publishing process requires not only hard work,, but also resilience
IN THE BEGINNING
for many publishing veterans, the writing process starts at the earliest stage of designing a research projects.
Before starting to write the paper, authors should carefully choose a journal audience for their research story-- an initially aim for the highest-impact , highest - profile journal possible.
" The submission process is fast enough today; it's worth the effort of sending your paper to the highest journals where it belongs"
Authors should try to resist the urge to let their findings trickle out over many years and many papers.!!!!!!!!!!
Even scientist at the postgraduate level should try to get one or two higher-profile papers rather than several lower-profile pieces.
Because every stage of advancement places more emphasis on quality than on quantity.
When should the writing begin?
Many Researchers say that it it NEVER TOO EARLY TO START--- students should be writing a little bit every day.
Keeping a folder of pertinent literatures and beginning with a simple outline of relevant points gleaned from that literature can provide the essential elements of a paper's introduction.
Likewise, taking time during field or bench work to write short chunks of the materials and methods used can help to document these activities while they are fresh.
PUTTING FINGERS ON KEYBOARD
Aspiring writers should have a template to hand -- a previous paper published by the lab or the template the same journal.
Somebody advises paralysed would be writers to take the template concepts one step further, and count the number of paragraphs in each section, the number of figures and the number of references.
" Then you will get a sense of the length you are shooting for."
Counting paragraphs can also break down a daunting section , such as introduction, into more manageable portions.
When a writing task seems insurmountable, we can get over writer's block by making a list of all the parts that need doing, and tacking the easy items first, such as calling a collaborator or checking a reference.
Find a mentor in writing process, somebody to guide and coach you.
Younger writers need to recognize their own working patters and write when they are most productive---whether it is early morning , late at night, at a desk or during a walk.
Even when writing a manuscript, ---- be clear and concise and use simple language.
Most writers make the mistake of assuming too much knowledge on the part of their audience.
Editors say that one way to identify holes or gaps in logic that would be vulnerable in peer review is to imagine a sceptical audience reading the manuscript.
"Thinking of the most adversarial reader you can imagine, and write to substantiate the veracity of your arguments and to anticipate criticism, and answer them"
Likewise, the introduction should persuade readers " that you know what you are talking about and have something new to talk about.
The introduction need not cite every background article gathered, the results section should not archive every piece of data ever collected, and the discussion is not a treatise on the paper's subject.
The writers must be selective, choosing the only the reference3s, data points and arguments that bolster the particular question at hand.
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
Once the first draft is complete, the work has only just begun. "Revise, revise, and revise".
In reality, editing is crucial. Even polished authors go through an average of 10 - 12 drafts, and sometimes as many as 30.
Writers should ask not only the principal investigator to view drafts, but also every co-author, as well as fellow students or postdocs, and colleagues outside the immediate field of research.
Lead authors should give co-authors set deadlines of 10 days to two weeks to suggest changes.
Experienced authors counsel letting the draft sit for a few days before reading it with fresh eyes to catch mistakes or problems in flow.
Or we can read draft aloud with our students to spot errors.
When the paper is ready to submit, says Tiger, the author should devise a cover letter that includes a beief synopsis of the article's argument, and suggestions for a few potential reviewers, as well as those who should be excluded.
"As an author, your job is to make the editor's job as easy as possible"
When the reviewer's comments come back, even you feel overwhelmed, SIT for a week, to let our " blood pressure return to normal."
Somebody, advises copying all of the reviewers' comments into a new electronic document to address each one step-by-step.
Authors should work through the list and explain how critisisms were address, or why they were no.
In the resubmission cover letter to the editor, a clear ,succinct resubmission letter may result in an editor making their own decision rather than sending the paper back out for another round of review.
"If you result is not published, you haven't done anything."
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