Journal Publication | Scopus Indexed Journal

 

The publication of your research work represents the culmination of your scientific activities. The key to gaining acceptance for manuscripts is to make them understandable and informative so that your colleagues can read and benefit from them. The possibility of your manuscript getting accepted by a high-profile journal (be it a SCOPUS Indexed Journal or otherwise) is considerably higher if the manuscript is written in proper and cogent scientific English. Despite the fact that scientific quality is the most important point of consideration, precise and succinct writing usually makes the difference between a manuscript getting accepted and it being rejected. As with any skill, effective writing of high-quality manuscripts comes with experience and preparation. It is not often that a manuscript gets accepted without being subject to review. Thoughtful and respectful responses to comments from reviewers of the journal are essential. Success in scientific writing, like in surgery, depends on effort, repetition, and commitment. Knowledge transfer via a well-written scientific article in a high-profile medical journal with a high-impact factor will have a positive influence not just in your own organization and nation but also globally.

The Journal Publication of a scientific manuscript is the ultimate and arguably one of the most important components of research. Through the publication of a scientific manuscript, your knowledge and experience become a citable science in the form of new information transmitted to doctors and scientists for present and future generations.

Manuscript writing can be a rewarding and satisfying creative process, and manuscript publication confers substantial benefits to academic surgeons. Publishing in high-quality journals lends credibility to your research (due to the nature of rigorous peer-reviewing processes followed by high profile journals where limited publication space is available) and is highly regarded evidence of scholarship by promotion and tenure committees. A solid record of publications exerts a significant influence on the awarding of grants. For students and early-career professionals, manuscript writing can be a valuable learning experience. As stated already, effective writing of high-quality manuscripts comes with experience and practice.

The Objectives Of Research Publication

High-quality journal publications are important for communicating your research findings and relaying your findings as well as new information you have gained through your research efforts based on a new question or hypothesis. Publishing your results is most useful when your colleagues can -

find your article in the medical literature (your title and keywords are essential),

understand your article (the body of the paper) 

believe in the results (by clearly comprehending the 'Results and Discussion' sections),

recognize the ramification of the findings and the unique contributions of your research (the hypothesis and the results are both impactful and original), integrate your data into their own body of knowledge, and cite your article in their own publications (the ultimate measure of the impact of your publication in the scientific literature).

Before you start writing your manuscript, think about how you are going to write it to achieve these results.

 

●     Maintaining Originality Is Imperative

The lack of originality (in anything creative endeavor, not just scientific research publication) is a cardinal sin. Using someone else's words or thoughts without adequately crediting that person is plagiarism. Lack of originality can include the plagiarism of words, ideas, or one's own previously published work. The practice of plagiarising can have serious consequences, including -

○     retraction of articles,

○     suspension or dismissal of authors, and

○     other legal actions.

In fact, up to twenty-nine percent of all retracted articles have been accused of some form of plagiarism. The scientific community cannot reach its full potential until plagiarism is reduced.

○     Data Theft More Egregious Than Word Theft

A distinction has been made between word theft and data theft. Word theft is clearly plagiarism, but data theft is a more serious crime that has been called data fabrication. Word theft can happen inadvertently, while data theft is usually a more calculated act of plagiarism. The primary objective of researchers should be to defend the authenticity of data, while the originality of words is a concern of writers and editors, which many scientists do not aspire to be. Although this view is controversial, word plagiarism could be viewed as a mistake, while data plagiarism should be viewed as out-and-out fraud.

○     Giving Credit Where It Is Due

Plagiarism, in essence, involves writers falsely claiming something is theirs when it is not for them to claim. Failure to give credit when credit is due amounts to theft from the owner of that equipment. While this sort of thievery may not amount to a material loss for the owner seeings as there is no exchange of money usually involved in academic circles, it is certainly a material gain for the person who appropriates such material, making the plagiarist appear more creative or more diligent or more intelligent than is justified.

○     A Challenge For Non-Native English Speakers

Plagiarism can be difficult to avoid, especially when researchers are writing in English for the first time. Researchers often face challenges with expressing their ideas. A lot of authors think it is a form of flattery to use a mentor's words or that there is no harm in borrowing phrases that can better describe the results than more original words. Yet, the attitude of science is that recycling words without attribution is a crime. Interestingly, when plagiarism detection software was used to assess all submissions to a single journal, eleven percent of manuscripts were found to have some degree of plagiarism, the average extent of theft in manuscripts plagiarism amounting to about twenty-five percent of the text. In general, the extent of plagiarism was greatest in the Materials and Methods section, confirming that plagiarism is most likely in the description of experimental methods.

○     Self Plagiarism - Also A Serious Issue

Self-plagiarism, the act of borrowing heavily from one's own published work, is strongly discouraged. Some people reject this practice saying that it is impossible to steal anything from yourself and that self-plagiarism is no worse than laziness. But the net result of repeated auto-plagiarism is that a researcher's productivity is artificially high. Thus, a certain degree of deception is involved in self-plagiarism. Because professional advancement and scientific reputation depend on the productivity of research, self-plagiarism is a form of theft from the scientific establishment. In practice, some journals use a guideline that up to thirty percent of the words in an article can be recycled by an author from a previous article, but no data of any kind can be recycled.

●     Innovativity Is Paramount

Harping on the same old problems with the same tools will often yield the same results. It can help to approach an old problem in a new way. For instance, personalized medicine has brought about a paradigm shift in the field of healthcare. The notion that every patient should be treated in a way that is individually tailored to their specific genes and conditions has generated a lot of enthusiasm. Nevertheless, it was only recently that the concept of ​​personalized medicine began taking ground in the medical field.

●     Clarity & Conciseness Are Essential

Ideas in science are so intricate that the words used to describe these ideas should be simplistic and straightforward. Verbal excess and flowery language should be avoided; the prose should be clear and direct. Acronyms never add clarity, although they can sometimes help save words; however, when it comes to scientific research articles, acronyms often do more harm.

○     Striving For Simplicity Doesn't Entail Settling For Mediocrity

Clarity is particularly valuable in the 'Results' section, which is the core of a research article. Writers should guide readers through the results with clear, straightforward sentences. The writing should convey professional skill and authority, and this is often accomplished by writing in the first person and using the active voice. The active voice emphasizes the agent of an action, while the passive voice stresses the result.

○     Less Is Always More As Far As Scientific Research Publication Is Concerned

The "less is more" approach should always be borne in mind while writing a manuscript. Clarity can only be achieved through direct thought, which is associated with direct writing. Precision of thought is important, and conciseness of words is a useful marker. It is easier to confuse with a lot of words than with a few. If the conciseness reveals a lack of ideas, then do not write more; think more.

●     Persistence Pays

Although your work might not be valued as worthy enough of being published the first time you send it to a journal of your choice, this is very much to be expected. Most journals (especially the high-profile ones) will not accept an article on the first submission, even from a distinguished author. Therefore, an early-career, amateur researcher should by no means allow rejection to discourage them.

○     No Paper (Even If Published) Is Perfect - Imperfections Are Normal

Your article may require some rewriting. After all, one has to remember every research paper (even if it is published) can use improvement in some way or another - meaning no article is perfect. However, it may also be the case that the journal (you applied to) was not the best match for your article. The most appropriate course of action to take in such a scenario is to put your manuscript review away and leave it untouched there until the sting of reprimand wears off. Then, being as unbiased as possible, go through your manuscript with the comments in hand and see which of those comments are useful.

○     Carefully Consider The Arguments Of The Reviewers

If the referees allow you to see something that you had not seen before, or if the referees made a mistake that you can convincingly counter, then it may be possible to resubmit your manuscript for review. If you cannot respond to all comments by editing your manuscript or refuting the review, it may be time to choose another journal to submit. Often, a clue as to which journal is best suited for your article is to look at the cited references. There may be some similarities between what the journal (that you applied to) has published in the past and what it is likely to publish in the future.

○     Keep In Mind - Rejection Is Not The End

Many articles go through an odyssey of submission and rejection before finally being published, and some articles are eventually published in a more prestigious journal than the original submission journal. Writing and submitting articles requires a thick skin and a resilient nature.

The scientific publishing process is complex and time-consuming, and following the tips above can help you navigate it and reach your publishing goal faster. However, the most word of advice to bear in mind is to keep a positive attitude, even if the first manuscript submission is unsuccessful. Editor and reviewer comments can provide helpful feedback to improve your manuscript. By following a well-thought-out approach, you will be able to identify the most appropriate journal (preferably one of the more widely recognized, International SCOPUS Indexed Journals) for your manuscript and present a high quality and engaging article.