journal publishing in the global age: an editorial perspective tor d. berg, journal of adolescent...
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Journal Publishing in the Global Age: An
Editorial Perspective
Tor D. Berg, Journal of Adolescent HealthDonald Payne, MBBChir, MD, Archives of
Disease in ChildhoodCharles E. Irwin, Jr., MD, Journal of Adolescent
Health
Disseminate findings Replication Inform clinical care Inform interventions Inform policy Improve research methodology Career considerations
Why publish?
Choosing the type or form of the article Observing the formal requirements of scientific
publication Writing or composing the article Choosing a journal Submitting your manuscript Revising your manuscript Accepting rejection Arranging publication
A Publication Strategy
Review articles Full length empirical articles Brief reports Case studies or observational reports Editorials, commentaries, and letters
Choosing the Type of Article to Submit
The Formal Requirements of Scientific Publishing
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE): Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts
http://ww.icmje.org
Solving problems Clarify your thoughts Distill those thoughts and ideas Identify the most important
Connecting with editors Getting reviewed Getting found Getting read Getting cited
The Abstract:A Tool for Success
Structured vs. Unstructured Abstracts
Structured Unstructured
Section I: Introduction — Progress from the general to the specific
Present the general subject or problemReview the literatureStatement of hypothesis:
Your argument in the context of other workWhat is the aim of the study? What is the point of all this??
The Structure of a Scientific Article
Section II: MethodsDesignSampleContext and settingMaterials and InstrumentsValidity and reliabilityProtocols and IRB
The Structure of a Scientific Article
Section III: Presenting the data — From the specific to the general
Results: Describe the findingsDiscussion: Place the research in the context of other workLimitations: Do not be afraidConclusion: Application of the results; implications for future research; “Main Message” for clinicians/researchers/administrators/policymakersWorks cited/References
The Structure of a Scientific Article
Origin of the idea Development of the outline Design and writing of the approved protocol Data acquisition Scientific leadership in conducting the study Analysis and interpretation Writing the manuscript Responsibility for the final paper Ability to defend the content
Authorship Issues
Requires active participation in all of the following: Conception/design of work, data collection,
and/or data analysis and interpretation, AND… Drafting manuscript or reviewing/revising critical
sections (i.e., that portion of manuscript for which co-author claims expert defense responsibility),
AND…. Responsibility for final version of the manuscript
Minimum Basis for Authorship
No person shall be listed as author merely by virtue of his/her position in the responsible organization or dissertation committee!
Multiple authors: suggested that brief statements of exact contribution of each author be prepared for interdisciplinary studies (to clarify potential concerns)
More Authorship Issues
Create a written agreement: Number of manuscripts expected to evolve
from project Subjects to be covered Identity of all person assigned to co-author
reports
Authorship: Early Considerations
Definition should be clear Potential, Perceived, or Real conflict
Disclose on the title page of the manuscript Explicitly state the role of the study sponsor
If no role, then say that Avoid entering into agreements that
interfere with complete and independent access to data
Conflict of Interest
All studies of human subjects must be evaluated by an appropriate institutional review board
Even for secondary analyses, you should apply for and receive an exemption from your IRB
Report IRB approval in the Methods section of your manuscript
Protection of Human Research Subjects
Increasingly, journals are requiring registration of clinical trials Broad definition: drugs, surgical procedures,
devices, behavioral treatments, process-of-care changes, etc.
JAH does not, though it is highly recommended Several public registries available
U.S. National Institutes of Health’s ClinicalTrials.gov Australia New Zealand’s ANZCTR.org.au Global ISRCTN Register ISRCTN.org
Registration of Clinical Trials
Writing the Article
Good research question Rigorous design, good response, clean data Clear and reliable analysis Abstract to Discussion
But…
Telling a good story
Such as:1. Too busy2. Teaching preparation takes up all time3. “I will write as soon as I ________”4. Making writing your #1 goal5. Inability to reach writing site6. Needing to read “one more book”7. Inability to start8. Fear of controversial topic and permanency of publication9. Not in the mood10. Childcare responsibilities11. Inability to move forward12. Dog ate my flash drive
Anticipate Writing Obstacles
1. First and foremost, get writing!2. Make it social3. Persist despite rejection4. Pursue your passion
Four Keys to Academic Writing Success
There is so much to read! Make a plan to read what you can Skim the piece and focus on what you need
to know Topic Approach Argument
Reading the Scholarly Literature
Spend mornings reading/taking notes on journals that arrived (or were posted online) the previous day
Read/skim 5 pieces for a set amount of time each day
Mark paragraphs that contain important organizing ideas, then copy/paste to a new document
Read articles from your target journal; familiarize yourself with the tone or melody or the journal
Ideas for New Habits
Choosing a Journal
Try to focus on 2–3 messages or takeaways Theoretical contribution Focus on behavior and predictors of behavior Methodological contributions Clinical focus Public health or policy
Message and Contribution of the Article
Healthcare providers Researchers Methodologists Which journals have you cited? Regional, national, or international?
Audience for the Message
The Journal of Adolescent Health is a multidisciplinary scientific Journal, which seeks to publish new research findings in the field of Adolescent Medicine and Health ranging from the basic biological and behavioral sciences to public health and policy. We seek original manuscripts, review articles, letters to the editor, commentaries and clinical observations from our colleagues in Anthropology, Dentistry and Oral Health, Education, Health Services Research, International Health, Law, Medicine, Mental Health, Nursing, Nutrition, Psychology, Public Health and Policy, Social Work, Sociology, Youth Development, and other disciplines that work with or are committed to improving the lives of adolescents and young adults.
Journal Adolescent Health Mission Statement
Archives of Disease in Childhood is an international peer review journal that aims to keep paediatricians and others up to date with advances in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood diseases as well as advocacy issues such as child protection. It focuses on all aspects of child health and disease from the perinatal period (in the Fetal and Neonatal edition) through to adolescence. ADC includes original research reports, commentaries, reviews of clinical and policy issues, and evidence reports. Areas covered include: community child health, public health, epidemiology, acute paediatrics, advocacy, and ethics.
Archives of Diseases in Childhood Aims and Scope
Where else have you published? What journal is best for your career? How quickly do you need to publish?
Career Considerations
Total number of citations, during 2011, to articles published in
2009 and 2010
Calculating Impact Factor
Total number of “citable items”
published in 2009 and 2010
2011 impact factor
3.334
Until recently, journals restricted published findings to paid subscribers and licensees Journal owns copyright and sells access to
cover publication costs Digital distribution lowers costs for journals
and enables far broader dissemination New models to distribute publication costs Open Access
Dissemination of Results
Full open access BioMedCentral, PLoS Author fee, institutional subsidies, advertising
Sponsored articles JAH, and all Elsevier titles
Delayed access Manuscript posting
National funding bodies; NIH access policy and PubMedCentral
Open Access
Submitting Your Manuscript
Cover letter Process of uploading manuscripts Suggesting reviewers
Submission process
Check instructions Often this is the first part the editor sees Make it clear how and why the study is
important Explain why the manuscript is important for
this journal List other publications cited in journal Identify your similar or related publications or
submitted manuscripts
Cover Letter
Increasingly journal-specific forms Must be signed by all authors Electronically submitted
Statement of Authorship
Why? Gesture of goodwill, and it moves the paper
along Good evidence that author-suggested
reviewers rate manuscripts more favorably Who?
Not your mentor, co-author, colleague, etc. Not someone you have formally acknowledged Authors you have cited in references
Suggesting reviewers
JAH Review Process
1,106 manuscripts reviewed internally
730 desk rejected (66% of all
manuscripts)
376 peer reviewed(34% of all manuscripts)
16 invited to resubmit as a Brief
(2.2% of desk rejected manuscripts)
206 rejected (54.8% of peer
reviewed manuscripts
170 accepted (45.2 % of peer
reviewed manuscripts)
Revising Your Manuscript Submission
Virtually never accept first drafts Revision letter is an indication of interest Revision increases odds of eventual
publication Must revise to resubmit elsewhere May see the same reviewer at another
journal Review process is didactic; improves the
paper
To Revise or Not to Revise
Distancing strategy But be prompt Respond with a clear and constructive
revision and response letter Respond to all comments
Be systematic; a table format is helpful Juxtapose divergent comments Revision process is a conversation amongst
peers
Approaching the Revisions
The Revision Letter
Checklist of documents necessary for revision Response letter Revised manuscript Revised tables and figures
Re-review by editors and/or original reviewers
Final acceptance at editors discretion
Resubmit
Accepting Rejection
Poor English usage. Replicative, confirmatory, or localized
findings Causation ascribed to associations Poorly contextualized results
Common reasons for rejection
English is a difficult language Scientific vocabulary and usage can idiosyncratic and
archaic Attempt to enlist the help of a native English speaker Professional editors specializing in technical English
Can be expensive Establish links to individuals and organizations that
already publish in English UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, etc.
English usage
Replicative and confirmatory results, while important, are generally not published in top journals
Findings from a specific local population might be most useful to a local audience
Novelty
JAH publishes very few studies that are based only on correlational or cross-sectional data
In most cases, longitudinal data is necessary to inform interventions and clinical work
Associations, correlations, and prevalence are nearly always most useful to a local or regional audience
Correlational data
Emerging research from LMICs is interesting to an international audience if it is properly contextualized Describe the local context and how it relates to
the results The dilemma is well-described in PA Michaud’s
JAH editorial, “The International Journal of Adolescent Health,” JAH 2010;42:421-422.
Same dilemma occurs in papers from HICs
Poorly contextualized results
Arranging Publication
Copyright and funding sources Press Embargo In press
Articles Online First Citing In-Press articles using DOIs
Post-Acceptance
Ganguly S, Samanta M, Roy P, Chatterjee S, Kaplan DW, Basu B. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as an Effective Tool for Screening of Depression Among Indian Adolescents. J Adolesc Health 2013;52:546-551. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.09.012.
Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/
The Journal of Adolescent Health:http://www.jahonline.org
Archives of Diseases in Childhoodhttp://adc.bmj.com
Web sites
Thank you for your interest!
Questions?