SlideShare une entreprise Scribd logo
1  sur  104
Télécharger pour lire hors ligne
How to Write for and Get
Published in Scientific Journals
Daniel McGowan, PhD
Science Director
Edanz Group
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
16 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
 Why publish?
 Publishing in English
 The publishing timeline
 Peer review
Edanz Group | 4
Section One Scientific publishing
Why publish?
Edanz Group | 5
Nature is complex
Edanz Group | 6
We use complex technologies and
methods to understand it…
Why publish?
Edanz Group | 7
…and the science is often necessarily complex
Why publish?
Edanz Group | 8
Why publish? To exchange ideas globally!
Your research is not complete until it has
been published
Edanz Group | 9
Why publish?
Hypothesis
Perform
research
Design
research
Draw
conclusions
New validated
method published
New findings of
relevance published
 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
Why publish in English?
Increased competition
Edanz Group | 11
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
%
Year
Journal numbers
Journal submissions
 Relative growth from 100% baseline in 1990
 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
 Few papers are accepted without revision
 Rejection and revision are integral to the peer
review process
Peer review improves your manuscript
Edanz Group | 13
Acceptance
Minor
revision
Major
revision
Rejection
Edanz Group | 14
What do journal editors and reviewers want?
 Is the manuscript sufficiently novel?
 Is the manuscript of broad enough interest?
Novelty
Significance
Aims and Scope
Impact Factor
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
What do journal editors want?
 Read
 Study design
 Select an appropriate journal
 Ethical issues
Edanz Group | 16
Section Two Before you start …
Reading helps your writing
Reading
 Both sides of the brain are essential and work in
harmony
Reading Writing
Logic Creativity
 Similarly, reading and writing are connected
Edanz Group | 17
 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
The importance of reading
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
Read Results or the relevant parts
of the Results
Edanz Group | 21
Strategies for reading
Read Title and Abstract first
Self-assess knowledge of topic
Read Discussion for interpretation
Refer to Introduction and Methods
only if necessary
 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
Experimental design Get it right
Edanz Group | 22
 Sample sizes (n) large enough?
 Which statistical test(s)?
When in doubt – talk to a statistician!
 Does your study comply with ALL ethics
requirements?
Experimental design Get it right
Edanz Group | 23
Edanz Group | 24
Journal Selection
 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: timing
 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
Edanz Group | 26
Choosing a target journal
Novelty
Significance
Aims and Scope
Impact Factor
 What is the message?
 Who will be interested?
 How significant are your results?
 Where have similar articles been published?
Match your manuscript with the journal
Edanz Group | 27
 Aims and scope
 Publishing frequency
 Impact factor
 Target audience
 Open access or subscriber
 Prestige
 Cost
 Publication type
Edanz Group | 28
Factors to consider
Which factor is most important to you?
 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: importance
 How new are my results compared with those
already published?
Edanz Group | 30
Evaluating significance: novelty
New findings
Incremental
advances
Conceptual
advances
Low to medium
impact factor
Medium to high
impact factor
 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: relevance
 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
Evaluating significance: appeal
 Optogenetics
 Epigenetics
 Stem cells
 Higgs boson
 Global warming
 Clean tech
DO NOT…
 Multiple submissions
 Plagiarism
 Improper author contribution
 Data fabrication and falsification
 Improper use of human subjects and animals
 Conflicts of interest
Publication ethics
Edanz Group | 33
 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
36
Coffee Break
 You are telling a story
Beginning  Middle  End
(Introduction) (Body) (Conclusion)
 MUST be easy to read AND easy to understand
Edanz Group | 37
Section Three Structuring your manuscript
 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’.
‘Tell them three times’
Edanz Group | 38
 Expanded IMRaD model
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Methods
 Results
and
 Discussion
 References
Basic manuscript structure
Edanz Group | 39
Assertion
Evidence
Affirmation
 For maximum clarity and consistency, write your
manuscript in this order:
Methods
Results
Introduction
Discussion
Title
Abstract
Write after selecting your
target journal
Write during the research
The ‘write’ order
Edanz Group | 40
Write last
Edanz Group | 41
The importance of your title
Physics Manuscript
World Class
Grabs the reader’s
attention
Introduces your manuscript
to an editor
A label for indexing
 Convey the main topics of manuscript
 Be specific and concise
 AVOID jargon, abbreviations and acronyms
 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 | 42
Abstract Summarizes your work
What question (problem) was
studied?
The answer to this question is contained within
your Introduction
Beginning  Middle  End
Edanz Group | 43
Introduction Why?
 Sufficient background information
 Puts your work into context
 Start with a broad background
 Comprehensive literature review
 Cite reviews
Edanz Group | 44
Introduction Beginning
General
Specific
 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 | 45
Introduction Middle
 State the methods you plan to use
 Clearly and explicitly state 1–3 specific
hypotheses or objectives of your study
Edanz Group | 46
Introduction End
 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 | 47
Methods How did you carry out your work?
Materials and methods
Materials. Culture media were obtained from Life Technologies
(Gaithersburg, MD). Okadaic acid was purchased from Alexis Company
(Läufelfingen,Switzerland). Antibodies to MEK1/2 and phosphorylated
MAPK were purchased from New England Biolabs (Beverley, MA).
Induction of cell death. Cell death was induced as described previously [15].
Briefly, cell death was induced by adding okadaic acid (0-300 nM, Alexis Co.)
after washing slice cultures in serum-free medium.
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 ethanoland propylene oxide, and flat-
embedded in an epoxy resin (DurcupanACM, Fluka, Neu-Ulm, Germany).
Semi-thin sections were stainedwith toluidine blue, and ultra-thin sections
were stained with1% 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
the significance of mean differences. Differences were considered significant
at a P-value of 0.05 or less.
Edanz Group | 49
Materials described first
Suppliers/locations given
Clear subheadings
References used to save
space
Enough information to
reproduce the experiment
Statistical test parameters
provided
Materials and methods Example
 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 | 50
Results What did you find?
Results
Okadaic acid induces death of dentate gyrus neurons selectively.
Hippocampal slice cultures treated with OA (1–300 nM) showed selective
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 slight
nuclear aggregations (arrow in Fig 3A), accumulation of mitochondria
around nuclei (arrowheads in Fig 3B) and an increased amount of
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
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 | 51
Clear subheadings
Graphics used to save
space
Clear comparisons made
Results Example
 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 | 52
Display items Tables and figures
Edanz Group | 53
Display items Tables
Clear concise legend/caption
Data divided
into
categories
for clarity
Abbreviations defined
)
Edanz Group | 54
Display items Figures
Multiple panels: sets of related
data are shown in a single figure
Complicated
data separated
into smaller
and simpler
components
Axes clearly labeled
Clear, ‘stand alone’ legend
What do these findings
mean?
The answer to this question is in the
Discussion
Beginning  Middle  End
Edanz Group | 55
Discussion So what?
 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 | 56
Discussion Beginning
 Interpret your results …
 Compare with other studies
 Same or different?
 Possible reasons why?
 Unexpected results
 Briefly describe any limitations
 Sample sizes
 Complementary tests
 How could experiments be improved?
Edanz Group | 57
Discussion Middle
 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 | 58
Discussion End
 ALWAYS format your references
 Formatting is required in text for citations and
for your references section
 Use reference management software
Edanz Group | 59
References
 Clear communication
 Language
 Cover letters
 Responding to reviewer comments
Section Four Hints and tips
Edanz Group | 60
 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
Expectations
Edanz Group | 61
Subject
Verb
 Readers expect verbs to closely follow subjects
Verb placement
Edanz Group | 62
Sentence
.
Subject and verb far apart = poor readability
Subject
Verb
syntactic resolution
 Readers can be confused if subject and verb are
separated by too much content
Avoid reader confusion
Edanz Group | 63
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.
Avoid reader confusion
Edanz Group | 64
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 … .
Which voice? Active vs. passive
Edanz Group | 65
 Use the active voice unless your target
journal states otherwise
Blood samples were collected from 256 patients.
We collected blood from 256 patients.
Active voice
Edanz Group | 66
 Sentences written in the active voice are:
SIMPLE
DIRECT
CLEAR
EASY TO READ
Subject
Verb
Active
Stress position
Edanz Group | 67
 Readers focus on information at the end of a
sentence.
.
“Save the best until last”
take-home information
Subject
Verb
Stress position
Edanz Group | 68
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.
Topic position
Edanz Group | 69
Topic position
.
Stress position
Subject
Verb
 Readers expect a sentence/phrase to be a story
about whoever shows up first
Topic position
Edanz Group | 70
 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.
idea ideaideaidea
Topic link
sentence
Readability
Edanz Group | 73
“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
 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
Simple is best
Edanz Group | 76
PREFERRED AVOID
more additional
enough adequate
clear apparent
try attempt
show demonstrate
try endeavor
very exceedingly
Simple words Examples
Edanz Group | 77
Edanz Group | 78
 In order to…
Unnecessary words Write simply
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 | 79
AVOID
For the reason that
In the first place
In the not too distant future
Four in number
Green color
Subsequent to
Prior to
Except in a very few instances
Unnecessary words Further examples
PREFERRED
Because
First
Soon
Four
Green
After
Before
Usually
Edanz Group | 80
 Frequently made in the Results section
 Compare “like” with “like”
 Avoid ambiguity
The tumor excised from the pancreas was compared with the
liver.
The tumor excised from the pancreas was compared with
that from the liver.
Common mistakes Comparisons
Edanz Group | 81
 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
than those with the old cycler.
Reactions with the new thermal cycler were faster.
Faster than what?
Avoiding ambiguity Comparisons
Edanz Group | 82
“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
Help your readers understand
Online resources
Edanz Group | 83
 Paradigm Online Writing Assistant
http://www.powa.org/
 Springer Exemplar
http://www.springerexemplar.com/
 Google Scholar
http://scholar.google.com/
 Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Free resource
Edanz Group | 84
 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:
Cover letters
Edanz Group | 85
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,
Daniel McGowan, PhD
 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
Your cover letter General rules
Edanz Group | 86
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
these inclusions in the disease process has remained unclear. One suspected disease-causing mechanism in Huntington’s
disease and other polyglutamine disorders is the potential for the mutant protein to undergo a conformational change to a
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
from five HD patients, two AD patients, and two normal controls. Congo red staining revealed a small number of amyloid-like
inclusions showing green birefringence by polarized microscopy, in a variety of cortical regions.... ….detected inclusions
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
publishing original research on all aspects of neuroscience…
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
statement of ethical standards for manuscripts submitted to Neuroscience. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Please address all correspondence to….
Give the
background to
the research
What was done
and what was
found
Interest to
journal’s readers
Conforms to
journal
requirements
Cover letters Example
Edanz Group | 87
“… 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 | 88
Recommending 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
Edanz Group | 89
Potential reviewers
Acceptance
Minor
revision
Major
revision
Rejection
 Very few papers are
immediately accepted
without need for any
revisions
Journal editor
decision
Complete rejection
Acceptance
Major revisions
Minor revisions
Peer review
Edanz Group | 90
Edanz Group | 91
Reasons for rejection: the science
Research question
Methods
Statistics
Validations
Data versus
conclusions
Edanz Group | 92
Reasons for rejection: the manuscript
Rationale and aims
Methods detail
Results format
Citations
Limitations
Edanz Group | 93
Reasons for rejection: other
Inappropriate journal
selected: scope,
impact, audience
Inappropriate
timing: too early or
late
Revision How to respond
Edanz Group | 94
 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
 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
Revision How to respond
Edanz Group | 95
Edanz Group | 96
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 | 97
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 | 98
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 Journal Advisor
simplifying publication success
featuring Journal Selector
Edanz Group | 101
How to use it
1. Insert English sample text
author’s abstract, short description, key phrases
or abstract from similar paper
Edanz Group | 102
Edanz Group | 103
2. Filter and refine
publication frequency
Impact Factor
revise sample text
to refine results
3. Narrow your options
matched previous
publications
match analysis
basic journal
information
Edanz Group | 104
4. Visit journal websites
to make final decision
Edanz Group | 105
coming soon at
edanzediting.com/JST
follow us on twitter
@JournalAdvisor
Edanz Group | 106
Obrigado!
Edanz Group | 107
Springer Brasil @Springer_Brasil
Daniel McGowan, PhD
Science Director
Edanz Group
dmcgowan@edanzgroup.com
Any questions?
Edanz Group | 108
If you have queries about writing:
read2write@edanzgroup.com
http://edanzediting.com/brazil_march_2012
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 | 109
 Language Editing
 Journal Selection
 Expert Scientific Review
 Abstract Writing
 Cover Letter Writing
 Point-by-Point Response Check
ServicesServices for acceptance
Edanz Group | 110
Dr Andrew Gorman
2001 – PhD Geophysics, University of British Columbia, CA
Lecturer at the Geology Department, University of Otago
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 Natasha Lundin
2007 – PhD Chemistry, University of Otago, NZ
Cover article author in Angewandte Chemie
Dr Brett Kraabel
1995 – PhD Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, USA
Specialist in condensed matter physics, optics and materials science
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 Kristen Demarest
2000 – PhD Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY, USA
Currently staff scientist at Scripps Research Institute
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
Expert editors in all scientific fields
Dr Jennifer Smith
1999 – PhD Botany, University of Otago, NZ
Experienced peer reviewer for functional plant biology, and enzyme and microbial technology
Edanz Group | 111
English editing for scientists, by
scientists
www.edanzediting.com
Edanz Group | 112
Edanz Group | 113

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

Policy Briefs
Policy BriefsPolicy Briefs
Policy Briefs
 
Workshop -- How to successfully write a scientific paper?
Workshop -- How to successfully write a scientific paper?Workshop -- How to successfully write a scientific paper?
Workshop -- How to successfully write a scientific paper?
 
Scientific writing
Scientific writingScientific writing
Scientific writing
 
How to write research paper in cse
How to write research paper in cseHow to write research paper in cse
How to write research paper in cse
 
How to write a journal article
How to write a journal articleHow to write a journal article
How to write a journal article
 
Scientific Writing: Road and Tips (Part 1)
Scientific Writing: Road and Tips (Part 1)Scientific Writing: Road and Tips (Part 1)
Scientific Writing: Road and Tips (Part 1)
 
What it needs to Write a Review Paper
What it needs to Write a Review PaperWhat it needs to Write a Review Paper
What it needs to Write a Review Paper
 
What really a Research is ?
What really a Research is ?What really a Research is ?
What really a Research is ?
 
Resenha 3a.aula 23 08-11 babbie cap i-v1
Resenha 3a.aula 23 08-11 babbie cap i-v1Resenha 3a.aula 23 08-11 babbie cap i-v1
Resenha 3a.aula 23 08-11 babbie cap i-v1
 
Choosing the Right Journal
Choosing the Right JournalChoosing the Right Journal
Choosing the Right Journal
 
Digital strategies to find the right journal for publishing your research
Digital strategies to find the right journal for publishing your researchDigital strategies to find the right journal for publishing your research
Digital strategies to find the right journal for publishing your research
 
How to write and publish good quality research paper
How to write and publish good quality research paperHow to write and publish good quality research paper
How to write and publish good quality research paper
 
Journal club final secrets v2 ss1
Journal club final  secrets v2   ss1Journal club final  secrets v2   ss1
Journal club final secrets v2 ss1
 
Research article structure
Research article structureResearch article structure
Research article structure
 
How to write a review paper
How to write a review paperHow to write a review paper
How to write a review paper
 
Mendeley tutorial
Mendeley  tutorialMendeley  tutorial
Mendeley tutorial
 
Bazzo, walter a. introducao aos-estudos_cts, 2003
Bazzo, walter a.   introducao aos-estudos_cts, 2003Bazzo, walter a.   introducao aos-estudos_cts, 2003
Bazzo, walter a. introducao aos-estudos_cts, 2003
 
Writing a literature review
Writing a literature reviewWriting a literature review
Writing a literature review
 
Scientific Writing Meaning and Need
Scientific Writing Meaning and NeedScientific Writing Meaning and Need
Scientific Writing Meaning and Need
 
journal and conference paper
 journal and conference paper journal and conference paper
journal and conference paper
 

Similaire à How to write for and get published in scientific journals

How to write great research papers
How to write great research papersHow to write great research papers
How to write great research papers
Khalid Hakeem
 
[Editage Seminar] Common language mistakes made by Japanese authors and essen...
[Editage Seminar] Common language mistakes made by Japanese authors and essen...[Editage Seminar] Common language mistakes made by Japanese authors and essen...
[Editage Seminar] Common language mistakes made by Japanese authors and essen...
英文校正エディテージ
 
Introduction to Thesis
Introduction to ThesisIntroduction to Thesis
Introduction to Thesis
Ultraman Taro
 
Iamse Gme Publishing Panel Final
Iamse Gme Publishing Panel FinalIamse Gme Publishing Panel Final
Iamse Gme Publishing Panel Final
Julie Hewett
 
Publishing Research by Dr.Marta Elliot
Publishing Research by Dr.Marta ElliotPublishing Research by Dr.Marta Elliot
Publishing Research by Dr.Marta Elliot
Korawan Sangkakorn
 

Similaire à How to write for and get published in scientific journals (20)

How to Write for and Get Published in Scientific Journals
How to Write for and Get Published in Scientific JournalsHow to Write for and Get Published in Scientific Journals
How to Write for and Get Published in Scientific Journals
 
Writing and Presenting a Project Proposal by Andile Andries Ndlovu
Writing and Presenting  a Project Proposal by Andile Andries NdlovuWriting and Presenting  a Project Proposal by Andile Andries Ndlovu
Writing and Presenting a Project Proposal by Andile Andries Ndlovu
 
How to write great research papers
How to write great research papersHow to write great research papers
How to write great research papers
 
Writing an effective Poster: the point of view of experts, novices and litera...
Writing an effective Poster: the point of view of experts, novices and litera...Writing an effective Poster: the point of view of experts, novices and litera...
Writing an effective Poster: the point of view of experts, novices and litera...
 
How to select your publications & who is who in research?: Impact & H factors
How to select your publications & who is who in research?: Impact & H factorsHow to select your publications & who is who in research?: Impact & H factors
How to select your publications & who is who in research?: Impact & H factors
 
How to Write a Great Research Paper, and Get it Accepted by a Good Journal Ja...
How to Write a Great Research Paper, and Get it Accepted by a Good Journal Ja...How to Write a Great Research Paper, and Get it Accepted by a Good Journal Ja...
How to Write a Great Research Paper, and Get it Accepted by a Good Journal Ja...
 
Publishing Connect NUI Galway - 31st Jan 2017
Publishing Connect NUI Galway - 31st Jan 2017Publishing Connect NUI Galway - 31st Jan 2017
Publishing Connect NUI Galway - 31st Jan 2017
 
[Editage Seminar] Common language mistakes made by Japanese authors and essen...
[Editage Seminar] Common language mistakes made by Japanese authors and essen...[Editage Seminar] Common language mistakes made by Japanese authors and essen...
[Editage Seminar] Common language mistakes made by Japanese authors and essen...
 
Writing a proposal 25th 9-2017 research center
Writing a proposal  25th 9-2017 research centerWriting a proposal  25th 9-2017 research center
Writing a proposal 25th 9-2017 research center
 
Uni of North Texas Publishing Connect - for distribution.pptx
Uni of North Texas Publishing Connect - for distribution.pptxUni of North Texas Publishing Connect - for distribution.pptx
Uni of North Texas Publishing Connect - for distribution.pptx
 
Writing a scientific paper
Writing a scientific paperWriting a scientific paper
Writing a scientific paper
 
Introduction to Thesis
Introduction to ThesisIntroduction to Thesis
Introduction to Thesis
 
برنامج مهارات البحث العلمي (10)- محاضره 1
برنامج مهارات البحث العلمي (10)- محاضره 1برنامج مهارات البحث العلمي (10)- محاضره 1
برنامج مهارات البحث العلمي (10)- محاضره 1
 
How to get an article published
How to get an article publishedHow to get an article published
How to get an article published
 
Article Writing.ppt
Article Writing.pptArticle Writing.ppt
Article Writing.ppt
 
Iamse Gme Publishing Panel Final
Iamse Gme Publishing Panel FinalIamse Gme Publishing Panel Final
Iamse Gme Publishing Panel Final
 
5 galib scientific writing
5 galib scientific writing5 galib scientific writing
5 galib scientific writing
 
Presentation by Director of Azande Holdings Group
Presentation by  Director of Azande Holdings Group Presentation by  Director of Azande Holdings Group
Presentation by Director of Azande Holdings Group
 
Publishing Research by Dr.Marta Elliot
Publishing Research by Dr.Marta ElliotPublishing Research by Dr.Marta Elliot
Publishing Research by Dr.Marta Elliot
 
Getting Published Workshop, Jacob Carstensen
Getting Published Workshop, Jacob CarstensenGetting Published Workshop, Jacob Carstensen
Getting Published Workshop, Jacob Carstensen
 

Dernier

Modular Monolith - a Practical Alternative to Microservices @ Devoxx UK 2024
Modular Monolith - a Practical Alternative to Microservices @ Devoxx UK 2024Modular Monolith - a Practical Alternative to Microservices @ Devoxx UK 2024
Modular Monolith - a Practical Alternative to Microservices @ Devoxx UK 2024
Victor Rentea
 
Cloud Frontiers: A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FME
Cloud Frontiers:  A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FMECloud Frontiers:  A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FME
Cloud Frontiers: A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FME
Safe Software
 
Cloud Frontiers: A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FME
Cloud Frontiers:  A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FMECloud Frontiers:  A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FME
Cloud Frontiers: A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FME
Safe Software
 
Why Teams call analytics are critical to your entire business
Why Teams call analytics are critical to your entire businessWhy Teams call analytics are critical to your entire business
Why Teams call analytics are critical to your entire business
panagenda
 

Dernier (20)

Emergent Methods: Multi-lingual narrative tracking in the news - real-time ex...
Emergent Methods: Multi-lingual narrative tracking in the news - real-time ex...Emergent Methods: Multi-lingual narrative tracking in the news - real-time ex...
Emergent Methods: Multi-lingual narrative tracking in the news - real-time ex...
 
Modular Monolith - a Practical Alternative to Microservices @ Devoxx UK 2024
Modular Monolith - a Practical Alternative to Microservices @ Devoxx UK 2024Modular Monolith - a Practical Alternative to Microservices @ Devoxx UK 2024
Modular Monolith - a Practical Alternative to Microservices @ Devoxx UK 2024
 
Cloud Frontiers: A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FME
Cloud Frontiers:  A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FMECloud Frontiers:  A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FME
Cloud Frontiers: A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FME
 
ProductAnonymous-April2024-WinProductDiscovery-MelissaKlemke
ProductAnonymous-April2024-WinProductDiscovery-MelissaKlemkeProductAnonymous-April2024-WinProductDiscovery-MelissaKlemke
ProductAnonymous-April2024-WinProductDiscovery-MelissaKlemke
 
TrustArc Webinar - Unlock the Power of AI-Driven Data Discovery
TrustArc Webinar - Unlock the Power of AI-Driven Data DiscoveryTrustArc Webinar - Unlock the Power of AI-Driven Data Discovery
TrustArc Webinar - Unlock the Power of AI-Driven Data Discovery
 
Manulife - Insurer Transformation Award 2024
Manulife - Insurer Transformation Award 2024Manulife - Insurer Transformation Award 2024
Manulife - Insurer Transformation Award 2024
 
Apidays New York 2024 - The Good, the Bad and the Governed by David O'Neill, ...
Apidays New York 2024 - The Good, the Bad and the Governed by David O'Neill, ...Apidays New York 2024 - The Good, the Bad and the Governed by David O'Neill, ...
Apidays New York 2024 - The Good, the Bad and the Governed by David O'Neill, ...
 
Spring Boot vs Quarkus the ultimate battle - DevoxxUK
Spring Boot vs Quarkus the ultimate battle - DevoxxUKSpring Boot vs Quarkus the ultimate battle - DevoxxUK
Spring Boot vs Quarkus the ultimate battle - DevoxxUK
 
Repurposing LNG terminals for Hydrogen Ammonia: Feasibility and Cost Saving
Repurposing LNG terminals for Hydrogen Ammonia: Feasibility and Cost SavingRepurposing LNG terminals for Hydrogen Ammonia: Feasibility and Cost Saving
Repurposing LNG terminals for Hydrogen Ammonia: Feasibility and Cost Saving
 
Cloud Frontiers: A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FME
Cloud Frontiers:  A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FMECloud Frontiers:  A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FME
Cloud Frontiers: A Deep Dive into Serverless Spatial Data and FME
 
Why Teams call analytics are critical to your entire business
Why Teams call analytics are critical to your entire businessWhy Teams call analytics are critical to your entire business
Why Teams call analytics are critical to your entire business
 
[BuildWithAI] Introduction to Gemini.pdf
[BuildWithAI] Introduction to Gemini.pdf[BuildWithAI] Introduction to Gemini.pdf
[BuildWithAI] Introduction to Gemini.pdf
 
Biography Of Angeliki Cooney | Senior Vice President Life Sciences | Albany, ...
Biography Of Angeliki Cooney | Senior Vice President Life Sciences | Albany, ...Biography Of Angeliki Cooney | Senior Vice President Life Sciences | Albany, ...
Biography Of Angeliki Cooney | Senior Vice President Life Sciences | Albany, ...
 
Corporate and higher education May webinar.pptx
Corporate and higher education May webinar.pptxCorporate and higher education May webinar.pptx
Corporate and higher education May webinar.pptx
 
Cyberprint. Dark Pink Apt Group [EN].pdf
Cyberprint. Dark Pink Apt Group [EN].pdfCyberprint. Dark Pink Apt Group [EN].pdf
Cyberprint. Dark Pink Apt Group [EN].pdf
 
DEV meet-up UiPath Document Understanding May 7 2024 Amsterdam
DEV meet-up UiPath Document Understanding May 7 2024 AmsterdamDEV meet-up UiPath Document Understanding May 7 2024 Amsterdam
DEV meet-up UiPath Document Understanding May 7 2024 Amsterdam
 
Connector Corner: Accelerate revenue generation using UiPath API-centric busi...
Connector Corner: Accelerate revenue generation using UiPath API-centric busi...Connector Corner: Accelerate revenue generation using UiPath API-centric busi...
Connector Corner: Accelerate revenue generation using UiPath API-centric busi...
 
How to Troubleshoot Apps for the Modern Connected Worker
How to Troubleshoot Apps for the Modern Connected WorkerHow to Troubleshoot Apps for the Modern Connected Worker
How to Troubleshoot Apps for the Modern Connected Worker
 
AWS Community Day CPH - Three problems of Terraform
AWS Community Day CPH - Three problems of TerraformAWS Community Day CPH - Three problems of Terraform
AWS Community Day CPH - Three problems of Terraform
 
Navigating the Deluge_ Dubai Floods and the Resilience of Dubai International...
Navigating the Deluge_ Dubai Floods and the Resilience of Dubai International...Navigating the Deluge_ Dubai Floods and the Resilience of Dubai International...
Navigating the Deluge_ Dubai Floods and the Resilience of Dubai International...
 

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 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo 16 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.  Why publish?  Publishing in English  The publishing timeline  Peer review Edanz Group | 4 Section One Scientific publishing
  • 5. Why publish? Edanz Group | 5 Nature is complex
  • 6. Edanz Group | 6 We use complex technologies and methods to understand it… Why publish?
  • 7. Edanz Group | 7 …and the science is often necessarily complex Why publish?
  • 8. Edanz Group | 8 Why publish? To exchange ideas globally! Your research is not complete until it has been published
  • 9. Edanz Group | 9 Why publish? Hypothesis Perform research Design research Draw conclusions New validated method published New findings of relevance published
  • 10.  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 Why publish in English?
  • 11. Increased competition Edanz Group | 11 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 % Year Journal numbers Journal submissions  Relative growth from 100% baseline in 1990
  • 12.  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
  • 13.  Few papers are accepted without revision  Rejection and revision are integral to the peer review process Peer review improves your manuscript Edanz Group | 13 Acceptance Minor revision Major revision Rejection
  • 14. Edanz Group | 14 What do journal editors and reviewers want?  Is the manuscript sufficiently novel?  Is the manuscript of broad enough interest? Novelty Significance Aims and Scope Impact Factor
  • 15. 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 What do journal editors want?
  • 16.  Read  Study design  Select an appropriate journal  Ethical issues Edanz Group | 16 Section Two Before you start …
  • 17. Reading helps your writing Reading  Both sides of the brain are essential and work in harmony Reading Writing Logic Creativity  Similarly, reading and writing are connected Edanz Group | 17
  • 18.  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 The importance of reading
  • 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
  • 20. Read Results or the relevant parts of the Results Edanz Group | 21 Strategies for reading Read Title and Abstract first Self-assess knowledge of topic Read Discussion for interpretation Refer to Introduction and Methods only if necessary
  • 21.  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 Experimental design Get it right Edanz Group | 22
  • 22.  Sample sizes (n) large enough?  Which statistical test(s)? When in doubt – talk to a statistician!  Does your study comply with ALL ethics requirements? Experimental design Get it right Edanz Group | 23
  • 23. Edanz Group | 24 Journal Selection
  • 24.  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: timing
  • 25.  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 Edanz Group | 26 Choosing a target journal Novelty Significance Aims and Scope Impact Factor
  • 26.  What is the message?  Who will be interested?  How significant are your results?  Where have similar articles been published? Match your manuscript with the journal Edanz Group | 27
  • 27.  Aims and scope  Publishing frequency  Impact factor  Target audience  Open access or subscriber  Prestige  Cost  Publication type Edanz Group | 28 Factors to consider Which factor is most important to you?
  • 28.  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: importance
  • 29.  How new are my results compared with those already published? Edanz Group | 30 Evaluating significance: novelty New findings Incremental advances Conceptual advances Low to medium impact factor Medium to high impact factor
  • 30.  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: relevance
  • 31.  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 Evaluating significance: appeal  Optogenetics  Epigenetics  Stem cells  Higgs boson  Global warming  Clean tech
  • 32. DO NOT…  Multiple submissions  Plagiarism  Improper author contribution  Data fabrication and falsification  Improper use of human subjects and animals  Conflicts of interest Publication ethics Edanz Group | 33
  • 33.  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
  • 35.  You are telling a story Beginning  Middle  End (Introduction) (Body) (Conclusion)  MUST be easy to read AND easy to understand Edanz Group | 37 Section Three Structuring your manuscript
  • 36.  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’. ‘Tell them three times’ Edanz Group | 38
  • 37.  Expanded IMRaD model  Abstract  Introduction  Methods  Results and  Discussion  References Basic manuscript structure Edanz Group | 39 Assertion Evidence Affirmation
  • 38.  For maximum clarity and consistency, write your manuscript in this order: Methods Results Introduction Discussion Title Abstract Write after selecting your target journal Write during the research The ‘write’ order Edanz Group | 40 Write last
  • 39. Edanz Group | 41 The importance of your title Physics Manuscript World Class Grabs the reader’s attention Introduces your manuscript to an editor A label for indexing  Convey the main topics of manuscript  Be specific and concise  AVOID jargon, abbreviations and acronyms
  • 40.  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 | 42 Abstract Summarizes your work
  • 41. What question (problem) was studied? The answer to this question is contained within your Introduction Beginning  Middle  End Edanz Group | 43 Introduction Why?
  • 42.  Sufficient background information  Puts your work into context  Start with a broad background  Comprehensive literature review  Cite reviews Edanz Group | 44 Introduction Beginning General Specific
  • 43.  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 | 45 Introduction Middle
  • 44.  State the methods you plan to use  Clearly and explicitly state 1–3 specific hypotheses or objectives of your study Edanz Group | 46 Introduction End
  • 45.  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 | 47 Methods How did you carry out your work?
  • 46. Materials and methods Materials. Culture media were obtained from Life Technologies (Gaithersburg, MD). Okadaic acid was purchased from Alexis Company (Läufelfingen,Switzerland). Antibodies to MEK1/2 and phosphorylated MAPK were purchased from New England Biolabs (Beverley, MA). Induction of cell death. Cell death was induced as described previously [15]. Briefly, cell death was induced by adding okadaic acid (0-300 nM, Alexis Co.) after washing slice cultures in serum-free medium. 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 ethanoland propylene oxide, and flat- embedded in an epoxy resin (DurcupanACM, Fluka, Neu-Ulm, Germany). Semi-thin sections were stainedwith toluidine blue, and ultra-thin sections were stained with1% 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 the significance of mean differences. Differences were considered significant at a P-value of 0.05 or less. Edanz Group | 49 Materials described first Suppliers/locations given Clear subheadings References used to save space Enough information to reproduce the experiment Statistical test parameters provided Materials and methods Example
  • 47.  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 | 50 Results What did you find?
  • 48. Results Okadaic acid induces death of dentate gyrus neurons selectively. Hippocampal slice cultures treated with OA (1–300 nM) showed selective 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 slight nuclear aggregations (arrow in Fig 3A), accumulation of mitochondria around nuclei (arrowheads in Fig 3B) and an increased amount of 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 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 | 51 Clear subheadings Graphics used to save space Clear comparisons made Results Example
  • 49.  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 | 52 Display items Tables and figures
  • 50. Edanz Group | 53 Display items Tables Clear concise legend/caption Data divided into categories for clarity Abbreviations defined )
  • 51. Edanz Group | 54 Display items Figures Multiple panels: sets of related data are shown in a single figure Complicated data separated into smaller and simpler components Axes clearly labeled Clear, ‘stand alone’ legend
  • 52. What do these findings mean? The answer to this question is in the Discussion Beginning  Middle  End Edanz Group | 55 Discussion So what?
  • 53.  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 | 56 Discussion Beginning
  • 54.  Interpret your results …  Compare with other studies  Same or different?  Possible reasons why?  Unexpected results  Briefly describe any limitations  Sample sizes  Complementary tests  How could experiments be improved? Edanz Group | 57 Discussion Middle
  • 55.  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 | 58 Discussion End
  • 56.  ALWAYS format your references  Formatting is required in text for citations and for your references section  Use reference management software Edanz Group | 59 References
  • 57.  Clear communication  Language  Cover letters  Responding to reviewer comments Section Four Hints and tips Edanz Group | 60
  • 58.  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 Expectations Edanz Group | 61
  • 59. Subject Verb  Readers expect verbs to closely follow subjects Verb placement Edanz Group | 62 Sentence . Subject and verb far apart = poor readability Subject Verb syntactic resolution
  • 60.  Readers can be confused if subject and verb are separated by too much content Avoid reader confusion Edanz Group | 63 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.
  • 61. Avoid reader confusion Edanz Group | 64 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 … .
  • 62. Which voice? Active vs. passive Edanz Group | 65  Use the active voice unless your target journal states otherwise Blood samples were collected from 256 patients. We collected blood from 256 patients.
  • 63. Active voice Edanz Group | 66  Sentences written in the active voice are: SIMPLE DIRECT CLEAR EASY TO READ Subject Verb Active
  • 64. Stress position Edanz Group | 67  Readers focus on information at the end of a sentence. . “Save the best until last” take-home information Subject Verb
  • 65. Stress position Edanz Group | 68 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.
  • 66. Topic position Edanz Group | 69 Topic position . Stress position Subject Verb  Readers expect a sentence/phrase to be a story about whoever shows up first
  • 67. Topic position Edanz Group | 70  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. idea ideaideaidea Topic link sentence
  • 68. Readability Edanz Group | 73 “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
  • 69.  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 Simple is best Edanz Group | 76
  • 70. PREFERRED AVOID more additional enough adequate clear apparent try attempt show demonstrate try endeavor very exceedingly Simple words Examples Edanz Group | 77
  • 71. Edanz Group | 78  In order to… Unnecessary words Write simply 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 …
  • 72. Edanz Group | 79 AVOID For the reason that In the first place In the not too distant future Four in number Green color Subsequent to Prior to Except in a very few instances Unnecessary words Further examples PREFERRED Because First Soon Four Green After Before Usually
  • 73. Edanz Group | 80  Frequently made in the Results section  Compare “like” with “like”  Avoid ambiguity The tumor excised from the pancreas was compared with the liver. The tumor excised from the pancreas was compared with that from the liver. Common mistakes Comparisons
  • 74. Edanz Group | 81  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 than those with the old cycler. Reactions with the new thermal cycler were faster. Faster than what? Avoiding ambiguity Comparisons
  • 75. Edanz Group | 82 “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 Help your readers understand
  • 76. Online resources Edanz Group | 83  Paradigm Online Writing Assistant http://www.powa.org/  Springer Exemplar http://www.springerexemplar.com/  Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com/  Purdue Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
  • 78.  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: Cover letters Edanz Group | 85 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, Daniel McGowan, PhD
  • 79.  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 Your cover letter General rules Edanz Group | 86
  • 80. 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 these inclusions in the disease process has remained unclear. One suspected disease-causing mechanism in Huntington’s disease and other polyglutamine disorders is the potential for the mutant protein to undergo a conformational change to a 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 from five HD patients, two AD patients, and two normal controls. Congo red staining revealed a small number of amyloid-like inclusions showing green birefringence by polarized microscopy, in a variety of cortical regions.... ….detected inclusions 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 publishing original research on all aspects of neuroscience… 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 statement of ethical standards for manuscripts submitted to Neuroscience. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Please address all correspondence to…. Give the background to the research What was done and what was found Interest to journal’s readers Conforms to journal requirements Cover letters Example Edanz Group | 87
  • 81. “… 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 | 88 Recommending reviewers
  • 82.  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 Edanz Group | 89 Potential reviewers
  • 83. Acceptance Minor revision Major revision Rejection  Very few papers are immediately accepted without need for any revisions Journal editor decision Complete rejection Acceptance Major revisions Minor revisions Peer review Edanz Group | 90
  • 84. Edanz Group | 91 Reasons for rejection: the science Research question Methods Statistics Validations Data versus conclusions
  • 85. Edanz Group | 92 Reasons for rejection: the manuscript Rationale and aims Methods detail Results format Citations Limitations
  • 86. Edanz Group | 93 Reasons for rejection: other Inappropriate journal selected: scope, impact, audience Inappropriate timing: too early or late
  • 87. Revision How to respond Edanz Group | 94  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
  • 88.  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 Revision How to respond Edanz Group | 95
  • 89. Edanz Group | 96 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]
  • 90. Edanz Group | 97 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.
  • 91. Edanz Group | 98 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.
  • 92. Edanz Journal Advisor simplifying publication success featuring Journal Selector Edanz Group | 101
  • 93. How to use it 1. Insert English sample text author’s abstract, short description, key phrases or abstract from similar paper Edanz Group | 102
  • 94. Edanz Group | 103 2. Filter and refine publication frequency Impact Factor revise sample text to refine results
  • 95. 3. Narrow your options matched previous publications match analysis basic journal information Edanz Group | 104
  • 96. 4. Visit journal websites to make final decision Edanz Group | 105
  • 97. coming soon at edanzediting.com/JST follow us on twitter @JournalAdvisor Edanz Group | 106
  • 98. Obrigado! Edanz Group | 107 Springer Brasil @Springer_Brasil Daniel McGowan, PhD Science Director Edanz Group dmcgowan@edanzgroup.com
  • 99. Any questions? Edanz Group | 108 If you have queries about writing: read2write@edanzgroup.com http://edanzediting.com/brazil_march_2012
  • 100. 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 | 109
  • 101.  Language Editing  Journal Selection  Expert Scientific Review  Abstract Writing  Cover Letter Writing  Point-by-Point Response Check ServicesServices for acceptance Edanz Group | 110
  • 102. Dr Andrew Gorman 2001 – PhD Geophysics, University of British Columbia, CA Lecturer at the Geology Department, University of Otago 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 Natasha Lundin 2007 – PhD Chemistry, University of Otago, NZ Cover article author in Angewandte Chemie Dr Brett Kraabel 1995 – PhD Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, USA Specialist in condensed matter physics, optics and materials science 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 Kristen Demarest 2000 – PhD Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY, USA Currently staff scientist at Scripps Research Institute 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 Expert editors in all scientific fields Dr Jennifer Smith 1999 – PhD Botany, University of Otago, NZ Experienced peer reviewer for functional plant biology, and enzyme and microbial technology Edanz Group | 111
  • 103. English editing for scientists, by scientists www.edanzediting.com Edanz Group | 112