Excellence Everywhere - National University of Ireland, Galway

Three particularly difficult parts of a paper to writeare the title, abstract, and cover letter.n Title and Abstract. Create these two elementsafter the manuscript is complete. The title shouldsummarize the take-home message of your paper.The abstract should briefly summarize the paperand should stand on its own. Describe the experimentalquestion, the methods, the main results,and the conclusion. Unless the main point of thepaper is description of a new technique, methodsin the abstract should be limited to a sentence or afew words. Keep in mind that the abstract willannounce the existence of your work to peoplewho may not have time to read your paper. If theabstract attracts their attention, they could beinduced to read your article rather than passing onto the next abstract. Also note that your title andabstract will be used as the basic tools for theretrieval of your paper from electronic and paperlibraries.n Cover Letter. The cover letter should explain whythe paper is significant and why you think it isappropriate for the journal to which you are submittingit. The letter should cite a major question inyour field and describe how your work helps answerit. You may want to cite other papers the journalhas published in this field, or provide other reasonswhy the journal’s readership would find your workof interest. The letter of introduction is the place tomention whether there is competition in the fieldthat could lead to your being “scooped.” You mayalso include a list of colleagues who have reviewedthe paper and any information necessary to ensurea fair review process. Most journals will give youan opportunity to suggest people who are qualifiedto comment on your work and to exclude one ortwo particular individuals who may be competitorsand should not be reading about your work beforeit is published.Many books and articles that explain how to writescientific papers are available in print and online.Some are listed in “Resources” at the end of thischapter.Submitting your paperMost major journals now require that manuscriptsbe submitted electronically through the journal’sWeb site. Each journal has its own requirements,such as preferred file formats for text and figuresand the procedures for uploading files. Consultthe journal’s Web site for specific instructions andbe sure to follow them. If you have poor internetconnectivity, it may be a good idea to burn thepaper to a CD or copy it onto a flash drive andtake it to a place where the connection is morereliable. If your available internet connections arevery unreliable, you should follow up with an emailto the editor enquiring whether the attachmentsarrived intact.Regardless of whether they receive a papermanuscript or an electronic version, most journaleditors will let you know that they have receivedyour manuscript and how long you can expect thereview process to be.Navigating the Review ProcessIf you submit your manuscript for publication ina peer-reviewed journal, the reviewers will bechosen by the journal’s editor, who will take intoaccount any names you have suggested, his orher own knowledge of the field, and a literaturesearch.Receiving the Reviewers’ Comments. A paperis rarely accepted after the first round of review.When you receive the editorial decision and thereviewers’ comments, you will have to decidehow to proceed. If the paper is rejected, printthe rejection notice and set it aside. Rejection isnever easy. A few hours later, after you have hada chance to adjust your thinking to the inevitableneed to clear a new hurdle, read the letter slowlyand carefully to see what it is saying. Ignore fora moment, if you can, the comments about thescience and look instead for the editor’s signalsabout what you should do next.increasing your impact: getting published129