20 Steps to a Research Article

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20 Steps to a Research Article
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• Survival Skills and Ethics Program

• Beth Fischer
• Michael Zigmond

www.pitt.edu/survival
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Acknowledgments

• The 20 steps represent a slightly modified
  version of the method proposed by the Council of
  Biology Editors in Scientific Writing for
  Graduate Students A Manual on the Teaching of
  Scientific Writing. New York Rockefeller
  University Press, 1968.

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How to Write and Publish an Article in 20 Easy
Steps

• 11. Write first draft
• 12. Revise manuscript
• 13. Check references
• 14. Title, abstract
• 15. Preparing figures
• 16. Read instructions
• 17. Get feedback
• 18. Submit manuscript
• 19. Deal w/ review
• 20. Check proofs

• 1. Choose authors
• 2. Publish?
• 3. Write title
• 4. write synopsis
• 5. Authors ok?
• 6. Determine form
• 7. Pick journal
• 8. Stock sections
• 9. Tables, figures
• 10. Outline paper

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Step 1

• Determine the authors

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Step 2

• Decide it is time to publish

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Start writing

• before all data collected
• before equipment dismantled
• before you have moved on

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Step 3

• Create a working title

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Step 4

• Draft an abstract

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Step 4

• Write short abstract
• 1. questions
• 2. hypothesis
• 3. observations
• 4. relation to past
• 5. conclusions

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Step 5

• Reevaluate the list of authors

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Step 6

• Determine the basic form of article

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Types of scientific papers

• 1. research articles
• full articles
• rapid communications
• short communications

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Types of scientific papers

• 1. research articles
• full articles
• rapid communications
• short communications
• 2. non-research articles
• review articles
• book chapters
• letter to editors

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Step 7

• Select the journal

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Step 7 Selecting the journal

• 1. focus
• 2. availability
• 3. reputation
• 4. format
• 5. appearance
• - text
• - illustrations

• 6. time to print
• 7. charges
• - page charges
• - color charges

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Instructions to Authors

• length of abstracts and article

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Instructions to Authors

• length of abstracts and article
• citations in text
• Other researcher have found that x increases
  y.37
• Other researcher have found that x increases y
  (Adams et al, 1993).

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Instructions to Authors

• length of abstracts and article
• citations in text
• style of references

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Instructions to Authors

• length of abstracts and article
• citations in text
• style of references
• abbreviations permitted

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Step 8

• Stock the section reservoirs

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Step 9

• Construct tables, figures, legends

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Step 9

• Construct tables and figures
• 1. tables and figures should stand on own

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Step 9

• Construct tables and figures
• 1. tables and figures should stand on own
• 2. should be sure of results before writing

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Step 10

• Outline the paper

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Step 10

• The outline - A road map
• 1. what are the issues?
• 2. what will you say about them?
• 3. in what order?

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Step 11

• Write a first draft

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Focus on getting your ideas onto paper

• dont worry about grammar, aesthetics

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Focus on getting your ideas onto paper

• dont worry about grammar, aesthetics
• brainstorm

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Focus on getting your ideas onto paper

• dont worry about grammar, aesthetics
• brainstorm
• cite references in text (REF)

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• Write freely and as rapidly as
  possible and throw the
  whole thing down on paper. Never correct
  or rewrite until the whole thing
  is down. Rewrite in process is usually
  found to be an excuse for not going on.
• John Steinbeck

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• If you try to write and edit
• at the same time,
• you will do neither well.
• Charles H. Sides

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Writers block

• I dont know where to begin
• I dont know what to say
• Im not a good writer

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I dont know where to begin

• use your outline

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I dont know where to begin

• use your outline
• write the easiest section first

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I dont know what to say

• find out more about the subject

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Im not a good writer

• no ones first draft is readable

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Im not a good writer

• no ones first draft is readable
• editing is much easier than writing

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Im not a good writer

• no ones first draft is readable
• editing is much easier than writing
• just do it!

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Step 12

• Revise the manuscript

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Step 12

• A. make major alterations

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Step 12

• A. make major alterations
• B. polish the style

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Step 13

• Check the references

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Step 14

• Write the final title and abstract

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Step 15

• Review the instructions to authors

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Step 16

• Prepare the final illustrations

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Step 16
TOP ? B.A. Fischer and M.J. Zigmond Writing
Research Articles figure 2 of 4
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Step 17

• Get feedback on the manuscript

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Step 18

• Submit the manuscript to the editor

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Submit the manuscript

• the text
• hard copy
• diskette

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Submit the manuscript

• the text
• hard copy
• diskette
• tables and figures

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Submit the manuscript

• the text
• hard copy
• diskette
• tables and figures
• cover letter

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Cover letter

• summary

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Cover letter

• summary
• value to journal

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Cover letter

• summary
• value to journal
• adherence to codes of ethics

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Cover letter

• summary
• value to journal
• adherence to codes of ethics
• not being considered elsewhere

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Cover letter

• summary
• value to journal
• adherence to codes of ethics
• not being considered elsewhere
• reviewers
• to use
• to avoid

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Selecting a typefaceserif versus sans serif

• ABCEDFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
• abcedfghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
• Times Roman
• ABCEDFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
• abcedfghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
• Helvetica

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Use of headings

• provides information and visual clues
• reveal structure of text
• makes it easier to follow flow of ideas or locate
  information

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The review process

• editor receives, surveys manuscript

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The review process

• editor receives, surveys manuscript
• manuscript sent to reviewers for evaluation

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The review process

• editor receives, surveys manuscript
• manuscript sent to reviewers for evaluation
• reviewers provide editor with critique

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The review process

• editor receives, surveys manuscript
• manuscript sent to reviewers for evaluation
• reviewers provide editor with critique
• editor makes decision

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Criteria for evaluation

• relevance

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Criteria for evaluation

• relevance
• significance

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Criteria for evaluation

• relevance
• significance
• content

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Criteria for evaluation

• relevance
• significance
• content
• writing

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Step 19

• Deal with the reviewers comments

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The reply

• accept as is

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The reply

• accept as is
• revise
• reject

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Your options

• revise incorporate editors and reviewers
  suggestions

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Your options

• revise incorporate editors and reviewers
  suggestions
• submit manuscript to another journal

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Your options

• revise incorporate editors and reviewers
  suggestions
• submit manuscript to another journal
• appeal the decision

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Cover letterfor a revised manuscript

• specify that this is a revision

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Cover letterfor a revised manuscript

• specify that this is a revision
• address each of the concerns raised by reviewers
  and point out changes

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Step 20

• Check page proofs, order offprints

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Step 20 Check page proofs

• 1. verify text and figures

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Step 20 Check page proofs

• 1. verify text and figures
• 2. order reprints

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Page proofs

• sent to corresponding author
• must be returned within a few days

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Page proofs

• DO
• answer all queries
• check for clarity and typos
• order offprints

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Page proofs

• DONT
• make major revisions
• insert new material

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Celebrate!