Transcript Insights into Publication Success
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Insights into Publication Success
Una guía para publicar sus resultados científicos Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco Daniel McGowan, PhD Science Director Edanz 24–25 September 2012
A little about me…
Today’s presentation
Temas que se cubren en la presentación de hoy • • • • • • Scientific publishing Before you start …
Edanz Journal Selector
–
Your target journal in minutes not days
Avoiding rejection Manuscript structure Hints and tips
Scientific publishing
Why publish?
Nature is complex
Scientific publishing
Why publish?
We use complex technologies and methods to understand it…
Scientific publishing
Why publish?
…and the science is often necessarily complex
Scientific publishing
Exchange ideas globally!
Usar un lenguaje claro es muy importante para el intercambio global de ideas
Su investigación no estará completa hasta que no se haya publicado
Scientific publishing
Publishing helps other researchers
New findings of relevance published Hypothesis Draw conclusions Perform research Design research New validated method published
Scientific publishing
You must publish in English
• • • • • • The international language of science Other scientists want to hear from you Become an effective science communicator Funding International reputation Career advancement Una guía para publicar sus resultados científicos
Scientific publishing
Increased competition
1400 1200 1000 800
%
600 400 200 Journal numbers Journal submissions • 0
Year
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 Relative growth from 100% baseline in 1990
Scientific publishing
Adopt a winning strategy
Footballer
Physical fitness
Preparation Scientist
Results Team members Manuscript se publiquen sus manuscritos Rules of the game
Understanding
Submission process Opposition
Win games Knowledge Tactics
Published literature
Publication record
Scientific publishing The submission process El proceso de presentación de manuscritos
Peer review
Results novel?
Topic relevant?
Manuscript + cover letter Editor
New experiments Improve readability Add information
Revision Accepted— publication!
Scientific publishing
Peer review
• • • Exists to ensure that your paper is as scientifically robust AND complete as possible before joining the ‘collective knowledge’ La revisión por pares mejora su manuscrito An opportunity to improve your contribution So discoveries get correct accrediting
Scientific publishing
Journal editors and reviewers ask themselves …
• • Is the manuscript novel?
Is the manuscript of interest to our readers?
Debe hacerse preguntas importantes sobre su manuscrito
Novelty Significance Target audience Impact
Scientific publishing
What do journal editors want?
Original and novel research
High quality research Increase impact
Interesting to journal’s readership Clear and concise English Topical research field
Los editores de publicaciones quieren investigaciones científicas de buena calidad
Scientific publishing
Publication ethics
• • • • • Multiple submissions Plagiarism – self-plagiarism Improper author contributions Data fabrication/falsification Conflicts of interest Si se comporta de forma poco ética, será descubierto
Before you start …
Things you need to consider
Antes de comenzar a escribir, debe considerar los siguientes factores...
• • • • • Reading Study design Journal selection
Edanz Journal Selector
–
Your target journal in minutes not days
Evaluate significance
Before you start …
Read
• • • • • Read broadly Know the background material Determine the key papers in your field What is the current state of understanding?
Identify gaps in the knowledge
Before you start …
The importance of reading
Leads to: • • • • • Most appropriate research questions Most appropriate methods being used Correct interpretation of results Most relevant studies cited Most suitable target journals
Before you start …
How to read an article
Debe emplear su tiempo de forma eficiente • • • • Start to finish?
Section by section?
Efficiency Where is the relevant information?
Existe una forma eficiente de leer artículos
Before you start …
Strategies for reading
Title and Abstract first Self-assess knowledge of topic Refer to Introduction and Methods if necessary
Before you start …
Study design
• • • •
Critical The aim(s) of your study
What methods are appropriate?
Do you have the relevant resources?
Identify your controls La buena planificación de su estudio lo ayudará a acelerar el proceso de publicación
Before you start …
Study design
• • Sample sizes (n) large enough?
Which statistical test(s)?
Pídale a un especialista en estadísticas sugerencias sobre cómo analizar sus resultados antes de llevar a cabo CUALQUIER experimento • Ethics approval
Before you start …
Journal Selection
¿Cómo se elige la publicación adecuada para enviar su manuscrito?
Before you start …
Factors to consider
¿Cuál es su objetivo de publicación?
• • • • Aims & scope Prestige Impact factor Target audience • • • • Open access Publishing frequency Cost Publication type ¿Qué factor es el más importante para usted?
Before you start …
Timing
• Choose your target journal: –
After
you have decided you have enough results for a publication –
After
a decision has been made on how high to aim—high, medium or low impact –
Before
writing the Title, Abstract, Introduction or Discussion sections No elija una publicación que le interese hasta DESPUÉS de tener un borrador completo de su manuscrito
Before you start …
Choosing a target journal
• Journal selection
must
evaluation of
your
be based on an honest manuscript Debe evaluar de forma honesta y realista la importancia de su manuscrito
Novelty Significance Target audience Impact
Before you start…
Edanz survey results
n = 333 published authors from China
Before you start…
A formidable task
Information for authors = >13,000 words
Before you start …
Edanz Journal Selector
edanzediting.com/journal_selector
Before you start …
Your target journal in minutes not days
Insert your proposed abstract
edanzediting.com/journal_selector
Before you start …
Refine your results
Recommended journals Advanced Matching
Before you start …
Get more information
Refined recommended journals
Before you start …
Make a decision
Semantic matching terms Journals IF, Aims & Scope, and Frequency Similar published articles
Before you start …
Journal Advisor– A free service from Edanz
Live Demonstration
Before you start …
Evaluating significance: importance
• • • • 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?
Before you start …
Evaluating significance: novelty
• How new are my results compared with those already published?
Los avances conceptuales incrementarán la
New findings
importancia de su manuscrito
Incremental advances Conceptual advances Low to medium impact Medium to high impact
Before you start …
Evaluating significance: relevance
• • • Are my findings of relevance only to a
specific geographical region
or
ethnic population
?
Are there implications for other regions and populations?
manuscrito será mayor specific findings if they are the
first of their kind
or of
international significance
.
Before you start …
Evaluating significance: appeal
• • Is my work in an area of ‘popular appeal’?
Examples:
– El trabajo que sea interesante para la OLEDs – Higgs boson – – Food irradiation – Medical devices – Green aviation – Stem cells – Global warming
Reasons for rejection: the science
Un manuscrito puede rechazarse si la investigación científica no es de buena calidad
Incomplete data Inappropriate methodology Weak research motive Poor analysis Inaccurate conclusions
Reasons for rejection: the manuscript
Un manuscrito puede rechazarse si no se presenta bien
Journal requirements not met Citations Rationale and aims not stated Poor grammar and style Inappropriate data presentation
Reasons for rejection: other
Inappropriate journal selected Unlucky timing
También hay otros motivos de rechazo
Manuscript structure
You need to tell a story
•
Beginning
Middle
End
Must
be easy to read
and
easy to understand Su manuscrito debe contar una historia sobre sus resultados
Manuscript structure ‘Tell them three times’ • • • Beginning –
Assertion
– ‘tell them what you are going to tell them,’ Middle –
Evidence
– ‘tell them,’ End –
Affirmation
– ‘tell them again what you told them’.
Debe proporcionarle al lector una aseveración, evidencia y una afirmación
Manuscript structure
IMRaD
Presentar su manuscrito en este orden es un flujo lógico de ideas • • • • •
I
ntroduction
M
ethods
R
esults
a
nd
D
iscussion
Assertion Evidence Affirmation
Manuscript structure
The ‘write’ order
• For maximum clarity and consistency:
Methods Results
During your research
Introduction Discussion
After selecting target journal
Title Abstract
Write last
Manuscript structure
Your title
World Class Physics Manuscript
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: main finding or
subject of investigation in a few words Avoid
jargon, abbreviations and acronyms
Manuscript structure
Abstract
El compendio es la sección más importante del artículo • Concise • • Describe problem(s) addressed (10%) El compendio debe tener sentido por sí mismo Objectives/hypotheses (20%) • Techniques;
avoid
details (10%) • Most
important
results (40%) • Concluding statement (20%)
Manuscript structure
Introduction
What problem was studied?
The answer to this question should be in your Introduction
Beginning
Middle
End
¿Qué problema se estudió?
Manuscript structure
Introduction
Beginning
• Sufficient background information – Puts your work into context
General
• •
Specific
Comprehensive literature review Cite publications Proporciónele al lector un resumen corto de los antecedentes
Manuscript structure
Introduction
Middle
• • • •
Rationale
– – The reason(s) for doing this work?
Why is it important?
Explain how you addressed the problem and any hypotheses
Do not
state results from your work General statement regarding methods Explíquele al lector la importancia de llevar a cabo este trabajo
Manuscript structure
Introduction
End
•
Clearly
and
explicitly
state specific aims of your study Declare los objetivos específicos de su estudio en el último párrafo
Manuscript structure
Methods
• • • • Subheadings Past tense New methods must be described in sufficient detail that they can be reproduced Established methods can be referenced ¿Cómo estudió el problema?
Manuscript structure
Results
• • • • • Use subheadings
Past tense
to describe your results
Present tense
when referring to figures and tables
Do not
explain results
Do not
duplicate data ¿Cuáles fueron sus resultados?
Manuscript structure
Display items
• • • • • • Present data
quickly
and
efficiently Most significant
result as a figure or table Keep it simple — use separate panels Label
all
parts of figures
Avoid
duplication with text Legends must be able to ‘stand alone’ Las tablas y los gráficos son formas muy efectivas de comunicarse
Manuscript structure
Discussion
What do these findings mean?
The answer to this question should be in your Discussion
Beginning
Middle
End
¿Cuál es el significado de sus resultados?
Manuscript structure
Discussion
Beginning
• • • •
Avoid
just restating results Answer the research question(s) posed
Emphasize
the major finding(s) first What is your major conclusion, based on the results you have presented?
No se limite a repetir la sección de resultados
Manuscript structure
Discussion
Middle
• • • Interpret your results – Compare with other studies • Same or different?
Unexpected results Briefly describe limitations – How could experiments be improved?
Si usted no presenta las limitaciones de sus experimentos, lo harán los revisores
Manuscript structure
Discussion
End
• Restate major conclusion(s) – In summary …
or
In conclusion … • Possible 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 Cuando sugiera trabajos en el futuro, indique por qué son necesarios
Manuscript structure
A good reference list
• Provides relevant information for the readers • Self-citations • Old references • 75% of references from last 5 years Mantenga actualizada su lista de referencias. Lea con frecuencia.
Staffing Plan
Consider your reader
• • • • Clear communication Language Cover letters Responding to reviewers Debe hacer que al lector le resulte fácil comprender los resultados
Staffing Plan
Reader expectations
• • • Information is easier to understand when placed where most readers expect to find it Good writers are aware of these expectations Readability Los lectores esperan que la información aparezca en lugares específicos
Staffing Plan
1. Verb placement
• Readers expect verbs to closely follow subjects
Sentence
Verb Verb
.
Intente acercar el sujeto y el verbo
Staffing Plan
Avoid reader confusion
• Readers become confused if subject and verb are separated by too much content
The smallest
gene, of the URF's (URFA6L), a 207-nucleotide (nt) reading frame overlapping out of phase the [NH portion of the adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) subunit 6
has been identified
recently discovered yeast H-ATPase subunit 8 gene.
2 ]-terminal as the animal equivalent of the Cuando el sujeto y el verbo están muy separados, el lector se confunde
Staffing Plan
Avoid reader confusion
The smallest
of the URF's is URFA6L, a 207-nucleotide (nt) reading frame overlapping out of phase the [NH 2 ]-terminal portion of the adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) subunit 6 gene,
identified has been
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 [NH 2 ]-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 …
Staffing Plan
Which voice?
• Active or passive?
– Blood samples were collected from 256 patients.
–
We collected blood from 256 patients.
¿Voz activa o voz pasiva?
Staffing Plan
2. Active voice
Subject Verb
Active
• Sentences written in the active voice are:
simple direct clear easy to read
Escribir en voz activa hace que su trabajo sea fácil de comprender
Staffing Plan
3. Stress position
• Readers focus on information at
the end of a sentence
.
Coloque la información importante al final de la oración Subject Verb take-home information
.
Staffing Plan
Stress position
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
.
Los lectores recuerdan la información al final de la oración
Staffing Plan
4. Topic position
• Readers expect a sentence/phrase to be a story about whoever shows up first Topic position Subject Verb Stress position
.
Staffing Plan
Topic position
sentence idea idea idea idea Topic link • Linkage and context La posición del tema remite a la información anterior
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.
Staffing Plan
Topic sentences
• • • • • Indicates the main idea of a paragraph Provides writer with a focus First sentence of a paragraph Then discuss/explain the topic Summarize with a concluding sentence
Beginning
Middle
End
Staffing Plan
Readability
“only 4% of readers understand a 27-word sentence the first time” • Your reader should Mantenga cortas las oraciones y solamente – analice una idea por oración – Understand your logic immediately Las oraciones largas confunden a los lectores
Staffing Plan
Simple is best
• • • • • Simple language
is
best Makes
your
science more relevant Minimizes confusion – maximizes understanding Science is complex Use simple language to help more people understand your work Las palabras simples son más fáciles de comprender
Staffing Plan
Simple words
Avoid
Additional Adequate Apparent Attempt Demonstrate Endeavor Exceedingly
Preferred
More Enough Clear Try Show Try Very
Staffing Plan
Comparisons
• • • 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.
Staffing Plan
Avoid ambiguity
• • 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.
Reactions with the new thermal cycler were faster than those with the old cycler.
Staffing Plan
Why are cover letters important?
Siempre escriba una carta de presentación • • • • Introduces manuscript to editor Acts as a guide for editor ‘Sells’ your work Speeds up publication process Los editores de publicaciones toman decisiones importantes en base a la calidad de su carta de presentación
Staffing Plan
An effective cover letter
Dear Dr Graeber, 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 Neurogenetics.
Editor and journal names MS title & type
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…
Give the background to the research
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.
What was done and what was found
We believe our findings would appeal to a broad audience, such as the readership of Neurogenetics. As a wide-reaching journal publishing original research on all aspects of neuroscience…
Interest to journal’s readers
Please address all correspondence to….
Staffing Plan
Peer review improves your manuscript
Rejection Major revision Acceptance Minor revision
• • • Few papers are accepted without revision Rejection and revision are integral Peer review should be a positive process
Staffing Plan
How to revise your manuscript
• • Politely respond to
all
response letter comments in a Make it easy to see the changes – Refer to line and page numbers –
Different color font
– Highlight the text Recuerde que los revisores ofrecen su tiempo de forma voluntaria, así que sea cortés
Staffing Plan
Revision
• • Conduct additional experiments and analyses as suggested – If this is impossible, you
must
explain why You can disagree with reviewers,
but
provide evidence (cite references) No ignore los comentarios con los que no esté de acuerdo
Staffing Plan
Free online resources
Use las herramientas gratuitas a su disposición • Springer Exemplar • springerexemplar.com/ Google Scholar • scholar.google.com/ Purdue Online Writing Lab owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Staffing Plan
Free online resources
Academia de autores del Springer Journal
Staffing Plan
Help your readers understand
“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 Escribir de forma sencilla lo ayudará a que más personas comprendan sus resultados
Thank you
Good luck!
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