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Your title and abstract are key to attracting the right reviewers
Your title and abstract are key to attracting the right reviewers Potential referees are typically only given the title and abstract when sent an invitation to peer review an article. It is only upon acceptance of the invitation that they will be given the full paper and supporting materials. It […]
My paper was rejected. What are my options?
My paper was rejected. What are my options? Almost every scholar has had a paper rejected. Journal acceptance rates are typically low, ranging from 5% for higher impact journals (e.g., The Lancet) to 69% for “pay-to-publish” open access journals (e.g., PLoS ONE), whose criteria exclude the perceived importance of the paper. However, […]
How long should you wait before sending an enquiry to the editor?
How long should you wait before sending an enquiry to the editor? In short, 3 months. From reviewing academic forums (see here, here, and here), the general consensus among researchers appears to be 3 months (but see here and here). It is not clear where this figure came from. It may be related to the typical […]
article rejected without being peer-reviewed
Why was my article rejected without being peer-reviewed? You have worked so hard on your research, and then even harder to write your article. You spent a long time selecting the right journal for your article. Finally, you submit your article, and anxiously await the result of the peer review. […]
Website of Journal Publisher
Website of Journal Publisher Many authors go straight to the Journal website when submitting a paper. But have you looked at the website of the Journal Publisher? Many Publishers have a wealth of information on their websites, and are constantly improving the service they provide to authors, including guidelines and tutorials on […]
Submitting your article: find the right journal
Submitting your article: find the right journal Finding the right journal to submit your article to can be a problem; there are so many journals to choose from! However, the publishers Elsevier and Springer have introduced a feature where you can paste your article title and abstract into a search […]
Impact Factor
Impact Factor Understanding journal impact factors What they are An impact factor is a metric for ranking scientific journals [1]. Impact factors are calculated for every two-year period by dividing the number of times articles were cited by the number of articles that are citable [2]. The following is a list of […]
Don’t fall prey to “predatory” journals
Don’t fall prey to “predatory” journals What are predatory journals? Predatory journals are profiteering “individuals or companies”, who use the open-access publishing system to exploit authors, by charging them article processing fees without providing the high quality editorial services associated with legitimate journals [1]. How prevalent are they? Predatory journals are […]
How to choose a journal
How to choose a journal With an estimated 30,000 active scientific journals, each with their own specific requirements, it can be difficult to know where to send your article. Here, we present a short video blog with some tips on choosing the right journal. In summary: 1. Look at your […]
How to write a good cover letter
How to write a good cover letter Is writing a cover letter important? The cover letter is the first thing that the Editor will read, and everybody knows how important it is to make a good first impression. In English, it is said “First impressions last” (i.e., first impressions last […]