how to write and submit the scientific english paper in ...€¦ · improve your manuscript, by all...

How to Write and Submit the Scientific English Paper in

International Journals

Zuohua Huang

Xi’an Jiaotong University

E-mail:zhhuang.xjtu.edu.cnhttp://zhhuang.gr.xjtu.edu.cn

September 28, 2010


Contents

How to prepare and write a Scientific English manuscript

How to submit the manuscript

How to response the reviewer comments and prepare the revised manuscript


Needs

High-quality research demonstration

Increasing your competitive ability

Ph D graduation requirement

Early accumulation for future development


Manuscript preparation

Does the study worth publication? ………………………..

Starting to prepare the manuscript

Which journal to submit?

How to prepare the manuscript?


Manuscript preparationWhy Have Your Manuscript Well Prepared?It increases your chances of being published.

There is a clear indication that badly written articles correlate with a high rejection rate.

On equal scientific merit, a badly written article will have less chance of being accepted.

Factors that caused most problems were poor use of English and careless preparation of the manuscript.


Manuscript preparationRecently, Chinese scholars do a very good research work, but the manuscript preparation does not meet the requirement of international academic journals, and this makes less acceptance by publications.

Analytical approach.Mainly on description but lacking deep analysis.

Chinese writing style.Less analysis on new findings.Poor English expression.


Manuscript preparation1. Title of the manuscript2. Figures and Tables preparation3. Introduction sectionThis is very important for international journal, these issues should be clarified….meaning of the study, current status and progress…the unsolved problem…the objectives of the study…

4. Experimental setup and procedures or numerical methods

5. Results and discussionsComparing to explanation to experimental (simulation) phenomenon, an insight interpretation is more important….


Manuscript preparation6. Conclusions7. Abstract8. References (Journal format)9. Whole manuscript arrangementDouble line text….List of figure caption….Tables in separate sheet….Figures in separate sheet….

10. Let teacher to correct the manuscript carefully…………..


Manuscript preparationAbstract: explains what was done and what the main conclusions are. Must be short (a few hundred words at most), no matter how long and how complicated the paper is.

Introduction: i. Explain what your problem is and why it is important.ii. State what is known about the subject.iii. Complain about what is lacking in the current state of knowledgeiv. Explain what you will do that is better (may be in a separate Objectives section).


Manuscript preparationMethod: experimental apparatus, numerical model, whatever Results: what you found and how it compares with previous worksConclusions: what you learned

Can reference toTips for successful research

Prof. Paul D. RonneyDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA 90089-1453

http://carambola.usc.edu


Manuscript preparationmust be readable - caution on pictures!!!

Terrible figure (same data)


Manuscript submission

1. Journal selection….from easy to difficult….If high value paper submits, target to high influential journal….

2. Prepare a letter for manuscript submission

3. Check the submission routeOnline submission or post submission……

4. Following the submission procedures5. Submission confirmation6. Copyright transfer (based on requirement)

7. Waiting for the reviewing results….


Manuscript revision1. Receiving reviewer’s comments & editor comments….read carefully and prepare the responsePublish without revisionPublish after minor revisionPublish after major revisionNot acceptedIf needs revision from the editor, your paper is more likely accepted even tough comments as long as you carefully prepare the revision.2. Prepare revised manuscript & separate reply (rebuttals) to each reviewer

Point-to-point replyClear, reasonable, modest…, especially to un-agreeable comments …

Indication the modified placeConsistence in revision and replyCareful and much effort are needed…….


Manuscript revision & proof checking

3. Submitting the revised version4. Waiting for the results 5. Receiving the acceptance noticeCopyright transfer……

6. Receiving the proof7. Checking and returning the corrected proof8. Article in press9. Final publication


Writing Effective ManuscriptsSan Francisco Edit http://www.sfedit.net

Focusing on Your Central MessageEight Steps to Developing an Effective OutlineTwelve Steps to Developing an Effective First DraftTen Steps to Writing an Effective AbstractTen Steps to Writing an Effective IntroductionTwelve Steps to Writing an Effective Results SectionFourteen Steps to Writing an Effective Discussion SectionTwelve Steps to Writing an Effective Materials and MethodsTwelve Steps to Developing Effective Tables and FiguresDeveloping an Effective TitleSelecting a JournalResponding to ReviewersEleven Reasons why Manuscripts are RejectedJournal Submission ChecklistPromoting Your PublicationEffective Use of Numbers and Statistics


Responding to Reviewers

1. Read all of the comments from reviewers and the editor.

2. Never respond immediately. Allow yourself a few days to reflect on the comments.

3. If the comments from the editor and reviewers can be used to improve your manuscript, by all means, make those changes.

4. If your manuscript was rejected and you still feel that your work deserves publication, send it quickly to another journal. Some data can become less relevant if too much time passes.

5. If your manuscript has been provisionally accepted, it is a good idea to respond promptly. As soon as possible, begin drafting a polite, thoughtful, clear, and detailed response.


Responding to Reviewers6. Be polite. Avoid a defensive or confrontational tone in your response. The goal is to extract helpful information from the comments, adopt any useful suggestions to improve your manuscript, and calmly explain your point of view when you disagree.7. Respond completely to each comment in an orderly, itemized manner, and, if necessary, copy and paste into the letter any substantive changes made to the manuscript. There is no limit on the length of your response. Most editors are willing toread a long and complete response.8. Change and modify your manuscript where it makes sense. You are not required to make every suggested change, but you do need to address all of the comments. If you reject a suggestion, the editor will want a good reason with evidence supported by references. Just because you prefer it your way is not a good enough reason.


Responding to Reviewers9. Reviewers do not always agree with each other, in which case you must make a choice. Decide which recommendations seem more valid, and note in your response letter to the editor that you received conflicting advice and made what you think is thebest choice.10. If the reviewer is obviously wrong and has made a mistake, you are entitled to provide an argument and provide facts that can be referenced.11. Sometimes you are asked to reduce considerably the length of the manuscript. You must not feel too attached to your words and should shorten the manuscript.12. Ensure that what you say you have done to the manuscript, has in fact been done, and do make sure you follow the journal’s guidelines. Editors become irritated when they find that comments made in the response letter do not match what is in the manuscript.


Eleven reasons why manuscripts are rejected1. Poor experimental design and/or inadequate investigation. 2. Failure to conform to the targeted journal. 3. Poor English grammar, style, and syntax. 4. Insufficient problem statement. 5. Methods not described in detail. 6. Overinterpretation of results. 7. Inappropriate or incomplete statistics.8. Unsatisfactory or confusing presentation of data in tables or figures. 9. Conclusions not supported by data. 10. Incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated review of the literature. 11. Author unwilling to revise the manuscript to address reviewer’s suggestions.


Important notes

Reading more scientific English papers…. Student initiative……..Supervisor careful revision……First step is important……Enough self-confidence……. Reviewer’s comments are beneficial to your future research……..


Submitting PublicationsCombust Flame, Combust Sci Technol., Fuel, Energy Fuels, Appl Therm Eng, J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power, Renew. Energy, Bioresour. Technol., Energy Convers. Manage. Exp. Therm. Fluid Sci., Int J Hydrogen Energy, Atmos. Environ., J. Aerosol Sci., Aerosol Sci. Technol., Sci. Total Environ., Appl. Energy, Environ. Sci. Technol., J Automob. Eng., Int. J. Heat Mass Transf., Combust Explos Shock Waves, Combust. Theory Model., Flow TurbulCombust.,……….


Submitting Publications

Please reference the style and requirements for the target journal…in text, reference….

The best way is to download a published paper in this journal and reference the style.

Submitting paper according to the online steps.


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