1. DR. G 4/16/10 CHEM 690 Scientific Publishing

2. Scientific Knowledge “The object of research is to extend human knowledge beyond what is already known. But an individual’s knowledge enters the domain of science only after it is presented to others in such a fashion that they can independently judge its validity” “On being a scientist” 2009, Natl Acad Sci, Eng and Inst of Med

3. Sharing Scientific Knowledge “Science is a shared knowledge based on a common understanding of some aspect of the physical world” Presentations at meetings Publications in peer reviewed journals (research results are privileged until they are published) Dissertation/thesis

4. Why Publish? “If it isn’t published, it hasn’t been done” Sharing scientific information is how science moves forward Measure of productivity: one of the first things that potential employers look at (in both academia and industry)

5. Scientific publication is a team effort Authors Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editors, Editorial staff Reviewers In natural sciences, this process is confidential

6. Authorship List of authors establishes accountability as well as credit should include only persons who make a direct and substantial contribution Acknowledgements can be used to thank people who indirectly contribute

7. Author responsibilities Ensure that work is new and original Not published elsewhere All authors agree on content and are listed with proper affiliation Copyright permissions

8. What is publishable…. Journals like to publish papers that are going to be widely read and useful to readers (SCI ranking/impact factor) Original and significant Well organized and well written concise and yet complete Clear acknowledgement of other work in the field

9. What is not acceptable….. Routine extensions of previous reports Incremental or fragmentary reports Verbose, poorly organized papers (poorly written, poor quality figures) Violations of ethical guidelines (plagiarism of any type or degree, questionalbe research practices)

10. Research Misconduct Fabrication: making up data and recording or reporting them Falsification: manipulating equipment or processes, or changing/omitting data Plagiarism: appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results or words without giving appropriate credit It does not include honest errors or differences of opinion

11. Research misconduct is a serious violation http://ori.dhhs.gov/ http://ori.dhhs.gov/misconduct/cases/ Subject to fines, barred from funding, dismissal from position

12. Plagiarism Plagiarism: using ideas or writing of someone else without giving proper credit Self-plagiarism: the verbatim copying or reuse of one’s own research Both are considered unacceptable in scientific literature Internet makes plagiarism easier to do but also easier to catch!

13. Data Manipulation Manipulating data in order to deceive others violates both basic ethics and accepted standards of professionalism Could potentially impede progress in the field and harm other research groups Undermines own authority and trustworthiness Can have devastating impact on society as a whole If the work is important people will try to repeat it

14. Good Record Keeping Maintain an accurate, accessible and permanent record of data Record sufficient detail for others to check and repeat work Notebook with numbered pages or computer application Date every entry

15. Types of Publications Rapid communication or note Methodology Full paper Review article

16. Writing and Publishing a paper Getting ready with data Selecting a journal First draft Structure of a scientific paper Submission Reviews, revision Galley proofs

17. Getting the data ready Manuscripts should be data driven Easiest to write the paper around (GOOD) figures and tables Organize results to follow a logical sequence Consolidate data plots and create figures (most journals will limit figures to 6-8) Additional supporting information can be included in Supplemental Material

18. Selecting a Journal Specialized vs general Impact factors Visit the journal website for:  the scope of the journal  Instructions for authors (format)  Instructions for submission

19. First draft It’s a draft, it doesn’t have to be perfect yet Note good and bad writing styles in the literature and try to emulate the good writing style (not too complex or convoluted – clear and concise is ideal) Keep in mind who the audience is for the journal that you plan to submit to.

20. HELP! With writing The Purdue Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ ACS Style Guide Strunk and White “The Elements of Style” Friends Technical writing is usually third person, past tense, often passive voice (but active is more interesting to read)

21. Writing tips Write complete sentences that don’t run on Follow standard English grammar Clear paragraphs Concise! Don’t try to impress readers with words no one ever uses (25 words) Do not use slang, colloquial expressions, overly emotional or childish phrases

22. Structure of a Scientific Paper Title Abstract Introduction Materials and Methods (some journals put this last) Results Discussion/Conclusions Acknowledgements References Supplemental Material

23. Title Page Compose a title that is simple, attractive and accurately reflects the investigation Try to avoid acronyms that are only used in a highly specialized community Many journals require keywords on the title page, these are used by search engines Author names, affiliations and contact author information

24. Abstract Usually ca. 250 words Keep it simple and informative What the study is about and how it was done (avoid detailed experimental procedures) Generate enthusiasm about the work! State the major conclusion in the last sentence.

25. Abstract example

26. Body of the manuscript Introduction  Start with general background of topic  Discuss previous work, put this work in context  Point out the main issues addressed in this work Materials and Methods  Enough detail for someone to repeat the work  Include manufacturers and suppliers of everything Results  Detailed  Make sure figures/tables are in order presented in text

27. Body of the manuscript, cont’d Discussion/Conclusions  Compare and contrast results to previous work  Sufficient to back up conclusions  Avoid strong statements like “I proved that…” Acknowledgements  Funding agency and people who provided assistance References  Endnotes is recommended Supplemental Material

28. Submission Proofread the manuscript carefully, including table and figure captions and references Write a cover letter to the Editor including a brief paragraph highlighting the importance of the work; many journals allow you to request an associate editor. Make a list of suggested reviewers, most associate editors will select one or two of your suggestions (if needed, list reviewers that you don’t want)

29. Review Process Most journals send the manuscript to 2-3 reviewers. The process is confidential. Usually, reviewers point out mistakes, flaws and suggest ways to improve the paper through additional discussion or experiments. Read the comments carefully and don’t take them personally.

30. Revision Make the reviewer’s suggested changes, if applicable You will need to write a reply to the reviewers that contains a point by point answer to each criticism; if the reviewer didn’t understand something, you need to make it more clear. Be polite and be respectful if you disagree with the reviewer

31. Revision, cont’d Don’t get mad. If you can’t stand it, write a really nasty reply and then delete it. If you believe that the review is unfair or a personal attack, contact the Associate Editor who is handling the paper. Submit the revised version of the paper If accepted, galley proofs usually arrive within two weeks

32. Publication Most journals now publish “Epubs” online before the print edition comes out so check your proofs carefully For on-line only journals, the reference is the doi (digital object identifier) As soon as the paper is accepted, add it to your CV! Get to work on the next paper

33. Acknowledgement Thanks to Dr. Prashant Kamat at Notre Dame for content