How to Write a World Class Paper

From title to references From submission to revision

September 2009, Elsevier

Outline: How to prepare a publication

Why is it so important to write a GOOD paper? Why do scientists publish? What is a good manuscript? How to write a good manuscript Preparations before starting Construction of an article Some technical details that need special attention Language Revision and response to reviewers Ethical Issues Conclusion: what leads to ACCEPTANCE

Why is it important to submit a good article?

Before submitting and article make sure it is as good as you can make it. Because:

it makes YOUR life easier Your chances of acceptance will be increased. but also the life of the Editors and Reviewers Editors and Reviewers are already overloaded. Incomplete manuscripts create great frustration.

An international editor says

The following problems appear much too frequently

Submission of papers which are clearly out of scope Failure to format the paper according to the Guide for Authors Inappropriate (or no) suggested reviewers Inadequate response to reviewers Inadequate standard of English Resubmission of rejected manuscripts without revision Paul Haddad, Editor, Journal of Chromatography A

and my own publishing advice is as follows:

Submit to the right journal Submit to one journal only Do not submit salami articles Pay attention to journal requirements and structure Check the English Pay attention to ethics standards Ask your colleagues to proof read the article Be self-critical

Why do scientists publish?

What is a good manuscript? How to write a good manuscript Preparations before starting Construction of an article Some technical details that need special attention Language Revision and response to reviewers Ethical issues Conclusion: what leads to ACCEPTANCE

What is your personal reason for publishing?

Get ? g n i d fun
PhD ? e e r g de

pro Get mo ted ?

?? ?

However, editors, reviewers, and the research community DO NOT care about these reasons.

Why do scientists publish?

to share with the science COMMUNITY something that advances knowledge in a certain field.

Your article should be of value to the research community

A research study is meaningful only if It is clear/ understood/ reproducible it is used

and yourself!

Your paper is your passport to your community

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Why do scientists publish?

What is a good manuscript?

How to write a good manuscript Preparations before starting Construction of an article Some technical details that need special attention Revision and response to reviewers Ethical issues Conclusion: what leads to ACCEPTANCE

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A good manuscript..
makes readers grasp the scientific significance EASILY Important are both the CONTENT useful and exciting and the PRESENTATION clear, logical

E = mc 2
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Why do scientists publish? What is a good manuscript?

How to write a good manuscript

Preparations before starting Construction of an article Some technical details that need special attention Revision and response to reviewers Ethical issues Conclusion: what leads to ACCEPTANCE

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1. WHY do you want to publish your work?

Have you made a contribution/solved a problem in your field? Put your work into perspective with existing data! Know the latest results!!

Search engines

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2. In what form? - type of your manuscript

Full articles / Original articles

the most important papers; often substantial completed pieces of research that are of significance.

Letters / Rapid Communications / Short Communications

usually published for the quick and early communication of significant and original advances; much shorter than full articles (usually strictly limited).

Review papers / Perspectives

summarize recent developments on a specific topic; highlight important points that have been previously reported and introduce no new information; often submitted on invitation.

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3. To which audience?

Identify the sector of readership/community for which a paper is meant

Identify the interest of your audience

Effect of inhaled corticosteroids on small airways in asthma: Investigation using impulse oscillometry in Pharmacological Research? Or better Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics?

Is your paper of local or international interest?

A bioequivalence study of ibuprofen tablets marketed in Southern Kosovo

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4. Choose the right journal

Investigate all candidate journals to find out Aims and scope Accepted types of articles Readership Current hot topics (go through the abstracts of recent publications)

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4. Choose the right journal

TIP: Articles in your references will likely lead you to the right journal.

To see what advise Prof. Michael Curtis, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods, gives you for choosing the right journal, click here.

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The Impact Factor (IF)

In addition the IF can give guidance but should NOT be the sole reason to submit to a journal. The IF indicates the cites to recent items / number of recent items (published in a 2 year period) in a journal
Example: Pharmacological Research Cites in 2008 to items published in 2007 (= 492) + 2006 (= 389 ) = total 881 Number of items published in 2007 (= 132) + 2006 (= 136) = total 268 Calculation: Cites to recent items 881/ Number of recent items 268 = 3.287
Journal Citation Reports 2008, Published by Thormson Reuters

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What influences the IF?

Editorial policies of journals can influence the number of citations/article, which in turn will influence the IF. The turnover of research in a certain field influences the IF as more recent citations will be made in a very fast area like genetics (bare in mind the IF window of two years). The article type influences the IF, reviews are generally better cited. See graph below.
Figure 3. Impact Factors and Journal Type

Impact Factor window Review

Journals publishing only review articles have a very high IF. Examples are: Current Opinion in Pharmacology (IF 8.287) Pharmacology & Therapeutics (IF 9.443)

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Citations Letter Full Paper

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

Time after publication (Years)

Influences on Impact Factors: Subject Area

Median IF per subject category
CELL BIOLOGY ONCOLOGY NEUROSCIENCES PSYCHIATRY PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY TOXICOLOGY RESPIRATORY SYSTEM BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY BIOLOGY 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

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Journal Citation Reports 2008, Published by Thormson Reuters

Pharmac[olog]y Journals Ranked by Impact Factor 2005

6
20

5 4 3 2
Pharmacy Pharmacology Impact Factor 2005
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15 10 5 0 0 20 40 60 80 100

1 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
% of Journals with a higher IF 2005

Author versus Journal Impact Factors

Author N.N.: 100 original research articles (Reviews excluded) 50% published in ISI category Pharmacology & Pharmacy
6 5

Impact Factor
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4 3 2 1

Avg. = 3.086

Personal IF Journal IF

Avg. = 2.637

0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Impact Factor Year

Links to more about the IF and other bibliometric parameters

To hear what Prof. Francesco Visioli, Editor-in-Chief of Pharmacological Research, has to say about the IF click here.

Read more about the IF specifically here. To read more about bibliometrics other than the IF, click here.

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ATTENTION!
DO NOT gamble by scattering your manuscript to several journals. Only submit once! International ethics standards prohibit multiple/simultaneous submissions, and Editors DO find out!

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5. Before typing, read the specific Guide for Authors

Apply the Guide for Authors to your manuscript, even to the first draft (text layout, paper citation, nomenclature, figures and table, etc.). It will save your time, and the editors.

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How to write a good manuscript

Preparations before starting

Construction of an article
Some technical details that need special attention

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The general structure of a full article

Title Make them easy for indexing and Authors searching! (informative, attractive, Abstract effective) Keywords Main text (IMRAD)

Journal space is precious. Make your Introduction article as brief as possible. If clarity can Methods be achieved in n words, never use n+1. Results And Discussion (Conclusions)

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Acknowledgements References Supplementary material

Work in progress vs. final masterpiece

The process of writing building the article This is a very individual process, and you should do it in the way that suits you best. Many find it easiest to start spinning the story starting with figures/tables, the actual data.

4. 3. 2. 1.
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Title & Abstract Results Discussion

Conclusion Introduction Figures/tables (your data)

Methods

Work in progress vs. final masterpiece

The final article

GENERAL Introduction

SPECIFIC

Methods, Results

GENERAL
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Discussion, Conclusion

1. The title
Is this a good title? What do you expect from this article? Is it specific enough to tell you what the article is about? Is it concise enough to generate your interest?

Effects of a KiSS-1 peptide, a metastasis suppressor gene, on the invasive ability of renal cell carcinoma cells through a modulation of a matrix metalloproteinase 2 expression

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1. Title what is the paper broadly about?

Your opportunity to attract the readers attention. Keep it informative and concise. Avoid technical jargon and abbreviations if possible.

To see what Prof. Sam Enna,Editor-in-Chief of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, has to say about wording a good title, click here.
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2. Abstract tell the prospective readers what you did and what were the important findings.

This is the advertisement of your article. Make it interesting, and easy to be understood without reading the whole article. You must be accurate and specific! A clear abstract will strongly influence whether or not your work is further considered. Keep it as brief as possible!!!

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3. Keywords mainly used for indexing and searching

Dont be too narrow, and neither too broad Avoid abbreviations Check the Guide for Authors!
TIP: Search for your keywords online. Would readers find YOUR article using these keywords?

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4. Introduction to convince readers that you clearly know why your work is useful
Give overall picture keep it brief! (no history lesson!)

Current state of knowledge

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4. Introduction to convince readers that you clearly know why your work is useful
What is the What the problem? Are problem?

there any existing solutions? What are their main limitations? And what do you hope to achieve?

Do not mix introduction with results, discussion, and conclusion

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5. Methods how was the problem studied

Include detailed information, so that a knowledgeable reader can reproduce the experiment.

However, use references and Supplementary Materials to indicate the previously published procedures.

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6. Results What have you found?

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6. Results What have you found?

Tell a clear and easy-to-understand story. RED THREAD Only representative results but do not hide results!

Add Supplementary Materials for data of secondary importance.

Be structured (sub-headings)

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Appearance counts!

Un-crowded plots, symbols clear to read and data sets easy to discriminate.

Scale bar on photographs. Use color ONLY when necessary. Do not include long boring tables!

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7. Discussion What the results mean

Here you SELL your data! Discussion to correlate with results, but dont repeat results Put your results into perspective with previously published data
ATTENTION: DONT ignore work in disagreement with yours confront it and convince the reader that you are correct

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Watch out for the following

Dont exaggerate Be specific (say 48 degrees instead of higher temperature) Avoid sudden introduction of new terms or ideas Speculations on possible interpretations are allowed. But these should be rooted in fact, rather than imagination. Check logic and justifications

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8. Conclusions How the work advances the field from

the present state of knowledge Provide a clear scientific justification for your work! ATTENTION: DONT repeat the abstract
What have you shown?

What does it mean for the field?

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Indicate possible applications and extensions, if appropriate

9. References

Typically, there are more mistakes in the references than any other part of the manuscript. It is one of the most annoying problems, and causes great headaches among editors

Cite the main scientific publications on which your work is based Do not inflate the manuscript with too many references

30-40 references are appropriate for a full text article

Avoid excessive self-citations Avoid excessive citations of publications from the same region

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10. Cover letter your chance to speak to the Editor directly

View it as a job application letter; you want to sell your work WHY did you submit the manuscript to THIS journal?

Do not summarize your manuscript, or repeat the abstract

Mention special requirements, e.g. if you do not wish your manuscript to be reviewed by certain reviewers.

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How to write a good manuscript

Preparations before starting Construction of an article

Some technical details that need special attention

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Some technical details

Length of the manuscript Supplementary Material Text layout Abbreviations

Check the Guide for Authors of the respective journal for specific instructions.

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Language
1. Grammar UK or US spelling? Be consistent! 2. Style "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler (Einstein) Be clear Be objective Avoid imprecise language (nowadays - currently) Be brief

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Author names: common problems

Jrvinen = Jaervinen or Jarvinen ? Lueen = Lueben or Luessen ? Borchard or Borchardt ? Dr. Jaap Van Harten = Dr. Van ???

and what happens if you marry ?

be consistent
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Suggest potential reviewers

Usually 3-6 Authors in your subject area (see your references) International NOT collaborators or friends

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To avoid early rejection, make the manuscript as good as possible.

No one gets it right at the first time! Write, write, and re-write Be self-critical Ask colleagues for feedback

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Why do scientists publish? What is a good manuscript? How to write a good manuscript for international journals Preparations before starting Construction of an article Some technical details that needs special attention

Revision and response to reviewers

Ethical issues Conclusion: what leads to ACCEPTANCE

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First review through the Editor Many journals adopt the system of initial editorial review. Editors may reject a manuscript without sending it for review.

Why? Peer-review system is overloaded

To read what Prof. John Catravas, Editor-in-Chief of Vascular Pharmacology, says about the importance of (peer) review, click here.
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Revision after submission Carefully study the comments and prepare a detailed letter of response. Consider reviewing as a discussion of your work. Learn from the comments, and join the discussion.

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Revision after submission

Prepare a detailed letter of response

Copy-paste reviewer comments and address one by one. Dont miss any point.

State specifically what changes you have made to the manuscript.

Give page and line number. A typical problem Discussion is provided but it is not clear what changes have been made.

Provide a scientific response to the comment you accept; or a convincing, solid and polite rebuttal to the point you think the reviewer is wrong. Revise the whole manuscript

not just the parts the reviewers point out

Minor revision does NOT guarantee acceptance after revision.

Do not count on acceptance, but address all comments carefully

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and if the paper has been rejected

Dont be desperate it happens to everybody Try to understand WHY, consider reviewers advice Be self-critical If you want to submit to another journal, begin as if you are going to write a new article.
Read the Guide for Authors of the new journal, again and again.

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Why do scientists publish? What is a good manuscript? How to write a good manuscript Preparations before starting Construction of an article Some technical details that need special attention Language Revision and response to reviewers

Ethical issues
Conclusion: what leads to ACCEPTANCE

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Publish AND Perish! if you break ethical rules

Ethical rules are global in different countries among different publishers

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The article of which the authors committed plagiarism: it wont be removed from ScienceDirect. Everybody who downloads it will see the reason of retraction

Ethics Issues in Publishing

Scientific misconduct

Falsification of results

Publication misconduct

Plagiarism

Different forms / severities The paper must be original to the authors

Duplicate submission Duplicate publication Appropriate acknowledgement of prior research and researchers Appropriate identification of all co-authors Conflict of interest

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Why do scientists publish? What is a good manuscript? How to write a good manuscript Preparations before starting Construction of an article Some technical details that need special attention Language Revision and response to reviewers Ethical issues

Conclusion: what leads to ACCEPTANCE

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What leads to acceptance ?

Attention to details Check and double check your work Consider the reviewers comments English must be as good as possible Presentation is important Take your time with revision Acknowledge those who have helped you New, original and previously unpublished Critically evaluate your own manuscript Ethical rules must be obeyed
Nigel John Cook Editor-in-Chief, Ore Geology Reviews

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Good luck!

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