international language of science
 Other scientists want to hear from Brazilian
 researchers!
 Allows you to become an effective science
 communicator
 International reputation enabling collaborations
 and work opportunities

                                            Edanz Group | 10
Increased competition




 Relative growth from 100% baseline in 1990
                                         Edanz Group | 11
Peer review
 Exists to ensure that your paper is
  as scientifically robust AND
  complete as possible before joining
  the ‘collective knowledge’ as part
  of the literature
 An opportunity to improve your
  contribution
 So discoveries get correct
  accrediting
                                        Edanz Group | 12
Peer review improves your manuscript




 Few papers are accepted without revision
 Rejection and revision are integral to the peer
  review process
                                            Edanz Group | 13
What do journal editors and reviewers want?
 Is the manuscript sufficiently novel?
 Is the manuscript of broad enough interest?



      Novelty                    Aims and Scope
      Significance               Impact Factor




                                            Edanz Group | 14
What do journal editors want?
       Good quality science!
 Will stand up to peer review
 Original research that advances a
  field in some way
 Interesting to the journal’s
  readership
 Active research areas
 Clear and concise English
                                      Edanz Group | 15
Section Two Before you start …
 Read
 Study design
 Select an appropriate journal
 Ethical issues




                                  Edanz Group | 16
Reading helps your writing
 Both sides of the brain are essential and work in
  harmony            Reading
              Logic              Creativity
            Reading              Writing




 Similarly, reading and writing are connected

                                              Edanz Group | 17
Read
 Know the background material
 Read broadly
 Determine the key papers in your field
 What is the current state of understanding?
 Identify gaps in the knowledge



                                           Edanz Group | 18
The importance of reading
 Ensures the most appropriate research
 questions are asked
 Ensures the most appropriate methods are used
 Ensures results are interpreted in the
 appropriate context
 Ensures the most relevant studies are cited
 Helps with identification of suitable target
 journals
                                             Edanz Group | 19
Reading improves your writing

 Read as often as possible
 Discuss with your colleagues



         Assists you with journal selection
         Provides ideas for your next manuscript


                                               Edanz Group | 20
Strategies for reading
            Read Title and Abstract first

           Self-assess knowledge of topic

         Read Results or the relevant parts
                  of the Results

         Read Discussion for interpretation

         Refer to Introduction and Methods
                   only if necessary

                                              Edanz Group | 21
Experimental design Get it right
 CRITICAL

  What is your hypothesis or research question?

             THE AIM(S) OF YOUR STUDY
 What methods are appropriate?
   Do you have the relevant resources?

 Identify your controls
                                          Edanz Group | 22
Experimental design Get it right
 Sample sizes (n) large enough?
 Which statistical test(s)?




      When in doubt – talk to a statistician!
 Does your study comply with ALL ethics
  requirements?
                                            Edanz Group | 23
Journal Selection




                    Edanz Group | 24
Choosing a target journal: timing
 The target journal should be chosen:
   After the results to be published have been
    obtained (with no new ones coming)
   After a decision has been made on how high to
    aim—high, medium or low impact
   Before writing the manuscript


                                             Edanz Group | 25
Choosing a target journal
 Journal selection should be based on an honest
  evaluation of the manuscript
 Compare with the stated aims and scope and
  impact factor of potential target journals


    Novelty                    Aims and Scope
    Significance               Impact Factor



                                             Edanz Group | 26
Match your manuscript with the journal
 What is the message?
 Who will be interested?
 How significant are your results?
 Where have similar articles been published?




                                           Edanz Group | 27
Factors to consider




 Which factor is most important to you?

                                   Edanz Group | 28
Evaluating significance: importance
 Specific interest only or of interest to many
 Affect many (e.g. new tool)
 Support for (or contradiction of) an existing theory
 Substantially improve our understanding of a
 phenomenon or provide a new technology or
 disease treatment?



                                               Edanz Group | 29
Evaluating significance: novelty
 How new are my results compared with those
 already published?

                     New findings


     Incremental                      Conceptual
       advances                        advances


    Low to medium                   Medium to high
     impact factor                   impact factor

                                                     Edanz Group | 30
Evaluating significance: relevance
 Are my findings of relevance only to a specific
 geographical region or ethnic population or do
 they have implications for other regions and
 populations?
 High impact factor journals may consider specific
 findings if they are the first of their kind or of
 international significance.


                                                  Edanz Group | 31
Evaluating significance: appeal
 Is my work in an area of ‘popular appeal’? E.g.
 is it likely to be reported in mainstream or lay
 scientific media
 Examples:




                                             Edanz Group | 32
Publication ethics
DO NOT…
Multiple submissions
Plagiarism
Improper author contribution
Data fabrication and falsification
Improper use of human subjects and animals
Conflicts of interest
                                        Edanz Group | 33
Conflicts of Interest
 Actual OR perceived
 “Authors MUST disclose interests that might APPEAR to affect
       their ability to present or review data objectively”

 Guidelines
      Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
      European Association of Science Editors (EASE)
      Council of Science Editors (CSE)
      International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
      Good publication practice for communicating company
       sponsored medical research: the GPP2
       Guidelines (BMJ 2009, 339:b4330)
                                                          Edanz Group | 34
Conflicts of Interest
 Acknowledge ALL financial support
 Financial or personal connections to your work
   Stocks, patents, consultancies, direct relationships

  “The Clinical Trial Service Unit has a staff policy of not accepting honoraria
    or other payments from the pharmaceutical industry, except for the
    reimbursement of costs to participate in scientific meetings.
    Coordinating centre members of the writing committee (R Collins, J
    Armitage, S Parish, R Peto) have, therefore, only had such costs
    reimbursed. P Sleight has received honoraria and costs for participating
    in meetings.”

    – Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group, The Lancet (2002)
    360:7

                                                                     Edanz Group | 35
Section Three Structuring your manuscript
 You are telling a story




       Beginning → Middle → End
      (Introduction)        (Body)   (Conclusion)
 MUST be easy to read AND easy to understand

                                             Edanz Group | 36
‘Tell them three times’
 Introduction/Beginning
   Assertion
   ‘tell them what you are going to tell them,’
 Body/Middle
   Evidence
   ‘tell them,’
 Conclusion/End
   Affirmation
   ‘tell them again what you told them’.


                                                   Edanz Group | 37
Basic manuscript structure
 Expanded IMRaD model
   Abstract
   Introduction    Assertion

   Methods
   Results         Evidence

   and
   Discussion      Affirmation

   References
                                  Edanz Group | 38
The ‘write’ order
 For maximum clarity and consistency, write
  your manuscript in this order:
 Methods           Write during the research
 Results
 Introduction      Write after selecting your
 Discussion        target journal
 Title
                   Write last
 Abstract
                                           Edanz Group | 39
The importance of your title

                          World Class

                      Physics Manuscript




Grabs the reader’s   Introduces your manuscript   A label for indexing
    attention               to an editor



 Convey the main topics of manuscript
 Be specific and concise
 AVOID jargon, abbreviations and acronyms
                                                               Edanz Group | 40
Abstract Summarizes your work
 Concise (100–300 words)
 1–4 sentences – describe problem(s) addressed
 1–4 sentences –objectives/hypotheses
 1–2 sentences – techniques; AVOID details
 1–3 sentences – most important results
 Final sentence – concluding statement
 The majority of people will only read this section, it
            must be able to ‘stand alone’
                                                Edanz Group | 41
Introduction Why?
What question (problem) was
         studied?

The answer to this question is contained within
              your Introduction


     Beginning → Middle → End
                                         Edanz Group | 42
Introduction Beginning
 Sufficient background information
   Puts your work into context
   Start with a broad background
                                    General




                                    Specific


 Comprehensive literature review
 Cite reviews
                                               Edanz Group | 43
Introduction Middle
 Rationale
   The reason(s) for doing this work?
   Why is it important?
   Justify your work
 Explain how you tried to address the problem
 (1–2 sentences)
 DO NOT state results from your study

                                          Edanz Group | 44
Introduction End
 State the methods you plan to use
 Clearly and explicitly state 1–3 specific
 hypotheses or objectives of your study




                                              Edanz Group | 45
Methods How did you carry out your work?
 Subheadings
   Easier to read
 Past tense
 New methods must be described in sufficient
 detail that they can be reproduced
 Established methods can be referenced
   Save time and effort


                                          Edanz Group | 46
Methods Common headings & order
 Materials/Reagents
 Patients/Subjects
                           Ethics declarations
 Animals
 Study design         Clinical trial registration number

 Treatments
 Specific methodologies …
 Statistics

                                                 Edanz Group | 47
Materials and methods Example
Materials and methods
Materials. Culture media were obtained from Life Technologies
(Gaithersburg, MD). Okadaic acid was purchased from Alexis Company
                                                                                     Materials described first
(Läufelfingen, Switzerland). Antibodies to MEK1/2 and phosphorylated
MAPK were purchased from New England Biolabs (Beverley, MA).
                                                                                     Suppliers/locations given

Induction of cell death. Cell death was induced as described previously [15].
                                                                                     Clear subheadings
Briefly, cell death was induced by adding okadaic acid (0-300 nM, Alexis Co.)
after washing slice cultures in serum-free medium.
                                                                                     References used to save
                                                                                     space
Light and electron microscopy. Cultures were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde
and 1% formaldehyde, treated with 1% OsO4 in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH
7.4, dehydrated in a graded series of ethanol and propylene oxide, and flat-         Enough information to
embedded in an epoxy resin (Durcupan ACM, Fluka, Neu-Ulm, Germany).
Semi-thin sections were stained with toluidine blue, and ultra-thin sections         reproduce the experiment
were stained with 1% uranyl acetate for 20 min and 1% lead citrate for
2 min.


Statistics. For statistical analysis, 2-tailed Student’s t-test was used to assess   Statistical test parameters
the significance of mean differences. Differences were considered
significant at a P-value of 0.05 or less.                                            provided

                                                                                                    Edanz Group | 48
Results What did you find?
 Accurate, brief, clear
 Use subheadings
 Use past tense to describe your results
 When referring to figures and tables, use present
 tense
 DO NOT explain your results
 DO NOT duplicate data among figures, tables and
 text
                                              Edanz Group | 49
Results Example
Results
Okadaic acid induces death of dentate gyrus neurons selectively.
Hippocampal slice cultures treated with OA (1–300 nM) showed selective        Clear subheadings
cell death of neurons in the dentate gyrus, but neurons in the CA1–3
regions were largely unaffected. Cell death occurred in a time- and dose-
dependent manner. Propidium iodide staining of treated slides indicated….


Electron microscopy revealed a number of ultrastructural changes in
hippocampal pyramidal neurons, particularly those in the CA3 region, in
slices treated with 300 nM OA for 24 h (Fig 3). These changes included        Graphics used to save
slight nuclear aggregations (arrow in Fig 3A), accumulation of mitochondria
around nuclei (arrowheads in Fig 3B) and an increased amount of               space
endoplasmic reticulum (Fig 3C). As shown in Figure 4, the nuclei of
pyramidal neurons in the CA1 and CA3 regions…


Involvement of MAPK signaling in the effect of OA. Compared with slices
treated with medium only and treated slices at 0 h, slices treated with 300
nM OA showed increasing levels of phosphorylated MAPK at 4 h, 8 h, 16 h
and 24 h, with no corresponding change in the levels of total MAPK. This      Clear comparisons made
increase was prevented in slices that were co-incubated with a protein
kinase inhibitor. In addition, the levels of phosphorylated Tau were higher
in OA-treated slices than in control slices…




                                                                                             Edanz Group | 50
Display items Tables and figures
 Present a large amount of data quickly and
  efficiently
 Present most significant result as a figure or
  table
 Keep it simple — use separate panels if necessary
 AVOID duplication with the text
 Label all parts of your figures
 Legends must be able to ‘stand alone’


                                           Edanz Group | 51
Display items Tables
               Clear concise legend/caption




Data divided
into                   )
categories
for clarity



                           Abbreviations
                           defined




                                              Edanz Group | 52
Display items Figures
                                    Complicated
                                    data separated
Multiple panels: sets of related
                                    into smaller
data are shown in a single figure
                                    and simpler
                                    components




                                    Axes clearly labeled
Clear, ‘stand alone’ legend




                                       Edanz Group | 53
Discussion So what?
   What do these findings
          mean?

    The answer to this question is in the
                Discussion

     Beginning → Middle → End
                                       Edanz Group | 54
Discussion Beginning
 AVOID repeating the results section
 Answer the research question(s) posed
 Emphasize the major finding(s) first
 What is your major conclusion, based on the
 results you have presented?



                                          Edanz Group | 55
Discussion Middle
 Interpret your results …
    Compare with other studies
      Same or different?
      Possible reasons why?
 Unexpected results
 Briefly describe any limitations
   Samples sizes
   Complementary tests
   How could experiments be improved?

                                         Edanz Group | 56
Discussion End
 Restate major conclusion(s)
    In summary … OR            In conclusion …
 Possible real world applications and implications
 Suggest future work
“Clinical and research priorities include furthering our understanding of the
  pathogenesis of M. pneumoniae-associated CNS disease, development
  of more reliable serologic assays, and defining the role of quantitative
  PCR in distinguishing acute infection from asymptomatic carriage and
  prolonged post-infection shedding”
         – Bitun & Richardson Curr Infect Dis Rep 2010, 12:282-290


                                                                 Edanz Group | 57
References
 ALWAYS format your references
 Formatting is required in text for citations and
  for your references section
 Use reference management software




                                             Edanz Group | 58
Section Four Hints and tips
 Clear communication

 Language

 Cover letters

 Responding to reviewer comments



                                    Edanz Group | 59
Expectations
 Information is easier to
  interpret and more uniform
  when placed where most
  readers expect to find it
 Good writers are aware of
  these expectations
 Readability


                               Edanz Group | 60
Verb placement
 Readers expect verbs to closely follow subjects

                            syntactic resolution
                  Subject
     Sentence                 Verb

                                      Verb

                                                   .


  Subject and verb far apart = poor readability


                                                       Edanz Group | 61
Avoid reader confusion
 Readers can be confused if subject and verb are
  separated by too much content
The smallest of the URF's (URFA6L), a 207-
nucleotide (nt) reading frame overlapping out of
phase the [NH2]-terminal portion of the
adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) subunit 6 gene,
has been identified as the animal equivalent of the
recently discovered yeast H-ATPase subunit 8 gene.


                                           Edanz Group | 62
Avoid reader confusion
The smallest of the URF's is URFA6L, a 207-nucleotide (nt) reading frame
overlapping out of phase the [NH2]-terminal portion of the
adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) subunit 6 gene; it has been identified as the
animal equivalent of the recently discovered yeast H-ATPase subunit 8 gene.

The smallest of the URF's (URFA6L) has been identified
as the animal equivalent of the recently discovered yeast
H-ATPase subunit 8 gene; URFA6L is a 207-nucleotide (nt)
reading frame overlapping out of phase the [NH2]-
terminal portion of the adenosinetriphosphatase
(ATPase) subunit 6 gene.
We identified the smallest of the URF's (URFA6L) as the
animal equivalent of the recently discovered yeast H-
ATPase subunit 8 gene. URFA6L is a … .
                                                                  Edanz Group | 63
Which voice? Active vs. passive
 Use the active voice unless your target
  journal states otherwise


Blood samples were collected from 256 patients.

We collected blood from 256 patients.



                                             Edanz Group | 64
Active voice
                  Subject
                            Verb



               Active



    Sentences written in the active voice
     are:
                       SIMPLE
                       DIRECT
                       CLEAR
                    EASY TO READ
                                             Edanz Group | 65
Stress position
 Readers focus on information at the end of a
  sentence.

                  Subject
                            Verb




                                     take-home information
                                                .
                   “Save the best until last”

                                                    Edanz Group | 66
Stress position
The dog sat when her mistress offered a treat.
The dog sat when a treat was offered by her
mistress.

When the mistress offered her a treat, the dog sat.

Readers, without thinking, concentrate on the
end of a sentence.


                                              Edanz Group | 67
Topic position
 Readers expect a sentence/phrase to be a story
  about whoever shows up first


                      Subject
     Topic position         Verb


                                   Stress position
                                         .




                                                     Edanz Group | 68
Topic position
                        sentence

         idea                idea   idea   idea

                Topic link


 Linkage and context
   The family went into the courtyard to see the new
   puppy. The dog sat when her owner offered a treat.
   Everyone was so excited they broke into applause.
   However, as the courtyard was situated right next
   to my bedroom, the sound woke me from my sleep.
                                                  Edanz Group | 69
Topic sentences Easier to read
 Indicates to the reader the main idea of
  a paragraph
 Provides the writer with a focus
 Should be the first sentence of a
  paragraph
 Then discuss/explain the topic
 Summarize with a concluding sentence

       Beginning → Middle → End
                                             Edanz Group | 70
Topic sentences Example
IN HIS STUDIES OF THE CONDITIONED REFLEX,
PAVLOV WORKED ALMOST ENTIRELY WITH
DOGS AND WITH THE SALIVARY REFLEX. Implicit
in all of his work is the notion that everything the dog
learns from puppyhood on is a result of the association
of certain events (which happen to occur at the same
time) with the biologically adequate stimulus to some
native response such as withdrawing, struggling, eating,
sex behavior, or the like. What the dog can learn…
Henry Garrett, “Great Experiments in Psychology”

                                                Edanz Group | 71
Readability
“only 4% of readers understand a 27-word sentence
                      first time”

 Reader objectives
    Only need to read once

    Do not have to read slowly

    Can understand author logic immediately

                                               Edanz Group | 72
Sentence length Keep it short & simple
 We examined numerous peer-reviewed journals
 Easy to read articles had an average sentence
 length of around 17 words
 Sentences that are 15−20 words
 Long sentences and repetition
            One sentence: one idea


                                           Edanz Group | 73
Goals to aim for …
 Maximum 25–30 words per sentence
 Not more than four 30-word sentences in the
 whole manuscript
 Use punctuation to your advantage
   periods (.) and commas (,)

 Think about ‘reader expectation’ and match the
 expectation with the contents
                                          Edanz Group | 74
Simple is best
 Simple language IS best
 Makes YOUR science more relevant
 Minimizes confusion – maximizes understanding
 Science is often complex
   Use simple language to help more people
    understand your work

                                              Edanz Group | 75
Simple words Examples
    PREFERRED           AVOID
    more                additional
    enough              adequate
    clear               apparent
    try                 attempt
    show                demonstrate
    try                 endeavor
    very                exceedingly


                                Edanz Group | 76
Unnecessary words Write simply
  In order to…
In order to determine the fractalkine expression in the aorta of
ApoE −/− mice and the effect of high-dose aspirin intervention on
fractalkine expression and atherosclerotic lesion formation, we
studied …


To determine the fractalkine expression in the aorta of ApoE −/−
mice and the effect of high-dose aspirin intervention on
fractalkine expression and atherosclerotic lesion formation, we
studied …

                                                          Edanz Group | 77
Unnecessary words Further examples

 PREFERRED         AVOID
 Because           For the reason that
 First             In the first place
 Soon              In the not too distant future
 Four              Four in number
 Green             Green color
 After             Subsequent to
 Before            Prior to
 Usually           Except in a very few instances

                                       Edanz Group | 78
Common mistakes Comparisons
 Frequently made in the Results section
 Compare “like” with “like”
 Avoid ambiguity
 Use with, NOT to

The tumor excised from the pancreas was compared with the
liver.


The tumor excised from the pancreas was compared with
that from the liver.

                                                 Edanz Group | 79
Avoiding ambiguity Comparisons
 Relative terms, such as more, higher and greater,
  require a reference for comparison
 Use than or compared with

   Reactions with the new thermal cycler were faster.
                   Faster than what?



   Reactions with the new thermal cycler were faster
   than those with the old cycler.

                                                  Edanz Group | 80
Cover letters
 Competition for publication space and for
  editors’ attention is very high
 It may not be enough to send a cover letter to a
  journal editor like this:
Dear Editor-in-Chief,

I am sending you our manuscript entitled “Techniques to detect circoviruses in Indian
bird species” by Raye et al. We would like to have the manuscript considered for
publication in Virology Methods Online.

Please let me know of your decision at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely yours,

Warren Raye, PhD

                                                                            Edanz Group | 81
Your cover letter General rules
 Address to the editor personally
 State your manuscript title and publication type
 Give a brief background, rationale and
 description of your results
 Explain the importance of your findings and why
 they would be of interest to the journal’s target
 audience
 Provide corresponding author details
                                            Edanz Group | 82
Cover letters Example
Dear Dr Lisberger,

Please find enclosed our manuscript entitled “Amyloid-like inclusions in the brains of Huntington’s disease patients”, by
McGowan et al., which we would like to submit for publication as a Research Paper in Neuroscience.

Recent immunohistochemical studies have revealed the presence of neuronal inclusions containing an N-terminal portion of
the mutant huntingtin protein and ubiquitin in the brain tissues of Huntington’s disease (HD) patients; however, the role of
                                                                                                                               Give the
these inclusions in the disease process has remained unclear. One suspected disease-causing mechanism in Huntington’s          background to
disease and other polyglutamine disorders is the potential for the mutant protein to undergo a conformational change to a      the research
more stable anti-parallel β-sheet structure…

To confirm if the immunohistochemically observed huntingtin- and ubiquitin-containing inclusions display amyloid features,
we performed Congo red staining and both polarizing and confocal microscopy on post-mortem human brain tissues obtained        What was done
from five HD patients, two AD patients, and two normal controls. Congo red staining revealed a small number of amyloid-like    and what was
inclusions showing green birefringence by polarized microscopy, in a variety of cortical regions.... ….detected inclusions     found
observed in parallel sections, suggesting that only a relatively small proportion of inclusions in HD adopt an amyloid-like
structure.

We believe our findings would appeal to a broad audience, such as the readership of Neuroscience. As a wide-reaching journal Interest to
publishing original research on all aspects of neuroscience…                                                                 journal’s readers
We confirm that this manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal. All
authors have approved the manuscript and agree with submission to Neuroscience. We have read and have abided by the
                                                                                                                               Conforms to
statement of ethical standards for manuscripts submitted to Neuroscience. The authors have no conflicts of interest to         journal
declare.                                                                                                                       requirements
Please address all correspondence to….

                                                                                                                                Edanz Group | 83
Recommending reviewers
“… the contact details (including email addresses) of at least four potential peer
reviewers for your paper. These should be experts in your field of study, who will be able
to provide an objective assessment of the manuscript's quality. Any peer reviewers you
suggest should not have recently published with any of the authors of your manuscript
and should not be members of the same research institution.”

Who ARE these experts?
Read as much as possible!
Know your competitors
Provide a reason for recommending/excluding a
reviewer
Editors have the final decision on reviewer choice
                                                                             Edanz Group | 84
Potential reviewers
 From your reading and references
   Groups doing similar work, producing similar results
   Possible collaborators
 Networking
   Meetings, conferences and congresses
   People that comment positively
 Aim for younger and mid-level scientists
 Scientists new to a field

                                                    Edanz Group | 85
Peer review
 Very few papers are
  immediately accepted
  without need for any
  revisions


                         Complete rejection

    Journal editor        Major revisions
       decision           Minor revisions
                         Acceptance
                                              Edanz Group | 86
Reasons for rejection: the science

     Methods               Validations


            Research question



     Statistics             Data versus
                            conclusions
                                         Edanz Group | 87
Reasons for rejection: the manuscript

  Methods detail               Citations


          Rationale and aims



  Results format           Limitations

                                           Edanz Group | 88
Reasons for rejection: other



Inappropriate journal      Inappropriate
   selected: scope,     timing: too early or
  impact, audience              late




                                      Edanz Group | 89
Revision How to respond
 Politely respond to ALL the reviewers’
  comments in a response letter
 Make it easy to see the changes
   Refer to line and page numbers

   Different color font

   Highlight the text


                                           Edanz Group | 90
Revision How to respond
 Conduct the additional experiments suggested
    If this is impossible, you MUST explain why

 You can disagree with reviewers BUT provide
 evidence (cite references)
 Comply with deadlines



                                                   Edanz Group | 91
Post-referee revisions The response
Dear Dr. _____________: [address the editor by
name]
Thank you for your consideration of our manuscript
entitled _____________ [insert manuscript title
here]. We have reviewed the comments of the
reviewers and have thoroughly revised the
manuscript. We found the comments helpful, and
believe our revised manuscript represents a
significant improvement over our initial submission.
In response to the reviewers’ suggestions we have
[summarize the key changes here]
                                             Edanz Group | 92
Post-referee revisions Point-by-point
[After the introduction to the response, address all
reviewer points individually]
Reviewer Comment: In your analysis of the data you have chosen to
use a somewhat obscure fitting function (regression). In my
opinion, a simple Gaussian function would have sufficed. Moreover,
the results would be more instructive and easier to compare to
previous results.
Response: We agree with the reviewer’s assessment of the analysis.
Our tailored function makes it impossible to fully interpret the data
in terms of the prevailing theories. In addition, in its current form it
would be difficult to tell that this measurement constitutes a
significant improvement over previously reported values. We have
redone the analysis using a Gaussian fitting function.
                                                             Edanz Group | 93
Post-referee revisions Disagreement
[Sometimes you will disagree with the reviewer. Keep
your response polite and professional]
Reviewer Comment: In your analysis of the data you have chosen
to use a somewhat obscure fitting function (regression). In my
opinion, a simple Gaussian function would have sufficed.
Moreover, the results would be more instructive and easier to
compare to previous results.
Response: We agree with the reviewer that a simple Gaussian fit
would facilitate comparison with the results of other studies.
However, our tailored function allows for the analysis of the data
in terms of the Smith model [Smith et al, 1998]. We have added
two sentences to the paper (page 3 paragraph 2) to explain the use
of this function and Smith’s model.
                                                         Edanz Group | 94
Understanding reviewer comments
           “The English needs to be improved”
         “Your writing is difficult to understand”
Grammar
Long, complex sentences and paragraphs
Non-native expressions
Gaps in the logic
Poor organization of the manuscript
Flow
Too much information
                                                     Edanz Group | 95
Understanding reviewer comments
“The authors hypothesized to look for the pharmacokinetics of
the insulin using this 4 mm needle; However they didn't do
bioequivalence analyses for glucose pharmacodynamics. That is
one of my concerns about this methodology.”


Questions from reviewers may not always be
apparent
Cosmetic changes


                                                      Edanz Group | 96
Help your readers understand
“If you can’t explain something simply,
you don’t understand it well.”
         – Albert Einstein


Write to express NOT impress
Consider your audience – their native language

may not be English


                                          Edanz Group | 97
Online resources
 Paradigm Online Writing Assistant
http://www.powa.org/
                                        Springer Brasil
 Springer Exemplar
http://www.springerexemplar.com/      @Springer_Brasil


 Google Scholar
http://scholar.google.com/

 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
                                           Edanz Group | 98
Free resource




                Edanz Group | 99
Edanz Journal Advisor
simplifying publication success
  featuring Journal Selector




                                  Edanz Group | 100
How to use it
1. Insert English sample text
   author’s abstract, short description, key phrases
   or abstract from similar paper




                                                       Edanz Group | 101
2. Filter and refine




 revise sample text
 to refine results

 Impact Factor
 publication frequency



                         Edanz Group | 102
3. Narrow your options
        atch analysis




        asic journal
        information


        matched previous
        publications



                           Edanz Group | 103
4. Visit journal websites
to make final decision




                            Edanz Group | 104
coming soon at
 edanzediting.com/JST


follow us on twitter
    @JournalAdvisor




                        Edanz Group | 105
Thank you
Good luck!




             Edanz Group | 106
Any questions?

If you have queries about writing:
read2write@edanzgroup.com
http://edanzediting.com/brazil_march_2012
                                   Edanz Group | 107
English editing for scientists, by scientists


 Expert scientific editors

 Services to raise your chances of acceptance

 Ensuring clear communication of your science

 Rapid completion


                                                Edanz Group | 108
Services
Services for acceptance
  Language Editing

  Journal Selection

  Expert Scientific Review

  Abstract Writing

  Cover Letter Writing

  Point-by-Point Response Check
                              Edanz Group | 109
Expert editors in all scientific fields
          Dr Stephen Cooke
          2006 – PhD Immunology, King’s College, UK
          Worked as a post-doctoral fellow for both the Arthritis and Rheumatism Council (ARC) and Cancer Research UK (CRUK)


Dr Conan Fee
 1989 – PhD Chemical & Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, NZ
Director of Biomolecular Interactions Centre at the University of Canterbury; has published over 160 journal articles, book
chapters, conference papers, and patents



         Dr Jennifer Smith
         1999 – PhD Botany, University of Otago, NZ
         Experienced peer reviewer for functional plant biology, and enzyme and microbial technology



                Dr Alison Sherwin
                1992 – PhD Biochemistry, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK
                Has edited over 3,000 manuscripts in the Health and Life Sciences for Japanese and Chinese authors



         Dr Kristen Demarest                                                          Dr Andrew Gorman
         2000 – PhD Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY, USA                              2001 – PhD Geophysics, University of British Columbia, CA
         Currently staff scientist at Scripps Research Institute                      Lecturer at the Geology Department, University of Otago



         Dr Natasha Lundin                                                   Dr Brett Kraabel
         2007 – PhD Chemistry, University of Otago, NZ                       1995 – PhD Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, USA
         Cover article author in Angewandte Chemie                           Specialist in condensed matter physics, optics and materials
                                                                             science
                                                                                                                      Edanz Group | 110
English editing for scientists, by
           scientists

  www.edanzediting.com




                                 Edanz Group | 111
Edanz Group | 112

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How to Write for and Get Published in Scientific Journals

  • 1. How to Write for and Get Published in Scientific Journals Daniel McGowan, PhD Science Director Edanz Group Universidade de São Paulo (Campus São Carlos) 13 March 2012
  • 2. A little about me… Edanz Group | 2
  • 3. Presentation  Section One: Scientific publishing  Section Two: Before you start…  Section Three: Structuring your manuscript  Section Four: Hints and tips Edanz Group | 3
  • 4. Section One Scientific publishing  Why publish?  Publishing in English  The publishing timeline  Peer review Edanz Group | 4
  • 5. Why publish? Nature is complex Edanz Group | 5
  • 6. Why publish? We use complex technologies and methods to understand it… Edanz Group | 6
  • 7. Why publish? …and the science is often necessarily complex Edanz Group | 7
  • 8. Why publish? To exchange ideas globally! Your research is not complete until it has been published Edanz Group | 8
  • 9. Why publish? New findings of New validated relevance published method published Hypothesis Draw Design conclusions research Perform research Edanz Group | 9
  • 10. Why publish in English?  English is the international language of science  Other scientists want to hear from Brazilian researchers!  Allows you to become an effective science communicator  International reputation enabling collaborations and work opportunities Edanz Group | 10
  • 11. Increased competition  Relative growth from 100% baseline in 1990 Edanz Group | 11
  • 12. Peer review  Exists to ensure that your paper is as scientifically robust AND complete as possible before joining the ‘collective knowledge’ as part of the literature  An opportunity to improve your contribution  So discoveries get correct accrediting Edanz Group | 12
  • 13. Peer review improves your manuscript  Few papers are accepted without revision  Rejection and revision are integral to the peer review process Edanz Group | 13
  • 14. What do journal editors and reviewers want?  Is the manuscript sufficiently novel?  Is the manuscript of broad enough interest? Novelty Aims and Scope Significance Impact Factor Edanz Group | 14
  • 15. What do journal editors want? Good quality science!  Will stand up to peer review  Original research that advances a field in some way  Interesting to the journal’s readership  Active research areas  Clear and concise English Edanz Group | 15
  • 16. Section Two Before you start …  Read  Study design  Select an appropriate journal  Ethical issues Edanz Group | 16
  • 17. Reading helps your writing  Both sides of the brain are essential and work in harmony Reading Logic Creativity Reading Writing  Similarly, reading and writing are connected Edanz Group | 17
  • 18. Read  Know the background material  Read broadly  Determine the key papers in your field  What is the current state of understanding?  Identify gaps in the knowledge Edanz Group | 18
  • 19. The importance of reading  Ensures the most appropriate research questions are asked  Ensures the most appropriate methods are used  Ensures results are interpreted in the appropriate context  Ensures the most relevant studies are cited  Helps with identification of suitable target journals Edanz Group | 19
  • 20. Reading improves your writing  Read as often as possible  Discuss with your colleagues  Assists you with journal selection  Provides ideas for your next manuscript Edanz Group | 20
  • 21. Strategies for reading Read Title and Abstract first Self-assess knowledge of topic Read Results or the relevant parts of the Results Read Discussion for interpretation Refer to Introduction and Methods only if necessary Edanz Group | 21
  • 22. Experimental design Get it right  CRITICAL What is your hypothesis or research question? THE AIM(S) OF YOUR STUDY  What methods are appropriate?  Do you have the relevant resources?  Identify your controls Edanz Group | 22
  • 23. Experimental design Get it right  Sample sizes (n) large enough?  Which statistical test(s)? When in doubt – talk to a statistician!  Does your study comply with ALL ethics requirements? Edanz Group | 23
  • 24. Journal Selection Edanz Group | 24
  • 25. Choosing a target journal: timing  The target journal should be chosen:  After the results to be published have been obtained (with no new ones coming)  After a decision has been made on how high to aim—high, medium or low impact  Before writing the manuscript Edanz Group | 25
  • 26. Choosing a target journal  Journal selection should be based on an honest evaluation of the manuscript  Compare with the stated aims and scope and impact factor of potential target journals Novelty Aims and Scope Significance Impact Factor Edanz Group | 26
  • 27. Match your manuscript with the journal  What is the message?  Who will be interested?  How significant are your results?  Where have similar articles been published? Edanz Group | 27
  • 28. Factors to consider Which factor is most important to you? Edanz Group | 28
  • 29. Evaluating significance: importance  Specific interest only or of interest to many  Affect many (e.g. new tool)  Support for (or contradiction of) an existing theory  Substantially improve our understanding of a phenomenon or provide a new technology or disease treatment? Edanz Group | 29
  • 30. Evaluating significance: novelty  How new are my results compared with those already published? New findings Incremental Conceptual advances advances Low to medium Medium to high impact factor impact factor Edanz Group | 30
  • 31. Evaluating significance: relevance  Are my findings of relevance only to a specific geographical region or ethnic population or do they have implications for other regions and populations?  High impact factor journals may consider specific findings if they are the first of their kind or of international significance. Edanz Group | 31
  • 32. Evaluating significance: appeal  Is my work in an area of ‘popular appeal’? E.g. is it likely to be reported in mainstream or lay scientific media  Examples: Edanz Group | 32
  • 33. Publication ethics DO NOT… Multiple submissions Plagiarism Improper author contribution Data fabrication and falsification Improper use of human subjects and animals Conflicts of interest Edanz Group | 33
  • 34. Conflicts of Interest  Actual OR perceived “Authors MUST disclose interests that might APPEAR to affect their ability to present or review data objectively”  Guidelines  Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)  European Association of Science Editors (EASE)  Council of Science Editors (CSE)  International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)  Good publication practice for communicating company sponsored medical research: the GPP2 Guidelines (BMJ 2009, 339:b4330) Edanz Group | 34
  • 35. Conflicts of Interest  Acknowledge ALL financial support  Financial or personal connections to your work  Stocks, patents, consultancies, direct relationships “The Clinical Trial Service Unit has a staff policy of not accepting honoraria or other payments from the pharmaceutical industry, except for the reimbursement of costs to participate in scientific meetings. Coordinating centre members of the writing committee (R Collins, J Armitage, S Parish, R Peto) have, therefore, only had such costs reimbursed. P Sleight has received honoraria and costs for participating in meetings.” – Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group, The Lancet (2002) 360:7 Edanz Group | 35
  • 36. Section Three Structuring your manuscript  You are telling a story Beginning → Middle → End (Introduction) (Body) (Conclusion)  MUST be easy to read AND easy to understand Edanz Group | 36
  • 37. ‘Tell them three times’  Introduction/Beginning  Assertion  ‘tell them what you are going to tell them,’  Body/Middle  Evidence  ‘tell them,’  Conclusion/End  Affirmation  ‘tell them again what you told them’. Edanz Group | 37
  • 38. Basic manuscript structure  Expanded IMRaD model  Abstract  Introduction Assertion  Methods  Results Evidence and  Discussion Affirmation  References Edanz Group | 38
  • 39. The ‘write’ order  For maximum clarity and consistency, write your manuscript in this order: Methods Write during the research Results Introduction Write after selecting your Discussion target journal Title Write last Abstract Edanz Group | 39
  • 40. The importance of your title World Class Physics Manuscript Grabs the reader’s Introduces your manuscript A label for indexing attention to an editor  Convey the main topics of manuscript  Be specific and concise  AVOID jargon, abbreviations and acronyms Edanz Group | 40
  • 41. Abstract Summarizes your work  Concise (100–300 words)  1–4 sentences – describe problem(s) addressed  1–4 sentences –objectives/hypotheses  1–2 sentences – techniques; AVOID details  1–3 sentences – most important results  Final sentence – concluding statement The majority of people will only read this section, it must be able to ‘stand alone’ Edanz Group | 41
  • 42. Introduction Why? What question (problem) was studied? The answer to this question is contained within your Introduction Beginning → Middle → End Edanz Group | 42
  • 43. Introduction Beginning  Sufficient background information  Puts your work into context  Start with a broad background General Specific  Comprehensive literature review  Cite reviews Edanz Group | 43
  • 44. Introduction Middle  Rationale  The reason(s) for doing this work?  Why is it important?  Justify your work  Explain how you tried to address the problem (1–2 sentences)  DO NOT state results from your study Edanz Group | 44
  • 45. Introduction End  State the methods you plan to use  Clearly and explicitly state 1–3 specific hypotheses or objectives of your study Edanz Group | 45
  • 46. Methods How did you carry out your work?  Subheadings  Easier to read  Past tense  New methods must be described in sufficient detail that they can be reproduced  Established methods can be referenced  Save time and effort Edanz Group | 46
  • 47. Methods Common headings & order  Materials/Reagents  Patients/Subjects Ethics declarations  Animals  Study design Clinical trial registration number  Treatments  Specific methodologies …  Statistics Edanz Group | 47
  • 48. Materials and methods Example Materials and methods Materials. Culture media were obtained from Life Technologies (Gaithersburg, MD). Okadaic acid was purchased from Alexis Company Materials described first (Läufelfingen, Switzerland). Antibodies to MEK1/2 and phosphorylated MAPK were purchased from New England Biolabs (Beverley, MA). Suppliers/locations given Induction of cell death. Cell death was induced as described previously [15]. Clear subheadings Briefly, cell death was induced by adding okadaic acid (0-300 nM, Alexis Co.) after washing slice cultures in serum-free medium. References used to save space Light and electron microscopy. Cultures were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde and 1% formaldehyde, treated with 1% OsO4 in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, dehydrated in a graded series of ethanol and propylene oxide, and flat- Enough information to embedded in an epoxy resin (Durcupan ACM, Fluka, Neu-Ulm, Germany). Semi-thin sections were stained with toluidine blue, and ultra-thin sections reproduce the experiment were stained with 1% uranyl acetate for 20 min and 1% lead citrate for 2 min. Statistics. For statistical analysis, 2-tailed Student’s t-test was used to assess Statistical test parameters the significance of mean differences. Differences were considered significant at a P-value of 0.05 or less. provided Edanz Group | 48
  • 49. Results What did you find?  Accurate, brief, clear  Use subheadings  Use past tense to describe your results  When referring to figures and tables, use present tense  DO NOT explain your results  DO NOT duplicate data among figures, tables and text Edanz Group | 49
  • 50. Results Example Results Okadaic acid induces death of dentate gyrus neurons selectively. Hippocampal slice cultures treated with OA (1–300 nM) showed selective Clear subheadings cell death of neurons in the dentate gyrus, but neurons in the CA1–3 regions were largely unaffected. Cell death occurred in a time- and dose- dependent manner. Propidium iodide staining of treated slides indicated…. Electron microscopy revealed a number of ultrastructural changes in hippocampal pyramidal neurons, particularly those in the CA3 region, in slices treated with 300 nM OA for 24 h (Fig 3). These changes included Graphics used to save slight nuclear aggregations (arrow in Fig 3A), accumulation of mitochondria around nuclei (arrowheads in Fig 3B) and an increased amount of space endoplasmic reticulum (Fig 3C). As shown in Figure 4, the nuclei of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 and CA3 regions… Involvement of MAPK signaling in the effect of OA. Compared with slices treated with medium only and treated slices at 0 h, slices treated with 300 nM OA showed increasing levels of phosphorylated MAPK at 4 h, 8 h, 16 h and 24 h, with no corresponding change in the levels of total MAPK. This Clear comparisons made increase was prevented in slices that were co-incubated with a protein kinase inhibitor. In addition, the levels of phosphorylated Tau were higher in OA-treated slices than in control slices… Edanz Group | 50
  • 51. Display items Tables and figures  Present a large amount of data quickly and efficiently  Present most significant result as a figure or table  Keep it simple — use separate panels if necessary  AVOID duplication with the text  Label all parts of your figures  Legends must be able to ‘stand alone’ Edanz Group | 51
  • 52. Display items Tables Clear concise legend/caption Data divided into ) categories for clarity Abbreviations defined Edanz Group | 52
  • 53. Display items Figures Complicated data separated Multiple panels: sets of related into smaller data are shown in a single figure and simpler components Axes clearly labeled Clear, ‘stand alone’ legend Edanz Group | 53
  • 54. Discussion So what? What do these findings mean? The answer to this question is in the Discussion Beginning → Middle → End Edanz Group | 54
  • 55. Discussion Beginning  AVOID repeating the results section  Answer the research question(s) posed  Emphasize the major finding(s) first  What is your major conclusion, based on the results you have presented? Edanz Group | 55
  • 56. Discussion Middle  Interpret your results …  Compare with other studies  Same or different?  Possible reasons why?  Unexpected results  Briefly describe any limitations  Samples sizes  Complementary tests  How could experiments be improved? Edanz Group | 56
  • 57. Discussion End  Restate major conclusion(s)  In summary … OR In conclusion …  Possible real world applications and implications  Suggest future work “Clinical and research priorities include furthering our understanding of the pathogenesis of M. pneumoniae-associated CNS disease, development of more reliable serologic assays, and defining the role of quantitative PCR in distinguishing acute infection from asymptomatic carriage and prolonged post-infection shedding” – Bitun & Richardson Curr Infect Dis Rep 2010, 12:282-290 Edanz Group | 57
  • 58. References  ALWAYS format your references  Formatting is required in text for citations and for your references section  Use reference management software Edanz Group | 58
  • 59. Section Four Hints and tips  Clear communication  Language  Cover letters  Responding to reviewer comments Edanz Group | 59
  • 60. Expectations  Information is easier to interpret and more uniform when placed where most readers expect to find it  Good writers are aware of these expectations  Readability Edanz Group | 60
  • 61. Verb placement  Readers expect verbs to closely follow subjects syntactic resolution Subject Sentence Verb Verb . Subject and verb far apart = poor readability Edanz Group | 61
  • 62. Avoid reader confusion  Readers can be confused if subject and verb are separated by too much content The smallest of the URF's (URFA6L), a 207- nucleotide (nt) reading frame overlapping out of phase the [NH2]-terminal portion of the adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) subunit 6 gene, has been identified as the animal equivalent of the recently discovered yeast H-ATPase subunit 8 gene. Edanz Group | 62
  • 63. Avoid reader confusion The smallest of the URF's is URFA6L, a 207-nucleotide (nt) reading frame overlapping out of phase the [NH2]-terminal portion of the adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) subunit 6 gene; it has been identified as the animal equivalent of the recently discovered yeast H-ATPase subunit 8 gene. The smallest of the URF's (URFA6L) has been identified as the animal equivalent of the recently discovered yeast H-ATPase subunit 8 gene; URFA6L is a 207-nucleotide (nt) reading frame overlapping out of phase the [NH2]- terminal portion of the adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) subunit 6 gene. We identified the smallest of the URF's (URFA6L) as the animal equivalent of the recently discovered yeast H- ATPase subunit 8 gene. URFA6L is a … . Edanz Group | 63
  • 64. Which voice? Active vs. passive  Use the active voice unless your target journal states otherwise Blood samples were collected from 256 patients. We collected blood from 256 patients. Edanz Group | 64
  • 65. Active voice Subject Verb Active  Sentences written in the active voice are: SIMPLE DIRECT CLEAR EASY TO READ Edanz Group | 65
  • 66. Stress position  Readers focus on information at the end of a sentence. Subject Verb take-home information . “Save the best until last” Edanz Group | 66
  • 67. Stress position The dog sat when her mistress offered a treat. The dog sat when a treat was offered by her mistress. When the mistress offered her a treat, the dog sat. Readers, without thinking, concentrate on the end of a sentence. Edanz Group | 67
  • 68. Topic position  Readers expect a sentence/phrase to be a story about whoever shows up first Subject Topic position Verb Stress position . Edanz Group | 68
  • 69. Topic position sentence idea idea idea idea Topic link  Linkage and context The family went into the courtyard to see the new puppy. The dog sat when her owner offered a treat. Everyone was so excited they broke into applause. However, as the courtyard was situated right next to my bedroom, the sound woke me from my sleep. Edanz Group | 69
  • 70. Topic sentences Easier to read  Indicates to the reader the main idea of a paragraph  Provides the writer with a focus  Should be the first sentence of a paragraph  Then discuss/explain the topic  Summarize with a concluding sentence Beginning → Middle → End Edanz Group | 70
  • 71. Topic sentences Example IN HIS STUDIES OF THE CONDITIONED REFLEX, PAVLOV WORKED ALMOST ENTIRELY WITH DOGS AND WITH THE SALIVARY REFLEX. Implicit in all of his work is the notion that everything the dog learns from puppyhood on is a result of the association of certain events (which happen to occur at the same time) with the biologically adequate stimulus to some native response such as withdrawing, struggling, eating, sex behavior, or the like. What the dog can learn… Henry Garrett, “Great Experiments in Psychology” Edanz Group | 71
  • 72. Readability “only 4% of readers understand a 27-word sentence first time”  Reader objectives  Only need to read once  Do not have to read slowly  Can understand author logic immediately Edanz Group | 72
  • 73. Sentence length Keep it short & simple  We examined numerous peer-reviewed journals  Easy to read articles had an average sentence length of around 17 words  Sentences that are 15−20 words  Long sentences and repetition One sentence: one idea Edanz Group | 73
  • 74. Goals to aim for …  Maximum 25–30 words per sentence  Not more than four 30-word sentences in the whole manuscript  Use punctuation to your advantage  periods (.) and commas (,)  Think about ‘reader expectation’ and match the expectation with the contents Edanz Group | 74
  • 75. Simple is best  Simple language IS best  Makes YOUR science more relevant  Minimizes confusion – maximizes understanding  Science is often complex  Use simple language to help more people understand your work Edanz Group | 75
  • 76. Simple words Examples PREFERRED AVOID more additional enough adequate clear apparent try attempt show demonstrate try endeavor very exceedingly Edanz Group | 76
  • 77. Unnecessary words Write simply  In order to… In order to determine the fractalkine expression in the aorta of ApoE −/− mice and the effect of high-dose aspirin intervention on fractalkine expression and atherosclerotic lesion formation, we studied … To determine the fractalkine expression in the aorta of ApoE −/− mice and the effect of high-dose aspirin intervention on fractalkine expression and atherosclerotic lesion formation, we studied … Edanz Group | 77
  • 78. Unnecessary words Further examples PREFERRED AVOID Because For the reason that First In the first place Soon In the not too distant future Four Four in number Green Green color After Subsequent to Before Prior to Usually Except in a very few instances Edanz Group | 78
  • 79. Common mistakes Comparisons  Frequently made in the Results section  Compare “like” with “like”  Avoid ambiguity  Use with, NOT to The tumor excised from the pancreas was compared with the liver. The tumor excised from the pancreas was compared with that from the liver. Edanz Group | 79
  • 80. Avoiding ambiguity Comparisons  Relative terms, such as more, higher and greater, require a reference for comparison  Use than or compared with Reactions with the new thermal cycler were faster. Faster than what? Reactions with the new thermal cycler were faster than those with the old cycler. Edanz Group | 80
  • 81. Cover letters  Competition for publication space and for editors’ attention is very high  It may not be enough to send a cover letter to a journal editor like this: Dear Editor-in-Chief, I am sending you our manuscript entitled “Techniques to detect circoviruses in Indian bird species” by Raye et al. We would like to have the manuscript considered for publication in Virology Methods Online. Please let me know of your decision at your earliest convenience. Sincerely yours, Warren Raye, PhD Edanz Group | 81
  • 82. Your cover letter General rules  Address to the editor personally  State your manuscript title and publication type  Give a brief background, rationale and description of your results  Explain the importance of your findings and why they would be of interest to the journal’s target audience  Provide corresponding author details Edanz Group | 82
  • 83. Cover letters Example Dear Dr Lisberger, Please find enclosed our manuscript entitled “Amyloid-like inclusions in the brains of Huntington’s disease patients”, by McGowan et al., which we would like to submit for publication as a Research Paper in Neuroscience. Recent immunohistochemical studies have revealed the presence of neuronal inclusions containing an N-terminal portion of the mutant huntingtin protein and ubiquitin in the brain tissues of Huntington’s disease (HD) patients; however, the role of Give the these inclusions in the disease process has remained unclear. One suspected disease-causing mechanism in Huntington’s background to disease and other polyglutamine disorders is the potential for the mutant protein to undergo a conformational change to a the research more stable anti-parallel β-sheet structure… To confirm if the immunohistochemically observed huntingtin- and ubiquitin-containing inclusions display amyloid features, we performed Congo red staining and both polarizing and confocal microscopy on post-mortem human brain tissues obtained What was done from five HD patients, two AD patients, and two normal controls. Congo red staining revealed a small number of amyloid-like and what was inclusions showing green birefringence by polarized microscopy, in a variety of cortical regions.... ….detected inclusions found observed in parallel sections, suggesting that only a relatively small proportion of inclusions in HD adopt an amyloid-like structure. We believe our findings would appeal to a broad audience, such as the readership of Neuroscience. As a wide-reaching journal Interest to publishing original research on all aspects of neuroscience… journal’s readers We confirm that this manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal. All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with submission to Neuroscience. We have read and have abided by the Conforms to statement of ethical standards for manuscripts submitted to Neuroscience. The authors have no conflicts of interest to journal declare. requirements Please address all correspondence to…. Edanz Group | 83
  • 84. Recommending reviewers “… the contact details (including email addresses) of at least four potential peer reviewers for your paper. These should be experts in your field of study, who will be able to provide an objective assessment of the manuscript's quality. Any peer reviewers you suggest should not have recently published with any of the authors of your manuscript and should not be members of the same research institution.” Who ARE these experts? Read as much as possible! Know your competitors Provide a reason for recommending/excluding a reviewer Editors have the final decision on reviewer choice Edanz Group | 84
  • 85. Potential reviewers  From your reading and references  Groups doing similar work, producing similar results  Possible collaborators  Networking  Meetings, conferences and congresses  People that comment positively  Aim for younger and mid-level scientists  Scientists new to a field Edanz Group | 85
  • 86. Peer review  Very few papers are immediately accepted without need for any revisions Complete rejection Journal editor Major revisions decision Minor revisions Acceptance Edanz Group | 86
  • 87. Reasons for rejection: the science Methods Validations Research question Statistics Data versus conclusions Edanz Group | 87
  • 88. Reasons for rejection: the manuscript Methods detail Citations Rationale and aims Results format Limitations Edanz Group | 88
  • 89. Reasons for rejection: other Inappropriate journal Inappropriate selected: scope, timing: too early or impact, audience late Edanz Group | 89
  • 90. Revision How to respond  Politely respond to ALL the reviewers’ comments in a response letter  Make it easy to see the changes  Refer to line and page numbers  Different color font  Highlight the text Edanz Group | 90
  • 91. Revision How to respond  Conduct the additional experiments suggested  If this is impossible, you MUST explain why  You can disagree with reviewers BUT provide evidence (cite references)  Comply with deadlines Edanz Group | 91
  • 92. Post-referee revisions The response Dear Dr. _____________: [address the editor by name] Thank you for your consideration of our manuscript entitled _____________ [insert manuscript title here]. We have reviewed the comments of the reviewers and have thoroughly revised the manuscript. We found the comments helpful, and believe our revised manuscript represents a significant improvement over our initial submission. In response to the reviewers’ suggestions we have [summarize the key changes here] Edanz Group | 92
  • 93. Post-referee revisions Point-by-point [After the introduction to the response, address all reviewer points individually] Reviewer Comment: In your analysis of the data you have chosen to use a somewhat obscure fitting function (regression). In my opinion, a simple Gaussian function would have sufficed. Moreover, the results would be more instructive and easier to compare to previous results. Response: We agree with the reviewer’s assessment of the analysis. Our tailored function makes it impossible to fully interpret the data in terms of the prevailing theories. In addition, in its current form it would be difficult to tell that this measurement constitutes a significant improvement over previously reported values. We have redone the analysis using a Gaussian fitting function. Edanz Group | 93
  • 94. Post-referee revisions Disagreement [Sometimes you will disagree with the reviewer. Keep your response polite and professional] Reviewer Comment: In your analysis of the data you have chosen to use a somewhat obscure fitting function (regression). In my opinion, a simple Gaussian function would have sufficed. Moreover, the results would be more instructive and easier to compare to previous results. Response: We agree with the reviewer that a simple Gaussian fit would facilitate comparison with the results of other studies. However, our tailored function allows for the analysis of the data in terms of the Smith model [Smith et al, 1998]. We have added two sentences to the paper (page 3 paragraph 2) to explain the use of this function and Smith’s model. Edanz Group | 94
  • 95. Understanding reviewer comments “The English needs to be improved” “Your writing is difficult to understand” Grammar Long, complex sentences and paragraphs Non-native expressions Gaps in the logic Poor organization of the manuscript Flow Too much information Edanz Group | 95
  • 96. Understanding reviewer comments “The authors hypothesized to look for the pharmacokinetics of the insulin using this 4 mm needle; However they didn't do bioequivalence analyses for glucose pharmacodynamics. That is one of my concerns about this methodology.” Questions from reviewers may not always be apparent Cosmetic changes Edanz Group | 96
  • 97. Help your readers understand “If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well.” – Albert Einstein Write to express NOT impress Consider your audience – their native language may not be English Edanz Group | 97
  • 98. Online resources  Paradigm Online Writing Assistant http://www.powa.org/ Springer Brasil  Springer Exemplar http://www.springerexemplar.com/ @Springer_Brasil  Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com/  Purdue Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ Edanz Group | 98
  • 99. Free resource Edanz Group | 99
  • 100. Edanz Journal Advisor simplifying publication success featuring Journal Selector Edanz Group | 100
  • 101. How to use it 1. Insert English sample text author’s abstract, short description, key phrases or abstract from similar paper Edanz Group | 101
  • 102. 2. Filter and refine revise sample text to refine results Impact Factor publication frequency Edanz Group | 102
  • 103. 3. Narrow your options atch analysis asic journal information matched previous publications Edanz Group | 103
  • 104. 4. Visit journal websites to make final decision Edanz Group | 104
  • 105. coming soon at edanzediting.com/JST follow us on twitter @JournalAdvisor Edanz Group | 105
  • 106. Thank you Good luck! Edanz Group | 106
  • 107. Any questions? If you have queries about writing: read2write@edanzgroup.com http://edanzediting.com/brazil_march_2012 Edanz Group | 107
  • 108. English editing for scientists, by scientists  Expert scientific editors  Services to raise your chances of acceptance  Ensuring clear communication of your science  Rapid completion Edanz Group | 108
  • 109. Services Services for acceptance  Language Editing  Journal Selection  Expert Scientific Review  Abstract Writing  Cover Letter Writing  Point-by-Point Response Check Edanz Group | 109
  • 110. Expert editors in all scientific fields Dr Stephen Cooke 2006 – PhD Immunology, King’s College, UK Worked as a post-doctoral fellow for both the Arthritis and Rheumatism Council (ARC) and Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Dr Conan Fee 1989 – PhD Chemical & Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, NZ Director of Biomolecular Interactions Centre at the University of Canterbury; has published over 160 journal articles, book chapters, conference papers, and patents Dr Jennifer Smith 1999 – PhD Botany, University of Otago, NZ Experienced peer reviewer for functional plant biology, and enzyme and microbial technology Dr Alison Sherwin 1992 – PhD Biochemistry, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK Has edited over 3,000 manuscripts in the Health and Life Sciences for Japanese and Chinese authors Dr Kristen Demarest Dr Andrew Gorman 2000 – PhD Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY, USA 2001 – PhD Geophysics, University of British Columbia, CA Currently staff scientist at Scripps Research Institute Lecturer at the Geology Department, University of Otago Dr Natasha Lundin Dr Brett Kraabel 2007 – PhD Chemistry, University of Otago, NZ 1995 – PhD Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, USA Cover article author in Angewandte Chemie Specialist in condensed matter physics, optics and materials science Edanz Group | 110
  • 111. English editing for scientists, by scientists www.edanzediting.com Edanz Group | 111

Notas del editor

  1. basically just illustrated the process of doing research, then how knowledge of published research can feed into that so maybe a new method is published that is of relevance for your research and you can incorporate that into your study design or there are new findings that change the context in which you interpret your own findings so by publishing your own work you contribute to the work of others, and others contribute to yours through the publication of their own work
  2. Will explain the specific methodologies sections
  3. One of our major aims is to make the submission process easier for authors. Edanz has developed a beta version of a 'Springer Journal Selector’ to be placed within Springer.com and the Springer Author Academy to assist authors to easily identify Springer journals relevant to their papers and that meet their goals for publication success. Springer's Journal Selector will be useful for authors across all subject areas and from any country. Authors whose first language is not English and/or who come from emerging markets, such as China, the Middle East and South America will find the tool particularly helpful.
  4. Note that the tool will not work well using only a few key words
  5. One aim for Springer is to make the submission process easier for authors. Edanz has developed a beta version of a 'Springer Journal Selector’ that can be placed within Springer.com and the Springer Author Academy to assist authors to easily identify Springer journals relevant to their papers and that meet their goals for publication success. Springer's Journal Selector will be useful for authors across all subject areas and from any country. Authors whose first language is not English and/or who come from emerging markets, such as China, the Middle East and South America will find the tool particularly helpful. This slide shows the features of the soon-to-be-launched Journal Advisor. Time allowing, you can point out the following features (from top to bottom): - Interactive guide to publication success: Authors tell us what stage they're at and we recommend the next steps and resources for acceptance - Journal Selector - Educational resources such as videos from the Springer Author Academy