scientific publishing joanne thomson imperial college london 4 th february 2010
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Scientific Publishing
Joanne ThomsonImperial College London4th February 2010
Outline
• Who am I?
• RSC Publishing
• General chemistry journals
• How to get published
Who am I?
Joanne Thomson
Deputy Editor
ChemComm, Chemical Science & Chem Soc Rev
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
• Learned Chemistry Society with 46,000 members
• Professional body and charity (not-for-profit)
• International not-for-profit publisher since 1841
RSC Publishing
• Based in Cambridge• ~250 staff• All editorial staff trained:
– Scientists – Professional editors
• Technical editing• Quality of service
RSC Publishing
• 27 Journals– >10,000 articles
published (09)– Online journal
archive • Databases• Chemistry World• Library & Information
Centre (London)
General Chemistry
Communications
Impact factor 5.34
Reviews
Impact factor 17.4?
Chemical Science has the Edge!
All original research published in one format:
Edge Article• Flexible - >3 pages but no upper page limit• Novel research findings presented in a succinct
and exciting way• No lengthy introductions/discussion, extensive
data, excessive experimental details and non-experiment-based conjecture
Two review types: Mini Reviews and Perspectives
http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/chemsci
International Symposia on Advancing the Chemical Sciences (ISACS 1-3)
Visit: www.rsc.org/isacs
A new generation of global conferences• Challenges in Organic Chemistry and Chemical
Biology (ISACS1) 6-9 July 2010, San Francisco, USA
• Challenges in Physical Chemistry and Nanoscience (ISACS2) 13-16 July 2010, Budapest, Hungary
• Challenges in Inorganic and Materials Chemistry (ISACS3) 20-23 July 2010, Hong Kong, China
How to get published
Outline
• Requirements of a scientific article
• Choice of journal
• Writing a paper
• Submission
• Revision
• Top Tips
Requirements of a scientific article
• Articles should be:– within journal scope– interesting to readership– the appropriate scientific quality– novel and advance existing knowledge of
subject
Choosing a journal
• Journal scope – website; ask the Editor!
• Articles from others in your subject area?
• Specialised or General journal?
• Communication or a full paper?
• Impact factor
• Publication times
• Society Publisher?
How to write…
• Emphasise the novel aspects
• Emphasise the impact
• Compare with existing work
• Reference related articles
• Avoid personal criticism
Writing the paper
• Think about audience• Keep the language
simple• Use short sentences
and short words• Use spell and grammar
check• Proof read before
submission
Sections of a Manuscript
• Title• Abstract• Introduction• Results and Discussion• Conclusion• Experimental• References
Introduction – what to include
• Set the scene for the reader– Why is the area important?– What has been done in the past?
• Justify why you have done the work– What advantages will it have?
• Outline your objectives– What do you plan to achieve?
Results and Discussion
• Present your results – Write in a logical order– Describe key processes, results and data– Make reference to tables, schemes, figures
• Discuss the meaning of the results– Unexpected / expected?– What conclusions can you draw? (e.g.
mechanism)– Are further experiments necessary?
Conclusions
• A short summary of your achievements and conclusions– Write in a factual style– Emphasise the most important and novel
findings– Include a sentence about current or future
work, if appropriate
Experimental
• A detailed account of what you did• General info
– Equipment type/brand; source of chemicals
• Synthetic procedures– For all unique compounds– Include quantities and moles in brackets
• Characterisation data– Check journal guidelines– Assign spectra where possible
• Make use of the ESI where appropriate
References
• Ensure that any work referred to in the article is cited in the order they appear in the text
• Check the journal’s reference style
Title
• Along with the abstract, this should be written last
• Short, concise and descriptive
• Include keywords (e.g. “organocatalysis”, “natural products”) to aid database searching
Abstract
• Summarise what you are going to present
• Emphasise the most important and novel aspects of the work
• Keep it factual
• Graphical abstract
Submission
• Cover letter
• Declare in-press papers
• Journal guidelines
• Files and formats
• Ethical statements
Cover letter
• To include: – Summary of work– Statement of importance– Impact on community– Future potential
• Address to the Editor • Ensure all facts updated
– Article type– Journal
• Suggested referees
Manuscript Life Cycle - RSC
Receipt of manuscript
Initial Assessment by Editorial Office
REJECTION ACCEPTANCE
PEER REVIEW
(2+ reports)
Evaluation by Editors
Appeal
65% 35%
20%
4% (30% of which successful)
Author revisions
Editorial Board
“Rejection without external review”
“Pre-screening”
Revision
• Respond to all reviewer comments• Give details if you disagree• Ensure answers are included in article• Itemise all changes in your letter
Rejection• Consider referee comments• Learn from the experience• Appeal if appropriate
Acceptance
• On acceptance:– Edited by a team of professional staff– Help with English language– Proofs
• Check meaning and understanding• Check references, figures and content
– Publication on web as soon as possible
Tips to get published
• Ensure your work has novelty and impact• Provide a clear statement of novelty/impact• Read and follow the Guidelines for Authors
and the Ethical Guidelines• Perform thorough literature search• Keep the language simple, short sentences• Proof read before submission • Suggest referees• On revision, address all reviewer comments
How to write….
• ‘Tips for Writing a Journal Article’
Chem. Eng. News, 2007, August 13, p46.
• For a copy of today’s slides:
e-mail [email protected]
Thank you