Journal Publishing in the Global Age: An

Editorial Perspective

Tor D. Berg, Journal of Adolescent HealthDonald Payne, MBBChir, MD, Archives of

Disease in ChildhoodCharles E. Irwin, Jr., MD, Journal of Adolescent

Health

Disseminate findings Replication Inform clinical care Inform interventions Inform policy Improve research methodology Career considerations

Why publish?

Choosing the type or form of the article Observing the formal requirements of scientific

publication Writing or composing the article Choosing a journal Submitting your manuscript Revising your manuscript Accepting rejection Arranging publication

A Publication Strategy

Review articles Full length empirical articles Brief reports Case studies or observational reports Editorials, commentaries, and letters

Choosing the Type of Article to Submit

The Formal Requirements of Scientific Publishing

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE): Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts

http://ww.icmje.org

Solving problems Clarify your thoughts Distill those thoughts and ideas Identify the most important

Connecting with editors Getting reviewed Getting found Getting read Getting cited

The Abstract:A Tool for Success

Structured vs. Unstructured Abstracts

Structured Unstructured

Section I: Introduction — Progress from the general to the specific

Present the general subject or problemReview the literatureStatement of hypothesis:

Your argument in the context of other workWhat is the aim of the study? What is the point of all this??

The Structure of a Scientific Article

Section II: MethodsDesignSampleContext and settingMaterials and InstrumentsValidity and reliabilityProtocols and IRB

The Structure of a Scientific Article

Section III: Presenting the data — From the specific to the general

Results: Describe the findingsDiscussion: Place the research in the context of other workLimitations: Do not be afraidConclusion: Application of the results; implications for future research; “Main Message” for clinicians/researchers/administrators/policymakersWorks cited/References

The Structure of a Scientific Article

Origin of the idea Development of the outline Design and writing of the approved protocol Data acquisition Scientific leadership in conducting the study Analysis and interpretation Writing the manuscript Responsibility for the final paper Ability to defend the content

Authorship Issues

Requires active participation in all of the following: Conception/design of work, data collection,

and/or data analysis and interpretation, AND… Drafting manuscript or reviewing/revising critical

sections (i.e., that portion of manuscript for which co-author claims expert defense responsibility),

AND…. Responsibility for final version of the manuscript

Minimum Basis for Authorship

No person shall be listed as author merely by virtue of his/her position in the responsible organization or dissertation committee!

Multiple authors: suggested that brief statements of exact contribution of each author be prepared for interdisciplinary studies (to clarify potential concerns)

More Authorship Issues

Create a written agreement: Number of manuscripts expected to evolve

from project Subjects to be covered Identity of all person assigned to co-author

reports

Authorship: Early Considerations

Definition should be clear Potential, Perceived, or Real conflict

Disclose on the title page of the manuscript Explicitly state the role of the study sponsor

If no role, then say that Avoid entering into agreements that

interfere with complete and independent access to data

Conflict of Interest

All studies of human subjects must be evaluated by an appropriate institutional review board

Even for secondary analyses, you should apply for and receive an exemption from your IRB

Report IRB approval in the Methods section of your manuscript

Protection of Human Research Subjects

Increasingly, journals are requiring registration of clinical trials Broad definition: drugs, surgical procedures,

devices, behavioral treatments, process-of-care changes, etc.

JAH does not, though it is highly recommended Several public registries available

U.S. National Institutes of Health’s ClinicalTrials.gov Australia New Zealand’s ANZCTR.org.au Global ISRCTN Register ISRCTN.org 

Registration of Clinical Trials

Writing the Article

Good research question Rigorous design, good response, clean data Clear and reliable analysis Abstract to Discussion

But…

Telling a good story

Such as:1. Too busy2. Teaching preparation takes up all time3. “I will write as soon as I ________”4. Making writing your #1 goal5. Inability to reach writing site6. Needing to read “one more book”7. Inability to start8. Fear of controversial topic and permanency of publication9. Not in the mood10. Childcare responsibilities11. Inability to move forward12. Dog ate my flash drive

Anticipate Writing Obstacles

1. First and foremost, get writing!2. Make it social3. Persist despite rejection4. Pursue your passion

Four Keys to Academic Writing Success

There is so much to read! Make a plan to read what you can Skim the piece and focus on what you need

to know Topic Approach Argument

Reading the Scholarly Literature

Spend mornings reading/taking notes on journals that arrived (or were posted online) the previous day

Read/skim 5 pieces for a set amount of time each day

Mark paragraphs that contain important organizing ideas, then copy/paste to a new document

Read articles from your target journal; familiarize yourself with the tone or melody or the journal

Ideas for New Habits

Choosing a Journal

Try to focus on 2–3 messages or takeaways Theoretical contribution Focus on behavior and predictors of behavior Methodological contributions Clinical focus Public health or policy

Message and Contribution of the Article

Healthcare providers Researchers Methodologists Which journals have you cited? Regional, national, or international?

Audience for the Message

The Journal of Adolescent Health is a multidisciplinary scientific Journal, which seeks to publish new research findings in the field of Adolescent Medicine and Health ranging from the basic biological and behavioral sciences to public health and policy. We seek original manuscripts, review articles, letters to the editor, commentaries and clinical observations from our colleagues in Anthropology, Dentistry and Oral Health, Education, Health Services Research, International Health, Law, Medicine, Mental Health, Nursing, Nutrition, Psychology, Public Health and Policy, Social Work, Sociology, Youth Development, and other disciplines that work with or are committed to improving the lives of adolescents and young adults.

Journal Adolescent Health Mission Statement

Archives of Disease in Childhood is an international peer review journal that aims to keep paediatricians and others up to date with advances in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood diseases as well as advocacy issues such as child protection. It focuses on all aspects of child health and disease from the perinatal period (in the Fetal and Neonatal edition) through to adolescence. ADC includes original research reports, commentaries, reviews of clinical and policy issues, and evidence reports. Areas covered include: community child health, public health, epidemiology, acute paediatrics, advocacy, and ethics.

Archives of Diseases in Childhood Aims and Scope

Where else have you published? What journal is best for your career? How quickly do you need to publish?

Career Considerations

Total number of citations, during 2011, to articles published in

2009 and 2010

Calculating Impact Factor

Total number of “citable items”

published in 2009 and 2010

2011 impact factor

3.334

Until recently, journals restricted published findings to paid subscribers and licensees Journal owns copyright and sells access to

cover publication costs Digital distribution lowers costs for journals

and enables far broader dissemination New models to distribute publication costs Open Access

Dissemination of Results

Full open access BioMedCentral, PLoS Author fee, institutional subsidies, advertising

Sponsored articles JAH, and all Elsevier titles

Delayed access Manuscript posting

National funding bodies; NIH access policy and PubMedCentral

Open Access

Submitting Your Manuscript

Cover letter Process of uploading manuscripts Suggesting reviewers

Submission process

Check instructions Often this is the first part the editor sees Make it clear how and why the study is

important Explain why the manuscript is important for

this journal List other publications cited in journal Identify your similar or related publications or

submitted manuscripts

Cover Letter

Increasingly journal-specific forms Must be signed by all authors Electronically submitted

Statement of Authorship

Why? Gesture of goodwill, and it moves the paper

along Good evidence that author-suggested

reviewers rate manuscripts more favorably Who?

Not your mentor, co-author, colleague, etc. Not someone you have formally acknowledged Authors you have cited in references

Suggesting reviewers

JAH Review Process

1,106 manuscripts reviewed internally

730 desk rejected (66% of all

manuscripts)

376 peer reviewed(34% of all manuscripts)

16 invited to resubmit as a Brief

(2.2% of desk rejected manuscripts)

206 rejected (54.8% of peer

reviewed manuscripts

170 accepted (45.2 % of peer

reviewed manuscripts)

Revising Your Manuscript Submission

Virtually never accept first drafts Revision letter is an indication of interest Revision increases odds of eventual

publication Must revise to resubmit elsewhere May see the same reviewer at another

journal Review process is didactic; improves the

paper

To Revise or Not to Revise

Distancing strategy But be prompt Respond with a clear and constructive

revision and response letter Respond to all comments

Be systematic; a table format is helpful Juxtapose divergent comments Revision process is a conversation amongst

peers

Approaching the Revisions

The Revision Letter

Checklist of documents necessary for revision Response letter Revised manuscript Revised tables and figures

Re-review by editors and/or original reviewers

Final acceptance at editors discretion

Resubmit

Accepting Rejection

Poor English usage. Replicative, confirmatory, or localized

findings Causation ascribed to associations Poorly contextualized results

Common reasons for rejection

English is a difficult language Scientific vocabulary and usage can idiosyncratic and

archaic Attempt to enlist the help of a native English speaker Professional editors specializing in technical English

Can be expensive Establish links to individuals and organizations that

already publish in English UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, etc.

English usage

Replicative and confirmatory results, while important, are generally not published in top journals

Findings from a specific local population might be most useful to a local audience

Novelty

JAH publishes very few studies that are based only on correlational or cross-sectional data

In most cases, longitudinal data is necessary to inform interventions and clinical work

Associations, correlations, and prevalence are nearly always most useful to a local or regional audience

Correlational data

Emerging research from LMICs is interesting to an international audience if it is properly contextualized Describe the local context and how it relates to

the results The dilemma is well-described in PA Michaud’s

JAH editorial, “The International Journal of Adolescent Health,” JAH 2010;42:421-422.

Same dilemma occurs in papers from HICs

Poorly contextualized results

Arranging Publication

Copyright and funding sources Press Embargo In press

Articles Online First Citing In-Press articles using DOIs

Post-Acceptance

Ganguly S, Samanta M, Roy P, Chatterjee S, Kaplan DW, Basu B. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as an Effective Tool for Screening of Depression Among Indian Adolescents. J Adolesc Health 2013;52:546-551. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.09.012.

Digital Object Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/

The Journal of Adolescent Health:http://www.jahonline.org

Archives of Diseases in Childhoodhttp://adc.bmj.com

Web sites

Thank you for your interest!

Questions?