Research to publication. A Journy

1. 1
Dr. Wasiq Ali
Assistant Professor
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
COMSATS University Islamabad Pakistan
RESEARCH TO PUBLICATION:
A JOURNEY

2. Lecture Outline
• Introduction
• Student and Supervisor Relationship
• Publication
Why to Publish
How to Publish
Publication ethics
• Conclusion

3. • “Research is an Endeavour to
discover, develop and verify
knowledge –Rumnell
• Scientific research is a
systematic and objective
effort to offer solutions
to problems
-Wernher von Braun-
l

4. The world is changing
• Population growth
• Resource consumption
• Climate change
• Pollution
• Rapid decline of biodiversity
• Habitat loss and fragmentation
• Invasive pests
• New Diseases
• Drug Resistance

5. What should a student consider before He/She start?

6. Do I want to spend
thenext 3-4 years
of my lifeon this
research??
Am I motivated enough to
last such a long research?
M y family and friends.
Do I havetheir
support??
Howabout thefinancial
support??
Are you ready to join the research ?

7. “Great works are performed not by
strength, but by Perservance”

8. What are the stresses on student ?
• Deadlines
• Poor direction
• Finding something
novel
• Trying to
understand the
problem
• Feeling not
getting anywhere
• Alone in the dark
• Insecurity
• Fear of failure
• Too many
directions at once
• Supervisors
• Guidelines keep
changing
• Want the
experience to be
positive
• Being
unappreciated
Here comes the role of Supervisor to be the friend and mentor to detentionize the stress
among students

9. Supervisor Classification
• Professor N everThere
• Dr SlaveLabour N o Research
• Dr N o N ewIdeasSince1995
• Professor Changes Direction
• Dr Lone Worker
• Dr Over bearing Interferer
• DrTest till you Break
• Dr N ever Satisfied
• Dr Happy to beMediocre
• Prof Different planet
• Prof Perfect Supervisor
Supervisorsarehumans too… .

10. What are your personal reasons for publishing?
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11. Trends in publishing
•Rapid conversion from “print” to “electronic”
1997: print only
2009: 55% e-only (mostly e-collections) 25% print only 20% print-
plus-electronic
2012: 95-98% electronic access (dependent on subject area)
•Changing role of “journals” due to e-access
•Increased usage of articles
at lower cost per article
•Electronic submission
Increased manuscript inflow
•Experimentation with new publishing models
E.g. “author pays” models, “delayed open access”, etc.

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13. What to publish ?
What to publish:
•New and original results or methods that advance the knowledge and understanding in
a certain scientific field
•Reviews or summaries of particular subject or field
Do NOT consider to publish:
•Results with lack of scientific interest
•Outdated work
•Duplication of work already published
•Incorrect data or conclusions not supported by data
You need a STRONG manuscript to present your contributions to the
scie
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ntific community

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Choose the right journal
Do not just “descend the stairs”
Top journals
Nature, Science, Lancet, NEJM, ......
Field-specific top journals
Other field-specific journals
National journals

17. The process of writing – building the article
Title & Abstract
Conclusion Introduction
Methods Results Discussion
Figures/tables (your data)

18. General Structure of a Research Article
Title
Abstract
Keywords
Main text (IMRAD)
Introduction
Methods
Conclusion
Acknowledgement
References
Supplementary Data
Make them easy for indexing and
searching! (informative, attractive,
effective)
Journal space is not unlimited,
more importantly, your reader’s
time is scarce.
Make your article as concise as
possible.
Results and
Discussions

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20. Authorship
Policies regarding authorship can vary
One example: the International Committee of Medical Journal
Editors (“Vancouver Group”) declared that an author must:
1.substantially contribute to conception and design, or acquisition of
data, or analysis and interpretation of data;
2.draft the article or revise it critically for important intellectual
content; and
3. give their approval of the final full version to be published.
ALL three conditions must be fulfilled to be an author!
All others would qualify as “Acknowledged Individuals”
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21. Authorship
62
 All authors need to approve the final version and agree to its submission for publication
 All co-authors sign on to take responsibility and credit for the entire manuscript
 Changes to authorship after submission are strongly discouraged
Corresponding Author Co-authors Acknowledgment
• Often a senior author
• The contact person for the
publisher, and future
readers
• Ensures that all appropriate
co- authors and no
inappropriate co- authors
are included on the paper
• Ensures that all co-
authors have agreed to
the manuscript and its
publication
All those that have
made a
significant
contribution to the
conception, design,
execution ,or
interpretation of the
reported study
)International
Committee of
Medical Journal Editors
–
)EJMCI
Others who have
participated in
certain
substantive
aspects of the
research project.
Include individuals who have assisted you in
your study:
Advisors
Financial supporters
Proofreaders
Typists
Suppliers who may have given materials
Abuses to be avoided
• Ghost Authorship: leaving out authors who should be included
• Gift Authorship: including authors who did not contribute significantly

22. Typical length of a full article
• Not the same for all journals, even in the same field
• “…25- 30 pages is the ideal length for a submitted manuscript, including ESSENTIAL data only.”
• Title page
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results & Discussion
• Conclusions
• Figures
• Tables
• References
1 paragraph
1.5-2 manuscript pages (double-spaced, 12pt)
2-4 manuscript pages
10-12 manuscript pages
1-2 manuscript pages
6-8
1-3
20-50
Letters or short communications usually have a stricter size limitation, e.g. 3,000 words and no more
than 5 figures/tables.
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23. Publishers
Choose the Good ones
• Science direct, Springer, wily, Cambridge, Taylor &Francis
• Avoid the black listed/Lesser know journals
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The Peer Review Process – not a black hole!
First Decision: “Accepted” or “Rejected”
Accepted
•Very rare, but it happens
•Congratulations!
•Cake for the department
•Now wait for page proofs and
then for your article to be online
and in print
Rejected
•Probability 40-90% ...
•Do not despair
It happens to everybody
• Try to understand WHY
Consider reviewers’ advice
Be self-critical
•If you submit to another journal, begin
as if it were a new manuscript
•Take advantage of the reviewers’
comments
•They may review your manuscript for
the other journal too!
•Read the Guide for Authors of the new
journal, again and again.

25. Ethics Issues in Publishing
• Scientific misconduct
 Falsification of results
 Data fabrication
• Publication misconduct
 (Self-)Plagiarism
 Different forms/ severities
 The paper must be original to the authors
 Inappropriate identification of co-authors
 Duplicate submission
 Duplicate publication
 Inappropriate acknowledgement of prior research and researchers
 Conflict of interest
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Avoid plagiarism
• What is Plagiarism ? (play-juh-rih-zem)
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful
appropriation,“ "close imitation," or "purloining and
publication" of another author’s "language, thoughts, ideas, or
expressions," and the representation of them as one's own
original work.
• No Cut and paste
• Software like viper, Turnetin, IThenticate etc
• Problems associated

27. Plagiarism Detection Tools
• Most of the publishers are participating in 2 plagiarism detection schemes:
TurnItIn (aimed at universities)
IThenticate (aimed at publishers and corporations)
• Manuscripts are checked against a database of 20 million peer reviewed articles
which have been donated by 50+ publishers, including Elsevier.
• All post-1994 Elsevier journal content is now included, and the pre-1995 is being
steadily added week-by-week
• Editors and reviewers
• Your colleagues
• "Other“ whistleblowers
• “The walls have ears", it seems ...
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28. Publication ethics – How it can end .....
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29. Academic Scandal Shakes Japan
THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION JULY 6, 2014
Haruko Obokata, a researcher at the Riken Center for
Developmental Biology, at a news conference in Osaka,
Japan, in April. After having two articles published in
the journal Nature, she was accused by an investigative
panel at Riken of fabricating data (on stem cell
research) and of plagiarism.
She Claimed to develop a radical and remarkably easy
way to make cells that can grow into any tissue in the
body called STAP (Stimulus-Triggered Acquisition of
Pluripotency) cells.
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30. Her co researcher in stem cell research
scandal commits suicide

31. Former Delhi University, India’s Vice
Chancellor Accused of Plagiarism.
Mr Pental, 63, a professor of genetics
and a noted researcher, was the vice
chancellor of Delhi University in 2005-
2010. He is described as an expert in
the field of transgenics and has
reportedly published more than 60
research papers. He has also received
many awards, including one from
France.
He was put under the bars
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What leads to acceptance ?
• Attention to details
• Check and double check your work
• Consider the reviewers’ comments
• English must be as good as possible
• Presentation is important
• Take your time with revision
• Acknowledge those who have helped you
• New, original and previously unpublished
• Critically evaluate your own manuscript
• Ethical rules must be obey.
– Nigel John Cook
Editor-in-Chief, Ore Geology Reviews

33. The most important wayto emerge yourself asa RISING STAR is by completing your MSc or PhD
SUCCESSFULLY & make people BELIEVE IN YOU, YOUR RESEARCH ,YOUR POTENTIAL
YOUR FUTURE CARRIER !! PhD as a passport….. But full life is to LEARN and PUBLISH.
CONCLUSION

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QUESTIONS ARE
WELCOME