151218 edanz kumamoto (medical and life science)
Post on 13-Jan-2017
378 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Kumamoto University
18 December 2015
Trevor Lane, PhD Eri Kinoshita, PhD
Author Success Workshop: Effectively Communicating Your Research
S
Be an effective communicator
Your goal is not only to publish, but also to be widely read and cited
Develop good writing skills
Write your ideas clearly
Logically present your research
Publish ethically
Promote your research to your journal
Section 1
Develop good writing skills
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills
Publication success = Academic success
S
Publication Metrics and Success on the Academic Job Market van Dijk et al. Current Biology. 2014; 24: R516-R517.
• >25,000 researchers in PubMed • Which factors predict academic success?
• Number of publications • Impact factor of the journal • Number of citations • University ranking • Male vs Female
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills Impact and study design
Systematic
reviews of RCTs
Randomized controlled
trials (RCTs)
Other controlled trials
Observational studies (cohort, case-control,
cross-sectional surveys/audits, diagnostics)
Computer models (in silico), animal models (in vivo),
in vitro, case studies
Case studies, anecdote, opinion, technical,
simulation
Hypothesis
testing
{ Descriptive/
Qualitative
Methodological {
{
Secondary
research
Primary
research
{ } Experimental (exposure assigned)*
}
} Non-
experimental
*
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills Use reporting guidelines
PRISMA Systematic reviews &
Meta-analyses
STROBE Observational studies
CARE Case reports
CONSORT Randomized controlled
clinical trials
ARRIVE Animal studies
http://www.equator-network.org/
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills
Research Article
Short Communication Case Study Technical Note Review Article Editorial 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 an interesting topic
Brief discussion about a published article
Types of articles
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills
Start with your illustrations
Where to start?
Your findings form the basis of your manuscript
First step: logically organize your display items
Logic, then language
Figure 1
Figure 2
Table 1
Figure 3
Logical flow (Chronology, Least to most
important, General to
specific, Whole+parts)
Is anything missing?
? Additional analyses?
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills 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
No need for sentences or correct
English yet
Use reporting guidelines
Then, draft the title/abstract
List information from your reading in the appropriate section: Paraphrase with citations!
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills Get feedback
Write your manuscript section-by-section – Less stressful – Get feedback after each section; set deadlines – Easier for your colleagues to review
Revise for content, overall logic, and journal style (see guidelines/past papers)
Edit for conciseness, clarity, consistency & accuracy
Get feedback from pre-submission peer review
Get language assistance
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills Manuscript structure
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
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills
Title/Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
Title/Abstract
Methods
Results
Discussion
Introduction
Abstract /Title
write
The ‘write’ order
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills Improve 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”
(http://www.nature.com/authors/author_resources/how_write.html)
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills
To ascertain the efficaciousness of the optional language program, we interrogated the optional
language program participants.
To determine the success of the program, we questioned the participants.
Avoid mistakes 1
Use simple words!
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills Avoid mistakes 1
Prefer Enough Clear Determine Begin Try Very Size Keep Enough End Use
Avoid Adequate Apparent Ascertain Commence Endeavor Exceedingly Magnitude* Retain Sufficient Terminate* Utilization *OK in certain fields (magnitude of earthquakes, to terminate gene expression)
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills
“A number of studies have shown that demographic factors...”
“...as described in our previous study.”
“...at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.”
“As a matter of fact, such a genetic mutation…”
“That is another reason why, we believe…”
“It is well known that most of the interviewed informants...” “It is well known that Most of the interviewed informants...”
“As a matter of fact, such a This genetic mutation…”
“A number of studies have shown that Demographic factors...”
“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.”
Delete extra words!
Avoid mistakes 2
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills
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
Prefer At 2 g/L At 37C To First Four Green After Before Plans; history
Avoid mistakes 2
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills
Estimate Estimation
Decide Decision
Assess Assessment
We made a/an… We conducted a/an… Extra verb
We decided… Clear, short, and direct
Avoid mistakes 2
Delete extra words: don’t hide verbs inside nouns!
Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills
Readers expect…
verbs to closely follow their subjects heavy ends (not starts) of clauses
Subject
The viral infection that the patient caught on a trip to an outbreak-prone area in Africa spread among the hospital staff quickly.
The patient caught a viral infection on a trip to an outbreak-prone area in Africa. This infection spread quickly among the hospital staff.
Verb
Avoid mistakes 3
Plan well
Section 2
Before you start …
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, sound research/publication ethics,
registered human trials
High readability & interest; clear, real-
world relevance
Impact factor (for past 2 years) = No. of cites / No. of articles
Before you start …
Always follow ethics guidelines
Good publication ethics
State conflicts of interest
No plagiarism or redundancy
Clear author contributions
No fabrication or falsification
Study design/data analysis, Writing, Approval, Responsibility
Possible financial, personal bias
Committee on Publication Ethics, COPE Good Publication Practice 3, GPP3
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors , ICMJE)
Before you start … Good publication ethics
Human studies (including surveys, education programs)
• Pre-approval from ethics committee for ethical collection of data
• For studies with prospective assignment into groups: register your trial before enrollment
• Informed consent for enrollment and for publication
Protect personal information
• Keep good records/back-ups • Anonymize patient data; anonymize reports • Keep patient data secure (password protect files/disks;
avoid USB sticks)
Before you start … Data manipulation
Never
Fabricate data Move data on
a graph
Manipulate images
Hide bad results
Before you start … Altering images
What kind of changes can be made to images?
Processing (such as changing brightness and contrast) is appropriate only when it is applied equally across the
entire image and is applied equally to controls. http://www.nature.com/srep/journal-policies/editorial-policies#digital-image
You cannot:
• Enhance brightness/contrast of only part of an image • Cannot crop out/remove “unwanted” artefacts
You may be asked to submit all raw files
Before you start … Four criteria for authorship
1. Substantial contribution to study design, or data collection/analysis/interpretation
2. Writing or revising the manuscript
3. Approval of final version
4. Responsible for all content (accuracy and integrity)
http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html
Before you start …
Acknowledgements
Nugraha et al. Biomaterials. 2011; 32: 6982–6994.
Thank those who have made positive contributions
Funding agencies (some journals have a
separate Funding section)
Before you start … Choose your journal early!
Author guidelines • Manuscript structure • Word limits, References • Procedures, Copyright
Aims and scope • Topics • Readership • Be sure to emphasize
• Check relevant references • Check originality, importance & usefulness!
Before you start … Evaluating impact
How new/important are your findings? How strong is the evidence?
Incremental or large advance? Low or high impact journal
Novelty
Assess your findings honestly & objectively
How broadly relevant are your findings? International or regional journal
General or specialized journal
Relevance/Application
Before you start … 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
Fast track
Before you start … Predatory journals
Some Open Access journals are not good
Easy way to get money from authors
• Promise quick and easy publication • Often ask for a “submission/handling” fee • May copy name of real journal; false IF • May not exist, or may be of low quality • Beware of spam e-mails!
If you are ever unsure, please check Beall’s List of Predatory Publishers
http://scholarlyoa.com/2015/01/02/bealls-list-of-predatory-publishers-2015/
Before you start …
Reputable publisher Springer, Elsevier, Wiley, PLoS, etc.
Editorial board International and familiar
Indexed Indexed by common databases
Authors Do you recognize the authors?
Fees Paid only after acceptance
Trustworthy journals
Before you start …
THINK Trusted and appropriate?
SUBMIT Only if OK
thinkchecksubmit.org
CHECK Do you know the journal?
Trustworthy journals
Before you start … Journal Selector www.edanzediting.co.jp/journal_selector
Insert your proposed abstract or keywords
Before you start …
Matching journals
Journal Selector www.edanzediting.co.jp/journal_selector
Filter/sort by: • Field of study • Impact factor • Open access • Publishing
frequency
Journal’s aims & scope, IF,
and publication frequency
Before you start … Journal Selector www.edanzediting.co.jp/journal_selector
• Author guidelines • Journal website
Are they currently publishing similar articles?
Have you cited relevant ones?
Similar published articles
Structure your manuscript
Section 3
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure Introduction
Current state of the field
Background information
Specific aim/approach/contents Aim
Problem in the field
Previous studies
Current study
General
Specific Importance/hypothesis
Worldwide relevance? Broad/specialized?
Recent, International Not too many self-cites
Why is your study needed?
Check journal if Results can be previewed
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure Writing the Introduction
Your aims must directly address the problem
So far, most research has focused on the negative psychological impact of myocardial infarction. However, trauma can also produce psychological benefits. The identification of factors associated with post-traumatic growth after myocardial infarction is of importance.
Aims The present study investigated the relative contribution of three possible factors to post-traumatic growth after myocardial infarction: personality, psychological health, and cognitive coping.
Problem
Modified from: Garnetski et al. J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2008; 15:270–277 .
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure
Common mistakes in the Introduction
Ideas are not logically organized
Important topics in the Introduction are not mentioned again in the Results/Discussion
Important topics in the Results/Discussion are not mentioned in the Introduction
Cited studies are not up-to-date
Cited studies are geographically biased
Why study needs to be done?
Keep focused
Write last
<5 years
International
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure
Study design
http://www.equator-network.org/
Methods
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure Methods
What did you do?
What was done
• Processes, treatments, measurements, questionnaires
• Variables (direct/proxy) • Outcome/endpoints (1o, 2o)
• Quantification/models/text analysis • Statistical tests (& P level) • Consult a statistician
Who/what was studied
• Participants, controls • Enrollment, N & “power” • Materials, databases
Data analysis
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure
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
Methods
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure
What did you find?
Results
• Efficacy/safety • Group/subgroups • Uni-/bi-/multivariable
• Each subsection corresponds to one figure and method
• Remember to refer to all figures
• What you found, not what it means
• Use Supplementary Information
• Data accessibility
Logical presentation
Subsections
Factual description
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure
Describe relationships among your results
Drug A reduced tumor volume by 32.7%, increased blood pressure by 12.3%, and increased the patient’s weight by 7.3 kg. Drug B reduced tumor volume by 22.3%, increased blood pressure by 15.6%, and increased the patient’s weight by 2.4 kg. Drug C reduced tumor volume by 38.1%, increased blood pressure by 6.9%, and increased the patient’s weight by 9.2 kg.
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure
Describe relationships among your results
Patients treated with Drug C showed the greatest reduction in tumor volume (28.1%) compared with those treated with Drug A (32.7%) or Drug B (22.3%). Drug C also had the lowest increase in blood pressure (6.9%) compared with that seen after treatment with Drug A (12.3%) or Drug B (15.65). However, patients treated with Drug C had the highest weight gain among the three groups (Drug A, 7.3 kg; Drug B, 2.4 kg; Drug C, 9.2 kg).
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure Common mistakes in the Results
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!
*Also: don’t confuse statistical with clinical significance!
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure
Some teachers reported that they developed an understanding of what ICT is and the way technology can enhance teaching and learning of difficult science concepts through the collaborative design of science lessons in teams. “I developed an understanding of how ICT can be applied in the design and teaching of a technology-enhanced lesson,” said one of the pre-service teachers.
• Match qualitative data to the claim • “Tell” and “Show”
Modified from: Kafyulilo et al. Educ Inf Technol. 5 May 2015; DOI 10.1007/s10639-015-9398-0
Topic sentences are unsupported!
Common mistakes in the Results
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure Discussion
Summary of results
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?
Answer of hypothesis test
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure
Describe limitations and negative results
Why?
Reporting transparency
• Allows complete evaluation of your study • Prevents others from repeating those experiments • Allows others to modify those experiments • Prevents funding agencies from wasting money
Data repositories
Writing the middle of your Discussion
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure
What do you want people to remember?
Writing the end of your Discussion
May be a separate section
May be a “Future work” section
We have demonstrated here that genes explain a larger proportion of differences between children in second language achievement than do shared environmental influences of school and home. Our bivariate results for twins demonstrate a general genetic factor of language achievement in the sense that achievement in English and second language is influenced to a large extent by the same genes. It is important to note that genes not only influence aptitude and achievement, but also appetite for knowledge. Such genotype–environment correlation may be increasingly important during adolescence. Our future research thus involves longitudinal study of second language achievement.
Conclusion
Key result
Implications
Future directions
Modified from: Rimfeld et al. Transl Psychiatry. 2015;5:e638.
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure
Common mistakes in the Discussion
Do not restate your results
We showed that tumor volumes in Groups A, B, and C were 34.6, 74.2, and 53.9 mm3, respectively, after a 4-month drug treatment, reflecting only a 8.6% decrease. However, after a 12-month drug treatment, the tumor volumes in Groups A, B, and C were 16.3, 18.7, and 16.9 mm3, respectively, which reflects a 45.2% decrease (p<0.05). The results demonstrate that 12 months of treatment is necessary for Drug X to effectively reduce tumor size among the three groups.
The results presented in this study demonstrate that Drug X more effectively reduces tumor size after 12 months of treatment (45.2% reduction) than it does after 4 months (8.6% reduction).
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure
Common mistakes in the Discussion
Do not overgeneralize your findings
In this study, we demonstrated that Drug A effectively reduced tumor growth. Therefore, this drug should have therapeutic applications in breast cancer treatment.
In this study, we demonstrated that Drug A effectively reduced the growth of various breast cancer cell lines. Our findings suggest that this drug may have therapeutic applications in breast cancer treatment.
Result: Drug A reduced breast cancer cell growth in vitro
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure Link your ideas
General background
Aims
Methodology
Results and figures
Summary of findings
Implications for the field
Relevance of findings
Problem in the field
Current state of the field Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
Solution
Situation/Problem
Evaluation/Comment
Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript
structure Link your ideas
Problem-based learning is an instructional method in which problems are the focal part of learning.
However, it is unclear which particular aspect of the problem is essential for student learning.
In conclusion, this study is among the first to shed more light on the causal interactions of specific problem characteristics at the micro level.
Background
Problem
Conclusion
Discussion
Modified from: Sockalingam et al. Advances in Health Sciences Education. 2011;16:481–490.
We tested a model in which we hypothesized that problem input variables would be related to problem process and outcome variables.
Objective
Make the best first impression
Section 4
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
Your title & abstract should attract readers
It sells your work: Readers judge your style & credibility
Often first or only part that is read by readers/reviewers
Customer Service Marketing your work Title and abstract
Title
Important points
Only main idea/s Accurate, simple Population/model Include keywords Fewer than 20 words Include method/
study type
Avoid
Unneeded words (“A study of”) Sensationalism, journalistic style Complex word order Abbreviations, jargon “New” or “novel”
Customer Service Marketing your work Title and abstract
Interrogative Do biochar blends affect microbial composition of sandy soil?
Indicative/ Descriptive
Effects of modern fertilizers on nutrient leaching and legume crop yield
… + Approach (subtitle)
Melamine contamination of milk: A southern China perspective
Assertive/ Declarative
Health literacy does not narrow the education-based e-health gap / Education-based e-health gap not narrowed by health literacy
Title
Customer Service Marketing your work Structured abstracts
Aim Objective, hypothesis
Results Most important findings
Conclusion Relevance, implications
Methods Techniques, measurements
No references, jargon, unusual abbreviations, figures/tables Human studies: include funding source and trial registration number after abstract
Background Context, problem
Customer Service Marketing your work Unstructured abstract
Modified from: Cannegieter et al. Blood. 2015; 125: 229‒235.
Numerous systemic treatment options exist for patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS); however, the comparative efficacy of these treatments is unclear. We performed a retrospective analysis of our cutaneous lymphoma database to evaluate the treatment efficacy of 198 MF/SS patients undergoing systemic therapies. The primary end point was time to next treatment (TTNT). Patients with advanced-stage disease made up 53%. The median follow-up time from diagnosis for all alive patients was 4.9 years (range 0.3‒39.6), with a median survival of 11.4 years. Patients received a median of 3 lines of therapy (range 1‒13), resulting in 709 treatment episodes. Twenty-eight treatment modalities were analyzed. We found that the median TTNT for single- or multiagent chemotherapy was only 3.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.2‒5.1), with few durable remissions. α-interferon gave a median TTNT of 8.7 months (95% CI 6.0-18.0), and histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) gave a median TTNT of 4.5 months (95% CI 4.0‒6.1). When compared directly with chemotherapy, interferon and HDACi both had greater TTNT (P < .00001 and P = .01, respectively). In conclusion, this study confirms that all chemotherapy regimens assessed have very modest efficacy; we recommend their use be restricted until other options are exhausted.
Customer Service Marketing your work
Modified from: Cannegieter et al. Blood. 2015; 125: 229‒235.
Numerous systemic treatment options exist for patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS); however, the comparative efficacy of these treatments is unclear. We performed a retrospective analysis of our cutaneous lymphoma database to evaluate the treatment efficacy of 198 MF/SS patients undergoing systemic therapies. The primary end point was time to next treatment (TTNT). Patients with advanced-stage disease made up 53%. The median follow-up time from diagnosis for all alive patients was 4.9 years (range 0.3‒39.6), with a median survival of 11.4 years. Patients received a median of 3 lines of therapy (range 1‒13), resulting in 709 treatment episodes. Twenty-eight treatment modalities were analyzed. We found that the median TTNT for single- or multiagent chemotherapy was only 3.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.2‒5.1), with few durable remissions. α-interferon gave a median TTNT of 8.7 months (95% CI 6.0‒18.0), and histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) gave a median TTNT of 4.5 months (95% CI 4.0‒6.1). When compared directly with chemotherapy, interferon and HDACi both had greater TTNT (P < .00001 and P = .01, respectively). In conclusion, this study confirms that all chemotherapy regimens assessed have very modest efficacy; we recommend their use be restricted until other options are exhausted. How does your study contribute to your field?
What did you find?
What did you do?
Why did you do the study?
Unstructured abstract
Customer Service Marketing your work
Dear Dr Struman,
Please find enclosed our manuscript entitled “Evaluation of ICT in Glasgow prognostic scoring in patients undergoing curative
resection for liver metastases,” which we would like to submit for publication as an Original Article in the International Medical
ICT Journal.
The Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) is of value for a variety of tumours. Several studies have investigated the prognostic value of the GPS in patients with metastatic breast cancer, but few studies have performed such an investigation for patients undergoing liver resection for liver metastases. Furthermore, there are currently no studies that have examined the prognostic value of the modified GPS (mGPS) using an ICT platform in these patients. The present study evaluated the mGPS using ICT in terms of its prognostic value for postoperative death in patients undergoing liver resection for breast cancer liver metastases.
A total of 318 patients with breast cancer liver metastases who underwent hepatectomy over a 15-year period were included in this study. The mGPS was calculated using ICT based on the levels of C-reactive protein and albumin, and the disease-free survival and cancer-specific survival rates were evaluated in relation to the mGPS. Prognostic significance was retrospectively analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Overall, the results showed a significant association between cancer-specific survival and the mGPS and carcinoembryonic antigen level, and a higher mGPS was associated with increased aggressiveness of liver recurrence and poorer survival in these patients. This study is the first to demonstrate that the preoperative mGPS via a simple ICT tool is a useful prognostic factor for postoperative survival in cancer patients undergoing curative resection. This information is immediately clinically applicable for surgeons as well as hospital information and patient record systems and health care protocol developers. As a premier journal covering ICT in health care, we believe that the International Medical ICT Journal is the perfect platform from which to share our results with all those concerned with ICT use in cancer management.
Give the background to the research
What was done and what was found
Interest to journal’s readers
Cover letter to the editor
Editor’s name Manuscript title
Article type
Declarations on publication ethics Suggested reviewers Contact information
Customer Service Marketing your work Cover letter to the editor
This study is the first to demonstrate that the preoperative mGPS via a simple ICT tool is a useful prognostic factor for postoperative survival in cancer patients undergoing curative resection. This information is immediately clinically applicable for surgeons as well as hospital information and patient record systems and health care protocol developers. As a premier journal covering ICT in health care, we believe that the International Medical ICT Journal is the perfect platform from which to share our results with all those concerned with ICT use in cancer management.
Why interesting to the journal’s readership (para 4)
Target your journal – keywords from the Aims and Scope
Conclusion & importance
Relevance
Customer Service Marketing your work Cover letter to the editor
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 International Medical ICT Journal. This study was funded by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The lead author is currently a consultant for the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Must include:
Declarations related to publication ethics Source of funding Conflicts of interest
Ethics
Funding
Conflicts of interest
Navigating peer review
Section 5
Customer Service Peer review The submission process
Accepted—publication!
Editor Author
Peer review
Reject
Results novel? Topic relevant? Clear English? Properly formatted?
Revision • New experiments • Improve readability • Add information
Customer Service Peer review Peer review models
Blinded/ masked?
• 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
Customer Service Peer review Peer review models
Other models
• Portable/Transferable/Cascading: Manuscript & reviews passed along
• Collaborative: Reviewers (& authors) engage with each other
• Post-publication: Online public review
• Pre-submission: Reviews may be passed to editor
Customer Service Peer review What reviewers are looking for
The science
The manuscript
Relevant hypothesis Good experimental design Appropriate methodology Good data analysis Valid conclusions
Logical flow of information Manuscript structure and formatting Appropriate references High readability ……Peer review is a positive process!
Customer Service Peer review Decision letter
Ideas are not logically organized; Poor presentation
Purpose and relevance are unclear
Topics in the Results/Discussion are not in the Introduction
Methods are unclear (variables, missing data)
Not discussed: Negative results, limitations, implications
Discussion has repeated results; Conclusions too general
Cited studies are not up-to-date
Common reviewer complaints
Customer Service Peer review Decision letter
“Slush pile” desk review: Rejection (not novel, no focus or rationale, wrong scope or format) / Resubmit after editing
Peer review: Accept / Accept with minor or language revisions / Revise & resubmit / “Reject”
Hard rejection (“decline the manuscript for publication”) Flaw in design or methods 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)
Customer Service Peer review Decision letter example
10 January 2015
Dear Dr. Wong,
Manuscript ID JOS-11-7739: “Prediction of the largest peak nonlinear response of brain structures under bilateral excitation”
Your manuscript has been reviewed, and we regret to inform you that based on our Expert reviewers’ comments, it is not possible to further consider your manuscript in its current form for publication in the Journal of Brain Excitation Imaging.
Although the reviews are not entirely negative, it is evident from the extensive comments that the manuscript, in its current form, does not meet the criteria expected of papers in the Journal of Brain Excitation Imaging. The results appear to be too preliminary and incomplete for publication at the present time.
The reviewer comments are included at the bottom of this letter. I hope the information provided by the reviewers will be helpful to revise your manuscript in future. Thank you for your interest in the journal.
Decision
Reason
Comments
Customer Service Peer review
The Reviewer comments are not entirely negative.
It is not possible to consider your manuscript in its current form.
I hope the information provided will be helpful to revise your manuscript in the future.
I regret that the outcome has not been favorable at this time.
Editor may be interested in your work
Customer Service Peer review
We cannot publish your manuscript
Your study does not contain novel results that merit publication in our journal.
We appreciate your interest in our journal. However, we will not further consider your manuscript for publication.
We wish you luck in publishing your results elsewhere.
Editor is not interested in your work
Customer Service Peer review Reviewer response letter
Respond to every reviewer comment
Easy for editor & reviewers to
see changes
• Revise and 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
Customer Service Peer review Reviewer response letter
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
Customer Service 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 now!!!
Reviewer response letter
Customer Service 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).
Disagree with evidence
Revisions
Location
Reviewer response letter
S
Be an effective communicator
Your goal is not only to publish, but also to be widely read and cited
Develop good writing skills
Write your ideas clearly
Logically present your research
Publish ethically
Promote your research to your journal
Thank you!
Any questions?
Follow us on Twitter
@EdanzEditing
Like us on Facebook
facebook.com/EdanzEditing
Download and further reading edanzediting.co.jp/kumamoto1512
Trevor Lane: tlane@edanzgroup.com Eri Kinoshita: ekinoshita@edanzgroup.com
top related