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How to write scientific papers …. and get them published
Dr Sue SilverEditor in ChiefFrontiers in Ecology and the EnvironmentEcological Society of AmericaWashington DC
Dr Laura A MeyersonAssistant ProfessorDept of Natural Resources ScienceUniversity of Rhode IslandKingston, RI
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China December 15-16, 2008
Overview of 2-day course
Thanks to• Dr Philippa Benson, The Wildlife Society, USA
• Dr Lindsay Haddon, British Ecological Society, UK
• Dr Roy Turkington, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
• Dr Iain Taylor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
• Lennie Rhine, HINARI
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008 How to get published
Overview of 2-day course
Format of the workshop
Short talks
Questions and discussion
Exercises
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Overview of 2-day course
Topics we will cover
Deciding what sort of paper to write
Deciding which journal to send it to
How to write the different sections of a paper
What to do after you have received the
decision letter
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Overview of 2-day course
Main sections of a research paper Introduction
Materials & methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusions
Title, abstract, keywords, conclusions, citations, etc
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Overview of 2-day course
Topics we will cover
Figures and tables
Who should be an author
Cover letter
Peer review
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Overview of 2-day course
Topics we will cover
Decision letters
• Rejection (what happens next)
• Acceptance (what happens next)
Electronic publishing
Ethical issues
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Exercise 1
Top reasons authors choose a journal Divide into teams and put on team colors
With your team, rank the four most important reasons for choosing a journal for your paper
Give the most important reason a score of 4 the next most important a 3, and so on
Write your scores on the paper handed out and give them to Sue or Laura
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Deciding what kind of paper to write
Laura A. Meyerson
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
The type of paper you write should depend on:
I. What you have to say:– Is it based on data? – Are your results theoretical or applied?– Are you presenting new ideas based on
published literature (e.g., a synthesis)? – Have you developed new tools or methods? – Are you informing a policy or expressing an
opinion?
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
The type of paper you write should depend on:
II. Who your intended audience is:– Scientists in your field– Scientists outside of your field– Policy makers and managers– Public
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Types of papers
• Research paper
• Review paper
• Methods paper
• Policy paper
• Opinion paper
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Research Paper = original paper• Types of research papers
– Standard data paper– Application – Rapid communication– Note
• Purpose and audience– Presents results or applies results– Generally aimed at colleagues
DO YOU WANT TO PRESENT YOUR DATA?
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Standard research papers
• Evidence-based– Experimental– Theoretical– Synthetic
• Clear conclusions
• Yields valuable insights for journal readers
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Example of a standard research paper
Shorter papers: Rapid communications and notes
• Papers may be shorter because:– Topic is less complex but still complete– Cover only a single aspect of a study– Develop methods in a new way
• Journals may fast-track publication:– In rapidly developing fields– If your data is ‘novel’, ‘exciting’ or ‘important’
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Rapid communications
• Journals often want fast-breaking material
They will offer:– Faster processing and publication– Prominent position
• In return for– Clear cut results– Concise presentation– Justification of importance
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Opinion papers
• Intended to provoke debate
• May be speculative
– Too soon to publish as full paper
– Alternative viewpoints
– Attempt to resolve conflicts
• Will still be peer-reviewed
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Reviews
• Many journals include reviews.
• Topical synthesis of a major area in your field.
• Offer new perspectives on future research.
• Often by invitation, but not always.
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Do you want to present new ideas based on published literature?
– Reviews and synthesizes existing literature.
– Overview, critical commentary, or historical perspective.
– Generally reaches a (new) conclusion and/or develops new insights for future research.
– Often aimed at colleagues but may also be accessible to scientists outside of your narrow field.
– Usually lays the basis for new research directions
Review Paper
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Example of a review paper
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Methods Paper
• Methods paper– Describes or presents new methods of
analysis or approaches– Laboratory, field or statistical– Generally aimed at scientists within your field
Do you want to publish a new method that you have developed?
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Examples of a methods paper
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Policy or Opinion paper
• Policy / Opinion paper– Recommends a policy position or solution– Generally aimed at decision makers– Clearly states why the suggested approach is
a better way– Meant to encourage discussion or debate
Do you want to share information with policy makers or express your opinion?
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Example of a policy or opinion paper
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Example of dissertation work that produced 5 papers by a single author
• PNAS – Cryptic invasion by a non-native genotype of the common reed, Phragmites australis, into North America
• Molecular Ecology - Microsatellite variation within and among North American lineages of Phragmites australis
• Molecular Ecology Notes - A set of primers for amplification of noncoding regions of chloroplast DNA in the grasses
• Wetlands - A Rapid Method for identifying the origin of North American Phragmites populations using RFLP analysis
• Estuaries – Genetic variation in Phragmites australis – implications for management
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Summary: Making the decision
• If you ran an experiment and want to report results research paper
• If you developed new methods and this is the main point methods paper
• If you reviewed published literature and reached new conclusions or insights review paper
• Time to publication – how fast do you need to get this out – Letters, rapid communications, etc. Sue will send slide
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Sue Silver
How to get published
Understanding impact factors
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
What is an Impact Factor?
How is it calculated? By whom?
What can it tells us? What can it NOT tell us?
Some other considerations
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Impact factors: original purpose
Invented by Eugene Garfield (late 1950s/early 1960s)
A method for identifying the most influential science journals ( which journals publish science that is cited most often by other scientists)
Originally intended only as a measure applied to journals (NOT researchers and NOT individual papers)
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Where do impact factors come from?
Thomson Scientific calculates IF of journals they index
Published every year , in May/June, in Journal Citation Reports (JCR)
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Understanding impact factors
Thomson ISI journal index
About 16,000 peer-reviewed journals world-wide (1.4 million articles/year)
Every year, about 2000 new journals sent to Thomson Scientific for evaluation (accept about10%)
Index over 7,600 journals (814,000 papers), in 200 disciplines, from 3300 publishers, in 60 countries
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Journal criteria for indexing in JCR
Descriptive title
Named authors
An abstract
Citation list
Regular publication schedule
Published on time
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Frontiers impact factor – 2007
2007 impact factorCitations in 2007 to articles published in 2006 = 168 Citations in 2007 to articles published in 2005 = 293
TOTAL = 461
Number of article published in 2006 = 54Number of article published in 2005 = 54 TOTAL = 108
Frontiers’ 2007 impact factor: 461 ∕108 = 4.269
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Understanding impact factors
How to get published
= IF 30
Wu paper published
Wu paper cited
Li paper published
Li paper cited
Wu cited x 30
Li cited x 30
= 60
60
2
2007 impact
factor.
Published in JCR in June 2008
2005 2006 2007 2008
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
IF variations between disciplines Medical
• Annual Review of Immunology = 54• JAMA = 24• Lancet = 21
General • Nature and Science IF = 30
Ecology & Environmental science• Trends in Ecology and Evolution = 14• Environmental Health Perspectives = 5
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
What is counted as a citable item? Papers must include:
Informative title
Named authors + contact details
Abstract
Data or other new scientific information
Citations
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Counted
• Research papers
• Reviews
Not counted?
• Editorials
• News stories
• Letters to the Editor
BUT, If News items, letters to the Editor, etc, are cited, they are added to the numerator, so increasing the IF
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Authors • Identify journals in which to publish their research • Decide which journals to read
Employers • Compare and choose candidates for job vacancies• Give tenure
Grant awarding organizations• Used as a criterion for receiving research grants
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Librarians • Identify most influential journals for their collections •Decide which to subscribe to and which to drop from collections
Publishers• Compare journals “influence” against competitors• Monitor success of new publication strategies
Editors • Assess effectiveness of editorial policies • Monitor the influence of their journals vs competitors
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Acceptable strategies for increasing IF
Reviews receive more citations than research papers
Longer articles receive more citations than shorter ones
Articles in open access journals receive citations sooner Editorials, news items, etc, may be cited
Editorials and overviews – “best papers last year“
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Bad strategies for increasing IF
Editors ‘invite’ authors of submitted articles to
cite papers in their journal (not professional)
Editors discourage authors from citing papers in a rival journal (not professional)
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Criticisms of the IF system
Authors only want to do research on “hot” topics
Editors only want to publish “hot” topics
Basic research gets more citations than applied research
Less than ¼ of the world’s journals are covered and the
majority of those are English language publications
Journals in other languages have low IF because not
many indexed journals are likely to cite them
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Criticisms of the IF system (continued)
Thomson can make mistakes!
Authors can make mistakes!
Different areas of science have different citation patterns
For some sciences, 3 years is a better timeframe
Can’t assess quality of a particular article or its author
Can only measure interestingness – not usefulness or
importance
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
The journal impact factor is a measure of the frequency with which the “average article” in a journal has been cited in a particular year.
The impact factor will help you evaluate a journal’s relative importance, especially when you compare it to others in the same field.
Definition taken from ISI Web of KnowledgeJournal Citation Reports 2008
Understanding impact factors
How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008
Break!