Content originally published on data180.com. Learn more about Interfolio’s acquisition of Data180 here.
If you have ever considered writing for an academic journal, then you are aware of how competitive it is to get published. With editors having varied expectations to the structure of your paper, to determining the best way for responding to reviewer feedback, the challenges can be many.
Recently, The Guardian invited journal editors from various backgrounds to submit their top tips for getting published in an academic journal. Following are some of the tips that journal editors submitted:
- Think about the logic. Consider the logic of your journal article before you start writing. Focus on a story that progresses intelligently, rather than chronologically. Deborah Sweet, editor of Cell Stem Cell and publishing director at Cell Press
- Avoid writing and editing at the same time. Begin your journal article by listing all of the headings and sub-headings, then begin writing and filling the sections in. The editing should wait until after you have finished writing. Roger Watson, editor-in-chief, Journal of Advanced Nursing
- Select the right journal for your paper. Review the journal you would like to submit your paper to, and make sure it is appropriate for what you are writing, such as similar topics. Ian Russell, editorial director for science at Oxford University Press
- Follow the correct procedures for submitting your paper. Read the submission instructions for authors before submitting your journal article. This will help save time for the author and the editors during the process. Tangali Sudarshan, editor, Surface Engineering
- Don’t give up. If you receive a letter from the journal editors asking you to make revisions and resubmit your journal article, take the time to do so. Some authors choose not to follow through with the process, but considering you have already put time and effort into writing the journal article, it is not worth giving up on now. Fiona Macaulay, editorial board, Journal of Latin American Studies
For more tips from editors on getting published in academic journals, see the full article: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/03/how-to-get-published-in-an-academic-journal-top-tips-from-editors
Content originally published on data180.com. Learn more about Interfolio’s acquisition of Data180 here.