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Scholarly publishing

Preparing Publications

When you want to write a journal article, think about the four A's:

  • Aim: career purpose, self satisfaction, funding purpose, knowledge dissemination
  • Audience: fellow professions, policy makers, general audience
  • Awareness of existing work
  • Articulate your ideas clearly

Watch the video below to understand how to think using the four A's before writing your article.

 

How can I formulate a good title & abstract for my research paper.

There are several tips that you can utilize to furmulate a good abstract for your research.

Check the tabbed box below to find out which these tips are:

The title of a good research paper should:

  • be simple and direct
  • be interesting and informative
  • be specific, accurate, and functional (with essential scientific “keywords” for indexing)
  • be concise, precise, and should include the main theme of the paper
  • follow the SPICED model, that is, Setting, Population, Intervention, Condition, End-point, and Design
  • mention the place of the study and sample size only if it adds to the scientific value of the title
  • place important terms/keywords in the beginning of the title
  • adhere to the word count and other instructions as specified by the target journal
  • be preferably descriptive istead of declarative or interrogative

The title of a good research paper should not :

  • be misleading or misrepresentative
  • be too long or too short (or cryptic)
  • include whimsical or amusing words
  • include nonstandard abbreviations, unnecessary acronyms, or technical jargon

A good abstract should:

  • have simple language and phrases (rather than sentences)
  • be informative, cohesive, and adhering to the structure (subheadings) provided by the target journal. Structured abstracts are preferred over unstructured abstracts
  • be independent and stand-alone/complete
  • be concise, interesting, unbiased, honest, balanced, and precise
  • utilize the full word capacity allowed by the journal so that most of the actual scientific facts of the main paper are represented in the abstract
  • include the key message prominently
  • adhere to the style and the word count specified by the target journal (usually about 250 words)
  • list appropriate “keywords” below the abstract (keywords are used for indexing purpose)

The abstract of a good research paper should not :

  • be misleading or misrepresentative; it should be consistent with the main text of the paper (especially after a revision is made)
  • use nonstandard abbreviations and (if possible) passive voice