Tackling Common Problems in Scientific Publication

Research publication in a peer-reviewed journal is considered to be a significant milestone in any researcher’s career. One of the biggest challenges to the editorial team is finding a well written article. Though we don’t want to reject a scientific article many times we may have no option but to reject.

I would like to discuss with you some of the best practices while setting out to publish.

1.         Publication ethics

Authors should publish research results in a clear and honest manner, refraining from data manipulation or falsification.

Authors should ensure that the published text is original, has not been published elsewhere and cites all utilized sources and relevant previous research.

All authors assume responsibility for the published text.

2.         Manuscript Formatting

Authors must read through the instructions carefully and ensure that the manuscript adheres to the format and style guidelines. Authors must ensure that the manuscript is written in a clear and concise manner, avoiding repetitive information.

3.         Ethical approvals

Authors must take approval from animal ethical committee or human ethical committee or any appropriate bodies before starting the studies and must upload the approval letters while submitting to journal

4.         Authorship

Authors should have made all of the following contributions:   

• Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work.
• Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content
• Final approval of the version to be published
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved

5.         Commercial Relationships

Scientific collaborations usually mean that authors usually receive research grants or funding or any other form of financial support from organizations for the research conducted. It is critical that authors disclose any financial gains of this nature while submitting their manuscript as potential conflicts of interests.

6.         Communicating with the Editor

It is essential for researchers to be able to communicate well with the editors and the journal staff. The communication should be well written and must have a professional tone. All queries from the editorial team should be addressed in a straightforward manner so that all the issues highlighted are resolved.

7.         Duplicate publication

Most journals wish to consider only work that has not been published elsewhere. One reason for this is that the scientific literature can be skewed by redundant publication, with important consequences. Hence publish in only one journal.

A practice of quality & ethical publication practice will take the researcher to the highest standard of research. RJPS always encourages such quality publications and will work with such researcher.