Scientific publishing – how to write and publish a good paper

WCCE Barcelona 2017: Scientific publishing
Scientific publishing – how to
write and publish a good paper
Barbara Boeck
Uta Goebel
John Uhlrich

WCCE Barcelona 2017: Scientific publishing 2
Who are we?

Diploma and Ph.D.:
University of Munich, Inorganic Chemistry
1992: VCH-Verlagsgesellschaft:
Ullmanns Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry
Editor: Analytical and Environmental Chemistry
Editor: Industrial Chemistry
2000: Editor-in-Chief
Chemie Ingenieur Technik
Chemical Engineering &Technology
2014 additionally: ChemBioEng Reviews
Dr. Barbara Böck

• MSc in Molecular Biotechnology
(University of Bielefeld, Germany) and
Molecular Pharmacology (University of
Manchester, UK) – 2004/2005
• PhD - German Cancer Research Center -
dkfz in Heidelberg, Germany - 2008
• At WILEY-VCh in Weinheim since April
2009 first Trainee and Assistant Editor
• Now: Deputy Editor for Biotechnology
Journal and Advanced Healthcare
Materials and Advanced Biosystems
Dr. Uta Goebel

Dr. John Uhlrich
• Chemical Engineering, PhD University of Wisconsin,
USA
• Interface Chemistry of Hybrid Photovoltaic
Materials/Devices
• Postdoc 2009-2011: Fritz Haber Institute, Berlin
Department of Chemical Physics (H.J. Freund)
• Surface Science for Model Catalysis
• 2011– 2012:
– Editor, Advanced Materials, Advanced Functional
Materials
• 2012-present:
– Editor, Energy Technology (Editor-in-Chief since 2016)

What are we going to talk
about today?

Outline
Wiley and Wiley-VCH
Chem Eng and Biotech journal
portfolio
What are publishers doing?
Why publish?
Finding the right journal
What does the impact factor mean
A good Cover letter
Editorial workflow
What is an Editor/Reviewer looking
at?
How to write a good article?
Tips and tricks
What happens when an article is
accepted?
Article promotion?
How to find an article?
How can I share it?
Publication Ethics

John Wiley & Sons
and Wiley-VCH

John Wiley & Sons
What used to be a book and journal publisher since
1807….
…transformed into a content provider:
Wiley is a global provider of content and content-
enabled workflow solutions in areas of scientific,
technical, medical, and scholarly research; professional
development; and education.

John Wiley & Sons
South Korea
Founded in 1807 in New York City by John Wiley
To this day family-owned in the 6th generation
Approx. 5,000 staff worldwide
Wiley Online Library has 130 million users
1,500 journals, 1200 society partners
Company headquarters are in Hoboken (New Jersey)
Wiley-VCH (Germany) has been part of Wiley since 1996

Wiley-VCH Journal Genealogy
…and many more

Wiley Biotechnology Journals

….and other Important Brands
• Wiley-VCH
• Blue & White Books / MRWs
• VHCA – Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta
• Journal Brands: Angewandte Chemie
CHEManager
Physik Journal (circulation 62 000)
Advanced Materials
• Portals: ChemistryViews.org / Advanced Science News
• Home of Nobel Laureates

What are publishers
doing?

Publishers….
….provide a whole range of services for scientists:
• Registration
• Evaluation - Selection
• Peer Review - Improvement
• Language Polishing
• Editing, Typesetting and
Layout
• Dissemination
• Maximizing Visibility
• Collect Metrics
• Archiving
• …………

…and you?

Why publish at all?

• “Fame”
Recognition by your peers
• “Fortune”
Promotions, grant applications, research funding
• Responsibility
To society, taxpayer-funded research, contribution to progress
• Making your research public
“If your research does not generate papers, it might just as well not have
been done.” – George Whitesides (Harvard University)
“Papers provide the basis for further research!”

Finding the right journal

• It is important to me……….!
• ………
• ………
• ………
• ………
• ………
Which journal?

• Aims and Scopes
• Reputation
• Dissemination – Readership
• Speed
• Language
• Impact factor
• Suitable Business model: costs for
publication
• On invitation – Topical/Special issue
• ………………………
Which journal?

The Impact Factor

• Supposedlyobjectivemeassurefor therelevanceof
researchresults
• Started as a „tool“for librarians to evaluatetheirassortment
Number of cites in a year of articles published during the two
previous years/Number of published articles in the two years
The Impact factor

The Impact factor: Definition
Impact Factor2018 =
Number of citations in 2018 to articles published in 2016 and 2017
Number of source items published in 2016 and 2017

Just an example: Journal XXX:
2015: 500 articles published
2016:600 articles published
2017:These articles have been cited 2200 times
The Impact factor
IF2017= 2200/(500+600) = 2
(Impact factor 2017 – to be published ca. in June 2018)

The Impact Factor: Problems
• Comparison of different research areas
• Unfolds self-dynamics
• „Fabricating“ is an option
• Selection of citable/not citable items not always correct
• Reflects the past
• Average: weak contributions benefit from strong contributions

• Example: Nature Biotechnology
• Impact Factor 2013: 39.080
• 93 articles
• Highest cited article:
297 citations
Citation distribution
1.14%
2.84%
8.52%
15.91%
20.45%
29.55%
21.59%
Uncited 1-3 Cites 4-7 Cites 8-12
Cites
13-20
Cites
21-40
Cites
41+ Cites

How to write a good article

1. Have something to say.
2. Say it.
3. Stop as soon as you have said it!
4. Give the paper a proper title!
Source:
John S. Billings:
An Address on our
Medical Literature.
Br Med J (1881) 2:262-
268.
The Four Basic Rules

Titles and abstracts are searchable separately from the main paper in
databases and online
Therefore to increase your paper’s “discoverability”:
give it a specific and concise title
include many appropriate keywords
“search-engine optimization”
Title & Abstract

What effect?
Which metal(s)?
What type of coupling reaction(s)?
Which aryl alcohols?
Specific
Concise
Contains many keywords
Effect of Metal Catalyst on the Outcome of
Coupling Reactions with Aryl Alcohols
Ruthenium Trichloride:
An Effective Catalyst for C-H Activation with
2,4-Disubstituted Aryl Alcohols
Targeting Your Title

WCCE Barcelona 2017: Scientific publishing DOI: 10.1126/science.355.6320.102
Telling a Story

WCCE Barcelona 2017: Scientific publishing DOI: 10.1126/science.355.6320.102
Answer 3 Questions:
• What is the Status Quo?
– Too little: Risk losing a large audience who may not be experts on
this topic.
• What is wrong with the Status Quo?
– Too little: “Why do we need yet another paper on this topic?“
• How does this work go beyond the Status Quo?
– Too little: The novelty of your work is not clear.
Telling a Story

• Be techically accurate
– A small mistake can make a big difference!
• Write clearly and conversationally
– Use a logical organizational scheme
– Don‘t be afraid of using first person and active voice
Not: It was observed that the solution turned red.
Instead: The solution turned red. or We observed that the solution turned red.
• Put the reader first!
– Know your audience and present your work so that they will easily
understand your main points
• Do one (or two) more drafts than you normally would
– Your manuscript will be as good as the time you spend on it
• Keep it short/concise
– Keep sentences short, break up paragraphs, and eliminate
unnecessary text
https://www.aiche.org/resources/
publications/cep/2017/april/become-better-writer
Writing for Engineers

• Don‘t forget to factor in time to work on the
presentation of your work
• Have a friend/colleague read your manuscript;
read your own work again after setting it aside
for a couple of days
• Have a native speaker proofread for language, if
available (editorial services are also available)
http://wileyeditingservices.com/en/ www.ChemistryViews.org
A Few More Tips

• Don‘t forget to factor in time to work on the
presentation of your work
• Have a friend/colleague read your manuscript;
read your own work again after setting it aside
for a couple of days
• Have a native speaker proofread for language, if
available (editorial services are also available)
http://wileyeditingservices.com/en/ www.ChemistryViews.org
A Few More Tips
http://wileyeditingservices.com/en/

Navigating peer review and the
publication processes

Is the novelty
high enough?
Difference to
prior work?
Important to the
whole readership?
Important to
researchers
in this field?
After the initial check for scope and length is done, the manuscript
is examined more closely:
the most
important
hurdle!
„Publishing space is
limited – choose a journal whose
readership will be keen to see
your results!“
What Editors Look For (Manuscript Suitability)

Conclusions section of manuscript
While reading new manuscripts, editors will especially look at:
Cover letter “If I‘m interested, my
readers will be, too!ˮ
Keywords
Literature references
Visual information
Abstract
Where will the Editor look?

Cover Letter: The Worst Type

• Why is this topic important?
• Why are these results significant?
• What is the key result? (breakthrough!)
• Why is it an advance on previous work?
• Why are you submitting to this journal?
• Why will this journal’s readers read it?
• Provide reviewer suggestions
Together with the conclusions section of your paper, the cover letter is
one of the first things the editor will see, so make it count!
Tip: Keep the letter as concise as possible – the longer it is, the easier it becomes to
overlook something important.
Maximizing Success: Writing the Cover Letter

• Why is this topic important?
• Why are these results significant?
• What is the key result? (breakthrough!)
• Why is it an advance on previous work?
• Why are you submitting to this journal?
• Why will this journal’s readers read it?
• Provide reviewer suggestions
Together with the conclusions section of your paper, the cover letter is
one of the first things the editor will see, so make it count!
Tip: Keep the letter as concise as possible – the longer it is, the easier it becomes to
overlook something important.
Maximizing Success: Writing the Cover Letter
Solar Cell Example:
We have fabricated a solar cell with high efficiency and stability,
using earth-abundant materials, by using a simple synthetic method,
nontoxic precursors, using a scaleable fabrication procedure, with a
unique combination materials that increase our fundamental
understanding of photovoltaic devices.

Manuscript rejected on reports
Manuscript submitted
Editors examine &
make initial decision in house
Manuscript sent out
for external peer review
Editor makes decision
based on reports
Manuscript is accepted as
is or with minor revisions
Manuscript transferred
to the publication workflow
Manuscript rejected on reports
but reinvited if
major revisions promising
Manuscript rejected on topic,
novelty, or quality
Revisions requested
if possible in short time
Manuscript rejected on format
but reinvited (e.g., shorten)
Peer Review Editorial Workflow

• Treat it as a discussion of your paper from one of the top experts in your field.
• Don’t take it personally – it is not an attack on you!
• Be thorough and a little self-critical; remember that the referee is trying to help
you improve your work and its presentation.
• Remember that everyone is human! Take every criticism as an opportunity for
improvement; this is a “trial run“ for how your work may be perceived after
publication.
How to Read a Referee Report
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2017/01/18/15-steps-to-revising-journal-articles/
https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-
network/2017/mar/31/dear-anonymous-peer-reviewer-your-criticism-made-
me-a-better-researcher

Credit: Nick Kim (www.nearingzero.net)
Stay Calm 

What happens after
acceptance?

Your paper has been accepted...

The Decision letter: Please read!
• CTA (Copyright Transfer Agreement)
• File-upload (?)
• Color or page charges?
• Cover figure (?)
• Online open publication?
• Even if accepted:
The author still has duties to fulfill!

The technical workflow
Article published online
Accepted article
Issue
printed &
dispatched
Electronic files received
Article edited/formatted and typeset
Proofs checked (by author)
Corrections made & checked
Article ready for publication
Issue compiled
Issue published online
Article published online
on EarlyView

http://exchanges.wiley.com/blog/2013/09/23/10-easy-ways-to-make-sure-your-article-gets-read/
• Search-engine optimization
• Your institutional library and press office
• Departmental webpage
• Personal webpage
• Videos & blogs
• Social media
Promoting Your Published Work

Tracking the impact of your article
Altmetric
Measuring the broader impact of scholarly articles
Post-publication
peer review sites
Integrated social sharing
and Altmetric data
Online reference
managers
Social Media
Government policy documents
Mainstream media
87%
of survey respondents
said they would use altmetrics to
gauge the popularity of an article.
-Wiley author survey

Promotional Activities
Your place for the latest science news:

Video Abstracts

How can I find the article?
The DOI
• Digital Object Identifier
• Fingerprint of a publication
• Identifies a publication regardless its appearence
10.1002/biot.201600100
eLocator: 1600100
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.201600100
Publisher Journal Year of submission
Manuscript number

How to find authors?
The ORCID
• Open Researcher and Contributor ID
• https://orcid.org/

How can I share my article?
• Depending on Open Access publication or not
• See the signed copyright transfer agreement!
• Difference between Submitted version and Accepted version
• www.HowCanIShareIt.com
• Voluntary Sharing principles:
Sharing should be allowed within research collaboration groups and be
of the size of a typical research group within that discipline for the
purpose of the group
59

Publication Ethics

Wiley-VCH materials science journals adhere to the ethical
guidelines published by the European Association for Chemical
and Molecular Sciences (EuCheMS) (www.euchems.eu)
and are members of COPE (http://publicationethics.org)
Ethical Guidelines
• Every reputable journal has them
• Simple set of guidelines that outlines the responsibilities of
authors, editors, and reviewers
• Designed to ensure that everyone is treated fairly in the whole
publication process

Ethical Misconduct
• Examples of ethical misconduct that must not be tolerated:
• Falsifying data
• Fabricating data
• Plagiarism
• Multiple concurrent submissions
• Image manipulation
• Authorship misrepresentation
• Duplicate publication
All of the above can have serious consequences for the author, ranging from a
letter of warning all the way up to criminal proceedings!

Case studies
Modification of Images
Images in Question
Contrast Enhanced

1. Inevitable / Harmless
Case studies
What is plagiarism and what is not?

Case studies
Looks bad, but it's about standard
experimental procedures – very difficult to
rephrase, and why would one intentionally
describe the same method differently? That
could be understood as trying to make it
look new.
2. Tolerable
This looks worse, doesn't it?

Case studies
The red overlap is harmless (hundreds
of papers on topic published already)
The purple overlap is highly questionable.
This was probably lifted intentionally from
the source paper and only minimally
modified.
If a manuscript displays a number of such overlaps, coincidence can be ruled out – especially when the
number of sources is very limited. Editors should take action
3. Questionable

Case studies
4. Plagiarism

Case studies
Can it get worse?
– Yes...
5. Outrageous

Thank you!

Scientific publishing – how to write and publish a good paper

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Scientific publishing – how to write and publish a good paper

Similar to Scientific publishing – how to write and publish a good paper (20)

More from jjuhlrich

More from jjuhlrich (12)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Scientific publishing – how to write and publish a good paper