Tips for publication, Ten tips to get your paper accepted

1. The art of getting Published

2. Outcomes
• Tips for publication

4. Ten tips to get your paper accepted
1. Think before writing

5. You
Reader
ReviewerEditor

6. What is the main message to the
reader
• Write down the central message of your
research
• Summarize your research in one or two
sentences
• What is the novelty of your work?
• Pitch your research in one minute to
someone else

7. What do editors want?

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Tip 1
Follow the guide for authors!
 All journal have a detailed guide-for-authors
which contains precise instructions how to
prepare a manuscript
 Read carefully and follow the instructions
 Pay attention to
 Layout and section lengths (stick to word
limits)
 Nomenclature, abbreviations and spelling
 Reference format
 Number/type of figures and tables
 Statistics
 Guidelines to submission

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Tip 2: Choose the right journal
and article type
 Select the right journal by considering:
 Aims & Scope (check journal websites
and recent articles)
 Types of articles (full paper, letter, review
paper)
 Audience (specialists, multidisciplinary,
general)
 Recently published papers

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The right article type:
 Full Articles/OriginalArticle
 Reporting complete and thoroughly analyzed research
 Short Communications /Letters
 Quick and early communications of significant, original
advances
 Conference Papers
 Paper based on presentation at conference
 Review Papers/Perspectives
 Usually by invitation only

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Tip 3: Use the right process to write
paper
Process:
1) Collect elements
of paper
2) Prepare a first
draft
3) Rewrite/improve

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1) Collect elements of paper
 Prepare an outline to start
writing a first draft:
 Determine the central message, the
research questions
 Prepare draft versions of plots,
figures, tables, images
 Summarize main findings and group
in a logical way
 Select references

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2) Write the first draft
Write a first draft with outline,
figures and tables as your guides
 Write in your own style, quickly and
without editing
 Do not care about language quality
Read your first draft and add
notes
 Read it as a critical reader (not as the
author)
 Is the main message clear to new reader

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3) Rewrite and improve
 Revise the text
 Improve the order and logic of the scientific
content
 Identify gaps and improve unclear parts
 Remove double/redundant text
 Optimize the readability (clear, concise, short
sentences)
 Correct language errors
 Is the text consistent and coherent? (important
when multiple authors write the text)
 Get feedback from co-workers and colleagues

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Tip 4: Language
 Journal editors and in particular reviewers may reject a
manuscript simply because of frequent language mistakes. In any
case they will be irritated.
 Publishers do not language edit manuscripts
 If English is not your mother-tongue:
 Find a native-English speaker to read and correct your manuscript
 Use a paid-for editing service. More
information at
http://webshop.elsevier.com/languageediting/
 DO NOT copy complete phrases from other papers, it may be
considered plagiarism!
 All editors and reviewers hate wasting time on poorly prepared
manuscripts and will reject

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Tip 4
 Write direct, short, and factual sentences
 Convey one piece of information per sentence
 Avoid multiple statements in one sentence
 The average length of sentences in scientific
writing is only about 12-17 words
 Eliminate redundant phrases
 Double-check unfamiliar words or phrases
 Clearly explain abbreviations
 Use ‘present tense’ for known facts and
hypotheses
 Use ‘past tense’ for conducted experiments
and results

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Tip 5: Ensure paper is up-to-date and in
right context
 Editors want to:
 Understand how your work is related to previous
research
 Be sure that your work builds upon the most recent
insights
 Be sure all relevant international work has been
taken into account
they will take a close look at:
 Introduction
 List of references

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Tip 5
 Introduction:
 our work is not an isolated piece of research
 It builds upon earlier work and that should be described
 should explain in the introduction:
 The topic of the paper and the scientific field
 The relevance and significance of the topic
 A description of what has been done before, by
whom andhow
 What is known and what is not known
 Questions that remain unanswered

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Tip 5
 Reference list
 An editor will take a look at your
reference list to see:
 Are recent papers included?
 Are papers from top-journal
included?
 Are leading scientists cited?
 Are there too many self-cites?
 Are references internationally
distributed?

20. | 34
Tip 6: Use the correct article structure
 Title
 Authors
 Abstract
 Keywords
 Main text
 Introduction
 Methods
 Results and discussion
 Conclusion
 Acknowledgements
 References
 Supplementary material

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Tip 6: Article Structure
 Title
 A good title should contain the fewest
possible words that adequately
describe the contents of a paper
 Choose an informative, objective and
business-like title
 The titles conveys the main findings of
research and is specific, concise, complete
and attracts readers

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Tip 6 article structure
 Authors
 First Author:
 Conducts and/or supervises the data analysis and
the proper presentation and interpretation of the
results
 Puts paper together and prepares final version
 Corresponding Author:
 Best person to contact regarding paper, usually leader of
research team.
 Co-Author(s):
 Makes intellectual contributions to data analysis and
interpretation
 Reviews each paper draft and approves submission
 Must be able to present, understand and defend the complete
work.

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Abstract
 The quality of an abstract will strongly
influence the editor’s decision
 The abstract summarizes in 50-300 words the
problem, the method, the results and the
conclusion
 The abstract gives sufficient details so the
reader can decide whether or not to read
the whole article
 Write the abstract last so it accurately
reflects the article
 Abstract are usually freely available and
available through abstract- databases (like
Scopus)

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Keywords
 Keywords: are important for indexing: they
enable your manuscript to be more easily
identified and cited. Keywords should be
specific.
 Avoid uncommon abbreviations and general
terms.
 Check guide-for- authors for specific keyword
policy.

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Methods
 The Methods section must provide sufficient
information so that a knowledgeable reader
can reproduce the experiment
 If methods are new, explain in details,
otherwise refer to previously published work
 List suppliers of reagents and
manufacturers of equipment, and define
apparatus in familiar terms

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Results and discussion
 Present your findings and explain what was found
 Guide your readers through data/tables/figures
 Be clear and present in logical sequence
 Highlight unusual or unexpected findings
 Clearly identify significant trends
 Do not repeat in words obvious details from tables and
figures
 Provide all possible interpretations of your findings
 Explain why you come to certain conclusions
 Describe how the results relate to the study’s aims and
hypotheses
 Explain how the findings relate to those of other studies
 Mention the limitations of the study

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Conclusions
 Be short
 Do not repeat exactly what has been written
in preceding sections
 Summarize your main conclusions and
make your key claims
 Put your work into context, with other work
and also in relation to the aim of your study
 Suggest future work
 Do not over-emphasize your work
 Do not be too speculative

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 Acknowledgement
 Acknowledge anyone who has helped
you with the study, including:
 Researchers who supplied materials or
reagents
 Anyone who provided technical help
 Funding sources
 Anyone who helped with English language
 Anyone who read manuscripts and provided
comments
 Explain why these people are
acknowledged

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 Make sure you have a balanced and up-to-date
reference list
 Include recent references, include worldwide
references
 Make sure you fully understand the papers
you are referencing and that citation makes
sense.
 Avoid excessive self-citations and excessive
citations of publications from the same region
or journal
 Conform strictly to the style given in the Guide
for Authors
References

30. | 45
Tip 7: Write a good cover letter
 This is your opportunity to convince the journal editor that
they should publish your study. Take that opportunity!
 Briefly describe:
 Yourself: your background, expertise
research area, track record
 Describe the research field, main
developments, key-players
 The main findings of this research
 What is new
 The significance of this research
 The significance and relevance for
journal

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Tip 8: Be prepared for common
questions to reviewers
 Editors want to know if a
certain paper is worth
publishing
 They want to know if
 Paper is scientifically correct
 If it reports something new
 If it reports something
significant
 If the paper is of interest to the
readers

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Common questions include:
 Does the topic of the paper fit within the journal?
 Are title and abstract in line with content?
 Is the introduction clear, balanced and well
organized?
 Are experiments correct? Can they be repeated
based on description?
 Comment on need and quality of
tables/figures/images.
 Are the results well-presented and analyzed?
 Is research put in appropriate context?
 Are references accurate, up-to-date, balanced,
accessible?
 Comment on importance, validity, generality of
conclusions

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Tip 9: Revisions: address all comments
from reviewers
if you
 Carefully study the reviewers’ comments,
adjust your manuscript and prepare a
detailed letter of response
 Respond to all points; even if you disagree
with a reviewer. Provide a scientifically solid
rebuttal, not ignore their comment
 State specifically what changes you have made
to address the reviewers’ comments,
mentioning the page and line numbers where
changes have been made
 Perform additional experiments, calculations or
computations, if required; these usually serve
to make the final paper stronger

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Tip 10: Obey publishing ethics!
 Submitting a paper implies that you are familiar with and
have accepted publishing ethics, see
 Guide for Authors
 Also, during the submission process, you are asked to
confirm a few declarations.
 Editors will reject papers if they observe any misconduct.
They will make a note.
 Journals can retract published papers and state in
public why a paper was retracted. They may also
inform the institute management

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 Data fabrication and falsification
 Making up data or results, and recording or reporting
them
 Manipulating data (for example images)
 Plagiarism
 Plagiarism is the appropriation of another person’s
ideas, processes, results, or words without giving
appropriate credit.
 Serious offence that could lead to paper rejection,
academic charges and termination of employment.
 Publishers are using software to detect unethical
behavior.
Unethical publishing behavior
includes:

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Conclusions: Ten tips to get your paper accepted
1. Think before writing
2. Choose the right journal and article type
3. Use the right process to write paper
4. Language
5. Ensure paper is up-to-date and in right
context
6. Use the correct article structure
7. Write a good cover letter
8. Be prepared for common questions to
reviewers
9. Revisions: address all comments from
reviewers, also if you disagree
10.Obey publishing ethics

37. Elsevier Publishing Campus
www.publishingcampus.com
Acknowledgment
Dr. Jan Willem Wijnen Executive Publisher
Chemistry

38. Take Home
• Getting published is not the result
of genius: it’s the result of a strategic
and proactive publication strategy
coupled with a willingness
to revise and revise again.

40. TARGET AN APPROPRIATE JOURNAL
• When choosing a journal, you want to keep in
mind two factors: review times and policies
on multiple submissions. You should expect most
reviews to take several months at a minimum.
Meanwhile, most journals do not accept an
article for review that is simultaneously being
reviewed by another journal.
• by targeting a publication that’s more likely to
give your article the green light.

41. • "You will either experience the pain of
discipline, or the pain of regret.
•
Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of
balance and order and rhythm and harmony.
• ~ Thomas Merton

42. SAY SOMETHING NEW
• The common expression “stand on the
shoulders of giants,” often attributed to Isaac
Newton, emphasizes this strategy precisely.
• By using existing work as a starting point (the
shoulders of giants), we can push the
envelope just a little further and discover new
things.

43. EDIT YOUR WORK EXTENSIVELY
• You need to have a serious editing and
revision process if you intend to publish your
work, one that goes beyond the quick skim
you might give a paper before passing it in for
a class. Start by doing something very old
fashioned: fire up the printer and grab a pen.

44. • Fix Confusing Passages:
• When it comes to your writing style, simpler is better.
Nothing will doom your work more definitely than if no one
can understand what you’re trying to say. This point should be
emphasized:
• Write in short, concise sentences. If your writing is littered
with commas, semi-colons, and dashes, go back and simplify.
As you edit your paper, be your own worst nightmare: read
critically and ask yourself, “does this make sense?” Make sure
that your ideas are connected, and never assume your readers
will be able to follow your line of thinking.

45. REFERENCE STRATEGICALLY
• References are your source of credibility in an
academic paper. It goes without saying that if you want
your work to be seriously considered by any publisher,
you need to rely almost exclusively on academic
references (forget Wikipedia and other stand-alone
websites). But that is only the beginning of your task,
and if you choose your references strategically, you will
greatly improve your chances of being perceived as a
credible source yourself.

46. How can you pick the right references?
Pay attention to these details:
• Go to the original source:
the most important studies will be cited by hundreds or thousands of
other scholars. You may in fact learn about the most important
studies by way of the references of other scholars. But if you want to
use one of these field-defining studies to situate your argument, pull
up the original work and cite the original author instead of the
secondary source where you encountered the work. Not only will you
learn more in the process, but the reviewers considering your work
will be much more familiar with the ‘big names’ in your discipline.
Since they are already familiar with these names, they know they are
credible and they’re more likely to see you as credible too.

47. • Reference articles that are widely cited: you can gain a
faster understanding of the state of a particular
discipline by reading widely cited articles first. Use a
tool such as Thomson-Reuters Web of Science to
search for articles and sort them by the number of
citations. This is a quick way to discover the most
important articles (according to the academic
community) on a particular topic. Referencing these
articles within your own work will show reviewers that
you have a good understanding of the field.

48. • Cite articles from the journal to which you are submitting : the
reviewers who consider your work are likely regular readers of the
journal they’re reviewing for (and that you’re targeting for
publication). They may have authored articles in this particular
journal themselves, or they might have provided editorial oversight
on articles recently published in the journal. In any case, there is a
good chance that they will be familiar with any article you reference
from the journal. Not only will this help you further establish your
credibility and display an understanding of the field, it’s also a
strategic way to take advantage of the reviewer’s ego: it reminds
them that their work and their journal are important! (If they
publish your article, your article will also count as another citation
for their journal, which is a good thing.)

49. MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR REVIEWERS TO SAY
“NO”
• Reviewing an article is a lot of work. With so
many submissions, reviewers are always looking
for ‘easy outs,’ or straightforward criteria for
turning down a paper before they even start
reading it. You need to follow their guidelines
carefully, including their requirements for citation
formatting. (Tip: start using a program
like EndNote to keep your references in order and
make it easy to change your citation style.)