How to Write and Publish a Research Paper for a Peer-Reviewed Journal
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How to Write and Publish a Research Paper for a Peer-Reviewed Journal Clara Busse 1
&
Ella August 1
# The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Communicating research findings is an essential step in the research process. Often, peer-reviewed journals are the forum for such communication, yet many researchers are never taught how to write a publishable scientific paper. In this article, we explain the basic structure of a scientific paper and describe the information that should be included in each section. We also identify common pitfalls for each section and recommend strategies to avoid them. Further, we give advice about target journal selection and authorship. In the appendix, we provide an example of a high-quality scientific paper, with annotations identifying the elements we describe in this article. Keywords Manuscripts . Publishing . Scientific writing
Introduction Writing a scientific paper is an important component of the research process, yet researchers often receive little formal training in scientific writing. This is especially true in lowresource settings. In this article, we explain why choosing a target journal is important, give advice about authorship, provide a basic structure for writing each section of a scientific paper, and describe common pitfalls and recommendations for each section. In the appendix, we also include an annotated journal article that identifies the key elements and writing approaches that we detail here. Before you begin your research, make sure you have ethical clearance from all relevant ethical review boards.
Select a Target Journal Early in the Writing Process We recommend that you select a “target journal” early in the writing process; a “target journal” is the journal to which you * Ella August [email protected] 1
Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, 135 Dauer Dr, 27599 Chapel Hill, NC, USA
2
Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA
plan to submit your paper. Each journal has a set of core readers and you should tailor your writing to this readership. For example, if you plan to submit a manuscript about vaping during pregnancy to a pregnancy-focused journal, you will need to explain what vaping is because readers of this journal may not have a background in this topic. However, if you were to submit that same article to a tobacco journal, you would not need to provide as much background information about vaping. Information about a journal’s core readership can be found on its website, usually in a section called “About this journal” or something similar. For example, the Journal of Cancer Education presents such information on the “Aims and Scope” page of its website, which can be found here: https:// www.springer.com/journal/13187/aims-and-scope. Peer reviewer guidelines from your target journal are an additional resource that can help you tailor your writing to the journal and provide additional advice a
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