160222 Edanz Okayma Life-Earth

Trevor Lane, PhD Ruth Tunn, PhD

Author Success Workshop:

Advanced Tips for Writing Research Manuscripts

Okayama University

22 February 2016

S

Be an effective communicator

Your goal is not only to be published, but also to be widely read and cited

Preparing well and developing advanced writing skills

Logically communicating your ideas in your manuscript

Making the best first impression

Confidently navigating the peer review process

Increasing the impact of your research

Section 1

Preparing well for academic publishing

Skills needed on the path to publication success

Preparation

Journal Selection

Writing

Submission

Peer Review

Publication Success

• Training in reading papers, ethics, writing, presenting

• Expert Scientific Review


• Journal Selection & submission strategy

• Training in ethics, writing, presenting

• Revising • Editing • Reformatting

• Training in ethics, writing

• Editing • Abstract

Development • Cover Letter

Development • Reviewer

Recommendation

• Training in navigating peer review

• Review Editing • Point-by-point

checking • Response

Letter Development

• Reformatting

• Press release, news writing

• Media & presentation training

• Training for early career researchers

• Training in writing grant proposals

• Grant proposal editing

Patenting Engagement

Coverage and Staffing Plan Prepare well

Why English?

International language of research, science & academia (& business, policy, diplomacy…)

International reputation

Career advancement

Overseas collaborations

Why publish in English?

Maximum exposure/use

Work abroad; conferences

Coverage and Staffing Plan Prepare well Writing a manuscript

S

My manuscript is a written record of my findings

My findings speak for themselves, even if the manuscript is written poorly

Good English means only grammar and spelling

Using complex words makes my writing more impressive

Your manuscript is to communicate your findings

You need a well-written manuscript to effectively communicate your findings

Keep things simple – Using complex words makes your writing more difficult to understand

Good English means clear, concise arguments; logical organization; and high readability


Logically organize your ideas; adhere to journal

& international guidelines

Communicate well in English

Factors to consider when writing a manuscript

Importance of planning

Draft outline & draft abstract/title;

Draft & revise manuscript

Edit manuscript & finalize

abstract/title


Research Article (Original Article)

Short Communication (Research Note)

Case Study Technical Note Review Article Letter to the Editor

Brief report about a specific finding

Most common; full-length paper

Brief report about a specific situation

Brief report about a new methodology

Summary of recent advances in a field

Brief discussion about a published article; may contain research findings (Research Letter)

Types of articles

Select your journal early!


Choose your journal early!

Author guidelines • Manuscript structure • Word limits, References • Procedures, Copyright

Aims and scope • Topics • Readership • Be sure to emphasize

• Learn writing style • Check relevant references • Check originality, importance & usefulness!


Evaluating significance: Relevance

How relevant/important is your work?

Large or incremental advance? Species specific? Relevant to human

condition? How common is the disease? Biology

Large or incremental advance? Geographically restricted? Relevant to

business or government policy?

Agriculture/Earth

International or regional journal?

Broad- or narrow- focused journal?

High or low impact journal?


Factors to consider when choosing a journal

Aims & scope, Readership

Publication speed/frequency

Online/Print, Open access

Indexing, Rank, Impact factor

Acceptance rate/criteria

Article type / evidence level

“Luxury” / Traditional / Megajournal

Online first, Supplemental materials, Cost, Copyright

Cascading review, Fast track

Coverage and Staffing Plan Prepare well Use reporting guidelines

CARE Human case reports

ARRIVE Animal studies

http://www.equator-network.org/

Greenhouse studies

http://plantmethods.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13007-015-0083-5

Plant microarrays

http://plantmethods.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1746-4811-2-1

Life sciences http://www.nature.com/authors/policies/rep

orting.pdf

Earth sciences

http://www.nature.com/authors/policies/availability.html


Submissions

Plagiarism

Data manipulation

Authorship

Submit to only one journal at a time; do not republish the same paper; no salami

Paraphrase and cite all sources

Do not fabricate or falsify data; do not manipulate parts of images

Study design or data acquisition/analysis; Writing/revising; Approval; Accountable

Publication ethics

Funding & COIs Disclose any funding and financial/personal

relationships

Safety Humans: Approval, signed consent, privacy;

animal and environmental safety

Committee on Publication Ethics, COPE


Increase impact

High quality research

Logical, engaging, useful message

Original and novel research

Well-designed, well-reported,

transparent study News value, importance, timeliness

What editors want

High scientific & technical quality, appropriate & clear methods,

sound research & publication ethics

High readability & interest; clear, real-

world relevance

Impact factor (past 2 years) = No. of citations / No. of articles

Coverage and Staffing Plan Prepare well Journal Selector

www.edanzediting.co.jp/journal_selector

Insert your proposed abstract/title or keywords


Filter/sort by: • Field of study • Impact factor • Indexed in SCI • Open access • Publishing frequency

Journal Selector www.edanzediting.co.jp/journal_selector

Journal’s aims & scope, IF, and publication frequency

• Author guidelines • Journal website

Similar abstracts


THINK Trusted and appropriate?

SUBMIT Only if OK

thinkchecksubmit.org

CHECK Do you know the journal?

Trustworthy journals

Activity 1

Please see Activity 1 in your workbook

Section 2

Developing advanced writing skills

Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills

Nature’s guide to authors:

Nature is an international journal covering all the sciences. Contributions should therefore be written clearly and simply so that they are accessible to readers in other disciplines and to readers for whom English is not their first language.

www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/index.html#a4

“I should use complex words to make my writing more impressive.”

Improving readability


Keep it simple!

Use short sentences 15–20 words; one idea per sentence

Prefer simpler/shorter words

Use active voice Simpler, more direct, and easier to read

Most writing style guides and journals prefer it… “Nature journals prefer authors to write in the active voice”

www.nature.com/authors/author_resources/how_write.html

Improving readability


Write logical sentences! Which of these are correct?

A is 4 times larger than B A is 4-fold larger than B A is 4 times as large as B

B is 4 times smaller than A

B is 75% smaller than A B is 25% the size of A

A B

Avoid mistakes 1

Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills Avoid mistakes 2

Prefer Enough Clear Determine Begin Attempt, Try Size Keep After Enough End Use

Avoid Adequate Apparent Ascertain Commence Endeavor Magnitude* Retain Subsequent to Sufficient Terminate* Utilization *OK in certain fields (magnitude of earthquakes, to terminate gene expression)


“A number of studies have shown that the new regimen...”

“...as described in our previous study.”

“...at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.”

“As a matter of fact, such an adverse drug reaction…”

“That is another reason why, we believe…”

“It is well known that most of the trial participants...”

Avoid mistakes 3

Delete extra words!

“It is well known that Most of the trial participants...”

“As a matter of fact, such a This adverse drug reaction…”

“A number of studies have shown that The new regimen...”

“That is thus another reason why Therefore, we believe…”

“...as described previously in our previous study.”

“...at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.”


Avoid At a concentration of 2 g/L At a temperature of 37C In order to In the first place Four in number Green color Subsequent to Prior to Future plans; past history Extremely unique At the present time

Prefer At 2 g/L At 37C To First Four Green After Before Plans; history Unique Now

Avoid mistakes 4


Estimate Estimation

Decide Decision

Assess Assessment

We made a/an… We conducted a/an… Extra verb

We decided… Clear, short, and direct

Avoid mistakes 4

Don’t hide verbs inside nouns!


Compared with is for saying how things are different

The performance of our land use regression model

was high compared to the previous model.

The performance of our land use regression model was high compared with that of the previous model.

The performance of our land use regression model was higher than that of the previous model.

Avoid mistakes 5


Readers expect…

old/given/familiar information to appear first new information to appear last

An increasing number of people are relying on environmental health information that they find on the Internet. Hence, governments could conduct public campaigns to promote environmental health literacy via online media.

The Internet is being used as a source of environmental health information by an increasing number of people. Hence, online media campaigns could be used by governments to promote environmental health literacy. / [OR] Hence, the public could benefit greatly from government online campaigns aimed at promoting environmental health literacy.

Avoid mistakes 6


Readers expect…

verbs to closely follow their subjects heavy ends (not starts) of clauses

Subject

All the honey samples from bees whose main floral source was willow herb or clover showed antibacterial activity against Clostridium perfringens.

The honey came from bees whose main floral source was willow herb or clover. All samples showed antibacterial activity against Clostridium perfringens.

Verb

Avoid mistakes 7

Source: Oinaala et al. Organic Agriculture 2015; 5: 153–159.


Cell vitality was generally not affected much by pure EGCG…

“Cell viability was reduced by only 3.5% by pure EGCG…”

?

After considering all of the relevant parameters from all the lab tests, all the mice were put on painkillers, given water, and they fed.

Be accurate, concise, and parallel

After considering the results of the laboratory tests, we gave analgesic drugs, water, and food to all mice.

Avoid mistakes 8


1. You deserve the funding, but the study design is not perfect.

Which sentence suggests that you

will get funding?

2. The study design is not perfect, but you deserve the funding.

Academic English writing style 1


The study design is not perfect, but you deserve the

funding. The grant will be awarded in two stages.

Stress position

Topic position

Readers focus at the end of the sentence for what is important. Information in this stress position can also introduce

the topic of the next sentence (useful for explanations and processes).



The local government has been striving to introduce Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education. In college science education, technology was introduced through the ICT-Connect-TED project. The program aimed at improving the quality of lecturers through the use of ICT. ICT-Connect-TED recently provided computers and a networking infrastructure to selected tertiary colleges.

idea idea idea idea

Topic link

sentence

Adapted from: Kafyulilo et al. Educ Inf Technol. 5 May 2015; DOI 10.1007/s10639-015-9398-0



Almost all participants indicated a high level of satisfaction with the content, sequence and relevance of the ICT professional development program they attended. Only a few lecturers reported that the duration of the professional development program was too short. However, the majority of the lecturers reported that they developed an understanding of what TPACK is, and the way technology can enhance teaching and learning of difficult scientific concepts through the collaborative design of technology-enhanced clinic sessions in teams. “I developed an understanding of how TPACK can be applied in the design and teaching of a technology-enhanced lesson” said one of the pre-service lecturers. A lecturer from College C said if it was not the professional development he attended, he would not know how to use technology in teaching.

The pre-service lecturers had the opportunity to further develop learning about technology integration in teaching after the professional development program had finished. They were invited to use their TPACK knowledge in workshops organized by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training…

Topic sentence

Stress sentence Topic sentence

Supporting sentences




Lecturers were positive about the effectiveness of technology in teaching. They reported the effectiveness of technology on students’ learning, and on simplifying their teaching process. Most of the lecturers reported to be comfortable and satisfied with the outcomes of the technology-integrated lessons they had developed and taught during the professional development program. One of the lecturers from College A said,…

idea idea idea idea

Topic link


Information in the topic position can introduce the topic of the next sentence

(useful for definitions, descriptions, and narratives).



Findings in this study are presented in four sections. The first section presents the continuation of technology use in teaching. The second section presents the factors affecting the continuation of use of technology in teaching among lecturers who participated in the study. The third section presents the college management view on the impact of the professional development program and the institutional challenges on using technology in teaching. Finally, the enabling and hindering factors affecting the continuation of technology are summarized.

idea idea idea idea

Topic link


Information in the stress position can introduce the topic of the next few sentences

(useful for lists and describing whole/parts).




Logical connectors

Sequential

Causal

Adversative Although, Even though, Whereas, However,

In contrast, Despite (+noun/verb -ing),…

Because (of), To (+verb), Owing to, So that, Therefore, Thus, Hence, Consequently,…

Until, After, Before, While, Since, When, Then, Next, First/Second/Third, Finally,…

Conditional If, Even if, Unless, Whether or not, Provided

that, Otherwise,…

Activity 2


Section 3


Manuscripts with impact

Where to start?

Your findings form the basis of your manuscript

First organize your findings

Logic, then English language

Figure 1

Figure 2

Table 1

Figure 3

Logical flow • Chronology • Most to least

important • General to

specific • Whole+parts

Is anything missing?

? Additional analyses?

Use your illustrations to structure your manuscript

Manuscripts with impact Prepare an outline

I. Introduction A. General background B. Related studies C. Problems in the field D. Aims

II. Methods A. Subjects/Samples/Materials B. General methods C. Specific methods D. Statistical analyses

III. Results A. Key points about Figure 1 B. Key points about Table 1 C. Key points about Figure 2 D. Key points about Figure 3 E. Key points about Figure 4

IV. Discussion A. Major conclusion B. Key findings that support conclusion C. Relevance to published studies D. Limitations E. Unexpected results F. Implications G. Future directions

Write down key ideas in bullet points, as IMRaD (=Intro, Methods, Results and Discussion)

Use reporting guidelines No need for full sentences or correct

English yet Draft title/abstract early; finalize later Draft the article by IMRaD sections; get

feedback & revise each section in turn Revise content/logic before language

When using information from other articles: Paraphrase with

citations!

Manuscripts with impact The ‘write’ order

How does your study contribute to your field?

What did you find?

What did you do?

Why did you do the study?

Title/Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion


Title/Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Title/Abstract

Methods

Results

Discussion

Introduction

Abstract /Title

write

The ‘write’ order

Manuscripts with impact Introduction

Why is your study needed?

Current state of the field

Background information

Specific aim/approach Aim

Problem in the field

Previous studies

Current study

General

Specific Importance/Hypothesis

Worldwide relevance? Broad/specialized?

Up-to-date, International Not too many self-cites

Manuscripts with impact Problem/knowledge gap

However, …an alternative approach… …a challenge …a need for clarification… …a problem/weakness with… …has not been dealt with… …remains unstudied …requires clarification …is not sufficiently (+ adjective) …is ineffective/inaccurate/inadequate/inconclusive/incorrect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Few studies have… There is an urgent need to… There is growing concern that… Little evidence is available on… It is necessary to… Little work has been done on…

Key phrases

Manuscripts with impact Writing the Introduction

The aims should directly address the problem

The main objective of this research is to develop a general model for estimating the stresses, strain, and ground movement, which can then be used to describe the worse case conditions that may occur near the wellbore in longwall mining areas.


Wang et al. J Petrol Explor Prod Technol. 2014; 4: 59–71.

Study aims

“Study of borewell stability of Marcellus shale wells in longwall mining areas”

Factors that need to be studied are those that are applied to the casing and the resulting stress and strains or displacements that could lead to an unstable wellbore.


How the study was done

• Processes, treatments, measurements, follow-up

• Variables (direct/proxy) • Outcome/endpoints (1o, 2o)

• Quantification/models • Statistical tests (& P level) • Consult a statistician

Who/what was studied

• Participants, controls • Enrollment, N & “power” • Materials, databases

Data analysis

Describe all aspects of the design

Methods

Manuscripts with impact Methods

Established techniques

• Cite previously published studies • Briefly state modifications • Use flow chart/table* if needed

• Explain purposes; justify choices • Give enough detail for reproducibility • Use Supplementary Information

Organization • Arrange in (titled) subsections • Keep parallel to the display items • Use topic sentences

New techniques

*Summary of study settings, flow of participants, text selection, variables, chronology of analyses…

Manuscripts with impact Results

• Efficacy/safety • Group/subgroups • Uni-/bi-/multivariable

• Each subsection corresponds to one figure and method

• What you found, not what it means

• Use Supplementary Information

• Data accessibility

Logical presentation

Subsections

Factual description

Present results logically and factually


Combined Results–Discussion

Results Interpretation

Figure 1


Figure 2


Figure 3


Figure 4

Initial observation


Characterization

Application


Combined Methods– Results–Discussion

Method & Results Interpretation

Figure 1


Figure 2


Figure 3


Figure 4

Initial observation


Characterization

Application


Describe relationships among your results

Treatment A reduced soil lead levels by 32.7% and increased soil pH by 12.3%. Treatment B reduced soil lead levels by 22.3% and increased soil pH by 15.6%. Treatment C reduced soil lead levels by 38.1% and increased soil pH by 6.9%.


Describe relationships among your results

Treatment C reduced soil lead levels (38.1%) more effectively than treatments A (32.7%) and B (22.3%). However, treatment B increased soil pH levels (15.6%) more effectively than treatments A (12.3%) and C (6.9%).

Manuscripts with impact Discussion

Summary of findings

Relevance

Conclusion

Similarities/differences Unexpected/negative results Limitations (validity, reliability)

Implications

Previous studies

Current study

Future studies

Specific

General

How do you advance your field?


Modified from: Rao Jala et al. BMC Cancer 2012; 12: 624.

State the major conclusion of the study

Long Discussion – Beginning

Nitrogen pollution in household wastewater tends to lead to eutrophication in natural waters, which can diminish water quality and ecosystem services. However, the comparative cost and effectiveness of conventional and alternative wastewater treatment strategies to reduce nitrogen have not been clearly evaluated. In this study, we found that the most cost-effective alternatives for mitigating nitrogen are decentralized systems, paired with conventional septic systems as necessary. Sensitivity analysis shows that...

Re-introduction

Conclusion

Problem


Chiswick Chap, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toulmin_Argumentation_Example.gif, CC-BY-SA-3.0

Making claims

Toulmin model of argumentation


The public’s perspective of industrial safety incidents showed both overlaps and additional aspects from environmental professionals’ opinions….The public’s statements brought insight on…

Most of the included studies have been conducted in US-American public education settings; thus, the transferability of results to other settings is limited…. Integrating the public’s perspective broadens the existing understanding of industrial safety events and should therefore be considered as a complimentary measuring tool….

Start of Discussion: summary of findings

Conclusions: main conclusion & implication

Match extent, confidence, precision

Limitations

Making claims

Data

Claims

Qualifier

Rebuttal

Warrant


How safe is mist netting? evaluating the risk of injury and mortality to birds

Whether or not the behaviours such as lethargy and eye closing that are used to identify stress by banders are truly correlated directly with stress cannot be determined without further research using blood samples to link corticosterone to indicator behaviours. Despite this limitation, these behaviours still indicate the possibility of a capture-related mortality and thus provide an important cue to banders when it is necessary to respond quickly to prevent mortality.

Identify limitations

Discussing limitations

Modified from: Spotswood et al. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 2012; 3: 29–38.

Address limitations

End positively: give the bad news first

“How safe is mist netting? Evaluating the risk of injury and mortality to birds”


Whether or not the behaviours such as lethargy and eye closing that are used to identify stress by banders are truly correlated directly with stress cannot be determined without further research using blood samples to link corticosterone to indicator behaviours. Despite this limitation, these behaviours still indicate the possibility of a capture-related mortality and thus provide an important cue to banders when it is necessary to respond quickly to prevent mortality.

Identify limitations

Discussing limitations

Address limitations

End positively: Good news last & in long, main clause!

“How safe is mist netting? Evaluating the risk of injury and mortality to birds”

Modified from: Spotswood et al. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 2012; 3: 29–38.

Manuscripts with impact Discussion – End

Why is your study important?

The technology of underbalanced drilling has been long used and is still a good drilling technology. Using the air injection connector system developed in this study in underbalanced drilling gives the technology a higher edge. The modification of the underbalanced drilling technology helps to reduce the density of the drilling fluid. Compared with the method of ‘‘U-tube’’ well for air injection, the parasite system with air injection connector is more economically feasible. As long as these controlling methods and safety rules are followed, the on-site engineering can be executed successfully.

Topic

Conclusion

Implications

Application

Jiang et al. J Petrol Explor Prod Technol. 2014; 4: 275–280.

Manuscripts with impact Discussion – End

Why is your study important?

Nine-year-old mangrove plantations differed from natural mangroves according to biomass and abundance. Species diversity in plantations increased through the monitoring period but it was dominated by opportunistic eurybiotic gastropod species. This suggests that the ecosystem is still in a transitional state. Further study is needed to examine if the abundance of these species will plateau or even decrease as the whole system reaches equilibrium. This investigation is the first study of gastropod molluscs in mangroves of central Vietnam, and it is one of the first long-term monitoring studies in the newly planted mangroves. The findings of this study potentially can make a contribution to understanding of establishing of mangrove ecosystem and highlighted the parameters in evaluating the state of the mangrove ecosystem.

Conclusion

Key finding

Implications

Future directions

Importance

Modified from: Zvonareva et al. Zoological Studies. 2015; 54: 39.

Manuscripts with impact Story line and consistency

General background

Aims

Methodology

Results and figures

Summary of findings

Implications for the field

Relevance of findings


Current state of the field Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Solution

Situation/Problem

Evaluation/Comment

Manuscripts with impact Story line and consistency

Urban landscapes have extensive habitat fragmentation, …compacted soil, …and elevated pollution levels.

Research on urban ecology has focused on vertebrates, and arthropods have received less attention.

These findings identify urban soil compaction as a possible cause of cicada diversity loss, as it impedes the passage of nymphs to underground nests.

Background

Problem

Conclusion

Discussion

Introduction

Modified from: Moriyama & Numata. Zoological Letters. 2015; 1: 19.

In the present study, we investigated the influence of the environment on cicada communities in Osaka Prefecture, focusing on urban soil compaction.

Aim

Activity 3


Section 4

Making the best first impression 1

Customer Service Marketing your work Title and abstract

First impression of paper: clear/concise/convincing

Importance of your results

Validity of your conclusions

Relevance of your aims

It sells your work: Readers judge your style & credibility

Often first/only part that is read by

readers & reviewers

Your title & abstract summarize your study


Title

Important points

Only the main idea Accurate, simple Population/model Include keywords Fewer than 20 words Hanging title:

method/study type

Avoid

Unneeded words (A/The, A study of) Complex or sensational words Complex word order Abbreviations “New” or “novel”


Interrogative Carcinogenicity of consumption of

red and processed meat: What about environmental contaminants?

Indicative/ Descriptive*

Urban air quality comparison for bus, tram, subway and pedestrian

commutes in Barcelona

* + Method (subtitle)

Association between lung cancer incidence and ambient air pollution in China: A spatiotemporal analysis

Assertive/ Declarative*

Risk assessment׳s insensitive toxicity testing may cause it to fail / Presence of an epigenetic signature

of prenatal cigarette smoke exposure in childhood

Title

From: Environmental Research


Search Engine Optimization

Identify 7–8 keywords (try to use standard ones*)

Use 2 in your title, 5–6 in the keyword list

Use 3 keywords 3–4 times in your abstract

Use keywords in headings when appropriate

Be consistent throughout your paper; include synonyms

Cite your previous publications when relevant

*Or standard terms from PsycINFO, BIOSIS, ChemWeb, ERIC Thesaurus, GeoRef, MeSH, etc


Context Background, problem, aim

Results Outcomes, effects,

properties, statistics

Conclusion Relevance, implications Learning points, future

Methods Subjects/materials/animals Treatments, measurements

No references, unusual abbreviations, figures/tables Clinical: funding & trial registration number after abstract

Abstract

Customer Service Marketing your work Unstructured abstract

In the Tahe oilfield in China, heavy oil is commonly lifted using the light oil blending technology. However, due to the lack of light oil, the production of heavy oil has been seriously limited. Thus, a new compound technology of light oil blending and electric heating is discussed in this paper, which aims to reduce the usage of light oil and maintain heavy oil production. Based on the mass, momentum and energy conservation, a pressure and temperature coupling model is developed. The heat-transfer parameters are calculated by using Hasan–Kabir method and the pressure drop is calculated by using Hagedorn–Brown method. The model also considers the blend effect of light oil and heavy oil, and the heating effect of electric rod. Example calculation shows that only electric heating or light oil blending technology cannot meet the requirement. The amount of light oil used can be reduced by combining the electric heating technology.

Zhu et al. J Petrol Explor Prod Technol. 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s13202-014-0126-x.


In the Tahe oilfield in China, heavy oil is commonly lifted using the light oil blending technology. However, due to the lack of light oil, the production of heavy oil has been seriously limited. Thus, a new compound technology of light oil blending and electric heating is discussed in this paper, which aims to reduce the usage of light oil and maintain heavy oil production. Based on the mass, momentum and energy conservation, a pressure and temperature coupling model is developed. The heat-transfer parameters are calculated by using Hasan–Kabir method and the pressure drop is calculated by using Hagedorn–Brown method. The model also considers the blend effect of light oil and heavy oil, and the heating effect of electric rod. Example calculation shows that only electric heating or light oil blending technology cannot meet the requirement. The amount of light oil used can be reduced by combining the electric heating technology.

Why the study needed to be done

Your aims to solve the problem

What you did and what you found

Why your study is important for the field

Zhu et al. J Petrol Explor Prod Technol. 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s13202-014-0126-x.


Matsumoto et al. Applied Entomology and Zoology. 2011; 46: 435–442 .

The twisted-wing parasite Elenchus japonicus is a major parasitoid of rice planthoppers (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), including the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, the white-backed planthopper Sogatella furcifera, and the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus. Another Elenchus species, E. yasumatsui, which is considered to be synonymous with E. japonicus, has also been described in southern Asia. However, limited biological and molecular data on this important parasitoid of rice planthoppers are available. In this study, E. japonicas-stylopized planthoppers were obtained from various regions in Asia and Japan. Sequences of the nuclear 18S ribosomal RNA gene and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene of the strepsipterans were analyzed from 40 samples of E. japonicus: 14 from N. lugens, 6 from S. furcifera and 20 from L. striatellus. Sequence analysis of these samples revealed three genotypes of E. japonicus. Of the three types of E. japonicus, one was isolated only from L. striatellus from northern Japan. The other two types were found in all three rice planthopper species collected from a wide area in Asia. These results suggest that the three different genotypes of Elenchus can be associated with a particular geographical region and/or planthopper species. The relationship between two previously described Elenchus species and the present three genotypes needs to be elucidated.

How does your study contribute to your field?

What did you find?

What did you do?

Why did you do the study?

Section 5

Making the best first impression 2

Customer Service Marketing your work Cover letter to the editor

Dear Dr Robens-Garcia

Please find enclosed our manuscript entitled “Prediction of the largest peak nonlinear seismic response of asymmetric

structures under bi-directional excitation,” which we would like to submit for publication as an Original Article in the

Journal of Seismology Today.

Assessing the seismic performance of asymmetric structures is challenging because of their elevation irregularities. Various methods have been proposed that combine non-linear static (pushover) analysis of a multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) mathematical model with the response spectrum analysis of an equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model. Although these methods aim to estimate the peak response of asymmetric structures to seismic motion, they have been shown to be limited in their accuracy. In this study, we improve an earlier nonlinear analysis method by determining the properties of two independent SDOF models based on the results of a pushover analysis of an asymmetric structure. The largest peak response is then estimated by combining the analysis of the two modal responses. In contrast to previous methods, ours takes into account changes in the principal direction of the first modal response. This allows our model to more reliably estimate the response of asymmetric structures to ground motion acting at an arbitrary angle of incidence. The novel computational method presented here can more accurately evaluate the seismic performance of asymmetric structures. Accurately evaluating seismic performance is crucial given the high rate of building development worldwide. Therefore, because this model will have implications in building engineering, mining and exploration, and seismic hazards, we believe this study will be of considerable interest to the readers of the Journal of Seismology Today.

Why study needs to be done

What was done and what was

found

Interest to journal’s readers

We would also like to suggest the following reviewers for our manuscript…

Editor’s name Manuscript title

Article type

Recommend reviewers


Other important information:

Recommended reviewers Author’s contact information

We would like to recommend the following reviewers to evaluate our manuscript: 1. Reviewer 1 and contact information 2. Reviewer 2 and contact information 3. Reviewer 3 and contact information 4. Reviewer 4 and contact information Please address all correspondence to:

Reviewers

Contact information

Can also exclude reviewers


We confirm that this manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal. All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with submission to the Journal of Seismology Today. This study was funded by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Last paragraph:

Declarations related to publication ethics Source of funding Conflicts of interest

Ethics

Funding

Conflicts of interest


The novel computational method presented here can more accurately evaluate the seismic performance of asymmetric structures. Accurately evaluating seismic performance is crucial given the high rate of building development worldwide. Therefore, because this model will have implications in building engineering, mining and exploration, and seismic hazards, we believe this study will be of considerable interest to the readers of the Journal of Seismology Today.

Why your study is interesting to the journal’s readership (para 4)

Target your journal – keywords from the Aims and Scope

Conclusion/importance

Relevance


Highlight recent issues in the media

“Given the considerable attention Ebola has received worldwide, it will be important to…”

Highlight recent policy changes

“Recently, the local government has implemented new incentives to promote health tourism…”

Highlight recently published articles in

their journal

“The human effects of ingesting lithium in drinking water have recently been showcased in your journal. However, it still remains unclear…”

Highlight current controversies

“Currently, there is disagreement on the links of bisphenol A exposure to obesity. Our study aims to address this controversy…”

Customer Service Marketing your work

Recommending reviewers

Where to find them?

From your reading/references, networking at conferences

How senior? Aim for mid-level researchers

Who to avoid? Collaborators (past 5 years),

researchers from your university

International list: 1 or 2 from Asia, 1 or 2 from Europe, and 1 or 2 from North America

Choose reviewers who have published in your target journal

Customer Service Marketing your work

Be careful who you recommend!

Section 6


Peer review Peer review

Blinded/ masked?

Other models

• Single-blind: Reviewers’ names not revealed to authors

• Double-/Triple-blind: Anonymous • Open: All names revealed • Transparent: Reviews published with paper • Fast Track: Expedited if public emergency

• Portable/Transferable/Cascading: Manuscript & reviews passed along

• Collaborative: Reviewers (& authors) engage with other

• Post-publication: Online public review • Pre-submission: Reviews passed to editor

Peer review What reviewers are looking for

The science

The manuscript

Relevant hypothesis Good experimental design Appropriate methodology Good data analysis Valid, useful conclusions

Logical flow of information Manuscript structure and formatting Appropriate references High readability

Innovation & Importance, Information, Interest, Influence = IMPACT

Peer review

2 categorical endpoints

Paired (within sample)

Unpaired (between sample)

McNemar’s test

Fisher’s exact test 2 treatment groups

*for sample sizes > 60

Chi-square test* >2 treatment groups

du Prel et al. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107: 343–8.

Common complaints – Statistics

Peer review

Continuous endpoints

Parametric Nonparametric

Paired Unpaired Paired Unpaired

2 groups: Paired t test

>2 groups: Repeated-

measures ANOVA

2 groups: Unpaired t test

>2 groups: ANOVA (F test)

2 groups: Wilcoxon signed-

rank test

>2 groups: Friedman

one-way ANOVA

2 groups: Mann–Whitney U test (Wilcoxon

rank-sum test )

>2 groups: Kruskal–Wallis

test

Lang and Secic 1997; 71.


Peer review

Patient parameters …improved significantly; it is significant that… X was correlated with Y The risk* of developing X in this case-control study…

Patient variables …improved considerably/markedly; it is important that… X was associated with/related to/linked to Y The odds of developing X in this case-control study…

Don’t misuse statistical words!


* OK in a retrospective study if disease is rare and causality is assumed; risk=x/total, odds=x/(total–x)

Peer review Decision letter

Ideas are not logically organized; Poor presentation Purpose and relevance are unclear Cited studies are not up-to-date Topics in the Results/Discussion are not in the Introduction Methods are unclear (variables, missing data); Ethics Wrong (statistical) tests; statistical vs clinical significance Unclear statistics: Power, Need exact P values, 95% CI,

Association ≠ Causation, Confounders, Fishing expeditions Not discussed: Negative results, limitations, implications Discussion has repeated results Conclusions too general, confident, precise; not supported

Common reviewer complaints

Peer review Decision letter

“Slush pile” desk review: Rejection (not novel, no focus or rationale, wrong scope or format) / Resubmit

Peer review: Accept / Accept with minor or language revisions / Revise & resubmit / “Reject”

Hard rejection (“decline the manuscript for publication”) Flaw in design or methods, ethics Major misinterpretation, lack of evidence

Soft rejection (“cannot consider it further at this point”) Incomplete reporting or overgeneralization Additional analyses needed Presentation problem

Interpret the decision letter carefully (& after a break)

Peer review Reviewer response letter

Respond to every reviewer comment

Easy for editor & reviewers to

see changes

• Keep to the deadline; be polite • Restate reviewer’s comment; refer to line and page numbers

Use a different color font

Highlight the text

Strikethrough font for deletions


Fernando L. Cônsoli Editor-in-Chief Neotropical Entomology 2 September 2015 Dear Dr Cônsoli, Re: Resubmission of manuscript reference No. WJS-07-5739 Please find attached a revised version of our manuscript originally entitled “Population dynamics of Drosophilids in response to humidity and temperature,” which we would like to resubmit for consideration for publication in Neotropical Entomology. The reviewer’s comments were highly insightful and enabled us to greatly improve the quality of our manuscript. In the following pages are our point-by-point responses to each of the comments. Revisions in the manuscript are shown as highlighted text. In accordance with the first comment, the title has been revised and the entire manuscript has undergone substantial English editing. We hope that the revisions in the manuscript and our accompanying responses will be sufficient to make our manuscript suitable for publication in Neotropical Entomology.

Address editor personally

Manuscript ID number

Thank reviewers

Highlight major changes


Reviewer Comment: In your analysis of the data you have chosen to use a somewhat obscure fitting function (regression). In my opinion, a simple Gaussian function would have sufficed. Moreover, the results would be more instructive and easier to compare to previous results.

Response: We agree with the Reviewer’s assessment of the analysis. Our tailored function, in its current form, makes it difficult to tell that this measurement constitutes a significant improvement over previously reported values. We describe our new analysis using a Gaussian fitting function in our revised Results section (Page 6, Lines 12–18).

Agreement

Revisions Location

Why agree

Peer review

Reviewer Comment: In your analysis of the data you have chosen to use a somewhat obscure fitting function (regression). In my opinion, a simple Gaussian function would have sufficed. Moreover, the results would be more instructive and easier to compare with previous results.

Response: It’s very clear that you’re not familiar with the current analytical methods in the field. I recommend that you identify a more suitable reviewer for my manuscript.

Reviewer response letter

Peer review

Reviewer Comment: In your analysis of the data you have chosen to use a somewhat obscure fitting function (regression). In my opinion, a simple Gaussian function would have sufficed. Moreover, the results would be more instructive and easier to compare with previous results.

Response: Although a simple Gaussian fit would facilitate comparison with the results of other studies, our tailored function allows for the analysis of the data in terms of the “Pack model” [Pack et al., 2015]. Hence, we have explained the use of this function and the Pack model in our revised Discussion section (Page 12, Lines 2–6).

Evidence

Revisions

Location

Reviewer response letter

Agree or disagree with evidence

Activity 4


Section 7


• Training in reading papers, ethics, writing, presenting



• Journal Selection & submission strategy

• Training in ethics, writing, presenting

• Revising • Editing • Reformatting

• Training in ethics, writing

• Editing • Abstract

Development • Cover Letter

Development • Reviewer

Recommendation

• Training in navigating peer review

• Review Editing • Point-by-point

checking • Response

Letter Development

• Reformatting

• Press release, news writing

• Media & presentation training

• Training for early career researchers

• Training in writing grant proposals

• Grant proposal editing

Engagement

Skills needed on the path to publication success

Preparation

Journal Selection

Writing

Submission

Peer Review

Publication Success

Coverage and Staffing Plan

Promoting your work Your multiple audiences

Everyone evaluates your study…and you

• Journal editors & reviewers • Readers, opinion/policy makers • Students, researchers, industry • Employers, schools, interest groups • (Science) Media, public, politicians • Conference/journal panels • Review boards, funders, donors

Quality, Impact & Relevance

Why your work is important!


Promoting your work

Presenting after you publish

Advantages

Actively promote your article

Advice on future directions

Networking with researchers/media

Networking with journal editors

Conferences, Seminars, Press Conferences, Media Enquiries, Media Interviews,

Social Media, Open Days, Public Education


Promoting your work Publicizing your article

Increase the impact of your research after publication

• Presentations • Web, email • Social media • Press releases • Newsletters • Reports

Respect news embargo

Report clearly and accurately

Respect access/archive policies

Respect copyright/CC licenses

Respect journal publication policy

Check conference guidelines


Promoting your work Match your audience

Pre- and post-publication impact

IMRaD research article

(journals,

posters, slides)

Hard news

(conclusion as “lede”)

(press

releases)

Hard news, delayed

lede

(implication first)

Hard news + kicker

(implication

/call to action last)

Soft news/

Feature story

(news-letters)

Hard news, delayed lede +

kicker

(implications first & last)

Only after journal publication!



Writing for the public

Hard news

Heading

• Can say “new”; can use subheading • Name the source/people

Conclusion first (lede/top line) • Name the source/people • Implications or importance as a quote

Results before Methods; use bullets Background last; end with a quote Contact/institution details in Notes section



Writing for the public

Hard news

6WHs

• Who? • What? • Where? • Why? • When? • How?

Keep the lede short (15-20 words) 300-400 words; short paragraphs Background info in Notes



Elements of a press release

Hard news

Use letterhead FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (or Embargo date) Dateline, city name Quotations on insights from named experts;

no repetition! Include keywords Include full citation; name journal / evidence

level in the text Contact info, institution info in Notes End with END or ENDS or ### or -30-



Tips

Hard news

Give only important details Include definitions, and synonyms, in

introductory or incidental phrases/clauses Check all data, details, and names Grab attention Write for the layperson; use analogies Avoid jargon and technical language Be concise! Be interesting! What is different/new? End with Call to action, or a quotation



Who to target

Hard news

International media (traditional, online) International news agencies National media Local media (for local community) Specialist news agency/hub (e.g., EurekAlert!) Specialist media (practitioners) Consumer media (popular magazines) Institution / academic society Interest groups (social media / blogs)



Writing for the different audiences

Show what you’ve done

Show how you’ve spent (public) funds

Apply for more funding

Share knowledge, educate public

Affect policy/practice

Raise reputation

S

Be an effective communicator

Your goal is not only to be published, but also to be widely read and cited

Preparing well and developing advanced writing skills


Making the best first impression



Thank you!

Any questions?

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Trevor Lane: [email protected] Ruth Tunn: [email protected]

160222 Edanz Okayma Life-Earth

Education

Transcript of 160222 Edanz Okayma Life-Earth