This document provides guidance on how to write and publish an academic article. It discusses identifying appropriate publishing sources, such as journals, books, or newspapers. It also covers important tips for writing, such as using active voice and international terminology. The document outlines the peer review process and qualities of a strong research paper, including clear aims, analysis, and provoking further thought. Finally, it details how to structure a research paper for a academic journal, including required sections like the abstract, introduction, methodology, and references.

1. HOW TO WRITE AND PUBLISH AN ARTICLE
Dr. Kamran Ishfaq, PhD Sociology
The Children’s Hospital & the Institute of Child
Health Multan, Pakistan
Email address: kamranishfaqchc@gmail.com

2. Publishing your Work
• Why Should You Seek to Publish?
• A traditional warning in higher education
circles
• Academic recognition
• Contribution to existing body of knowledge
• Fame and fortune
• Self satisfaction
• Career progression

3. Identify Your Potential Publishing Source
Research papers
1. Journal article Conference
paper (proceedings)
2. Working paper series
Chapter in an edited book
Books
Single & multiple author books
Edited books (collection of
papers) Text books
Specialised books specialised
book series
General books General book
series

4. Research Report
Academic credibility - High
Economic benefit – None
Introduction in academic world
- Reasonable
Newspaper and magazine articles
Academic credibility - None
Economic benefit - None
Introduction in general public -
high
Book
Academic credibility – High
Economic benefit – little
Introduction in academic world –
reasonable/high
Research paper
(National and International Journals)
Academic credibility – Very high
Economic benefits - None
Introduction in academic world -
very high

5. Self-publishing
Academic credibility – very low
Economic benefits – very low
Introduction to academic world – very low
Introduction to general public – very low
Something is better than nothing
Easy and quick to publish
You need to know how to sell your book

6. Important Tips
• • Remember the international dimensions of your readership.
• • Do not use terms that are not familiar in other
cultures/countries.
• Use of Numbers and Words
• • Numbers less than 10 should be written in words (except
decimal units).
• • Numbers greater than 10 should be written in numerals.
• • Never start your sentence with numerals.
• Use of Sentences
• • Try to use an active voice (e.g., ‘This research has
demonstrated…’).
• • Try to avoid the passive voice (e.g. ‘It has been demonstrated
by this research…’).

7. Journal’s Guidelines for Authors for Submission
of their papers... While submitting your paper,
you MUST make sure that...
• Your paper meets with all the parameters, their
prescribed style and framework given in the
latest copy in the journal
• You have used the journal’s latest citation style
• You have followed required submission
procedures (e.g., correct number of copies, cover
sheet, keywords, abstract, etc.)
• Electronic submission procedure /
requirements...

8. How the Peer Review Works?
• Open Review
• • Identities of reviewers are known
• • Identity of author(s) is known
• • Reviewers are acknowledged in the published paper
• • Number of Reviewers = Usually a panel of reviewers
[Single] Blind (Anonymous) Review
• • Identity of the author(s) is known
• • Identity of the reviewers is unknown
• • Number of Reviewers = Usually two (or more)
Double-blind Review
• • Identity of the reviewers is unknown
• • Identity of the author(s) is unknown
• • Number of Reviewers = Usually two (or more)

9. Qualities of a Good Research Paper
• Highlights its aims and objectives at the
beginning
• Central theme and main argument(s) are made
clear in the earlier part of the paper
• Provides up-to-date analytical information
• Analyses current key debates in the subject area
• Provokes thought and encourages reader(s) to
think further in the subject area
• Enjoyable to read

10. Structuring your Research Paper for an Academic Journal
Size and Style of Paper (No. of words, citation & format)
Abstract
 Objectives
 Study Design
 Place and duration of the
study
 Methodology
 Results
 Conclusion
 Key words
Main Body
Introduction
Methodology
Data Analysis
Discussion
Conclusion
References

11. Original Article
• Text for original articles shall not exceed 5000
words and manuscript should be prepared
under following headings starting from
separate page i.e. Title page, Structured
abstract, Introduction, Methodology, Results,
Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgement
and References.

12. Structured Abstract
• Should not exceed 250 words and use
following subheadings: Objectives, Study
design, Place & duration, Methodology,
Results, Conclusion and Key words (3 to 7).

13. Introduction
• Should contain brief review of the topic with
strictly relevant references and historical
background and the rationale and the
objectives of the study shall be mentioned at
the end.

14. Methodology:
• Should be started with study design as well as place
and duration of the study.
• It shall clearly state inclusion and exclusion criteria of
the subjects.
• Well-established methods shall be cited with
references.
• Statistical tools used for analysis of results shall also
be mentioned with enough detail to enable the
readers or researchers to verify the reported
findings.

15. Results
• Important findings must be narrated in the text
with tables and explained in logical sequence in
percentages as well as numeric’s [e.g. 23.37 %
(n=32) or 23.37%, n=32].
• Only important observations should be
emphasized in precise manner and repetitions
shall be avoided.
• Table number should be mentioned in text while
describing its findings. Tables, Bar graphs or Pie
diagrams should not be more than five and
lengthy tables containing irrelevant information’s
should be avoided.

16. • Discussion: The findings should be compared
with already existing national and international
literature supported with references.
• It shall emphasize the new and important
aspects, implications and any limitations of the
study.
• The discussion should be crisp, to the point
keeping in view the aims and objective of the
study.
•

17. • Conclusion/Recommendations:
• Should be specific towards the objectives of
study and in author’s own interpretation. It
should not be linked to other studies.
•

18. • Acknowledgements:
• Persons who have contributed intellectually or
technically to the paper but whose
contributions do not justify authorship may be
named and their function or contribution shall
be clearly described. For example “scientific
advisor”, “Critical review of study proposal”,
“data collection” or “participation in the
clinical trial”. Such persons must have
permitted to be named.

19. • References: List must be numbered serially in
the order in which the references appear in the
text and typed double-spaced on separate sheets.
• References shall be latest (preferably last 10 year)
national and international, up to 20-25, cited in
Vancouver’s style in conformation the “Uniform
Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to
Biomedical Journals” (http://www.icmje.org).