professional development lecture 6 writing the best scientific paper
DESCRIPTION
Professional Development Lecture 6 Writing the Best Scientific Paper. Philip E. Bourne [email protected] PLoS Comp. Biol. 1(5): e57. Professional Development Series. 1. Overarching Thoughts …. Your publications are the most important metric by which you are judged as a scientist - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
2011 Professional Development Series 1
Professional DevelopmentLecture 6
Writing the Best Scientific Paper
Philip E. [email protected]
PLoS Comp. Biol. 1(5): e57
1Professional Development Series
2011 Professional Development Series 2
Overarching Thoughts …
• Your publications are the most important metric by which you are judged as a scientist
• That metric is increasingly easy to measure – H factor (ISI Web of Science)– Number of citations (ISI, Google Scholar)– Journal downloads
• Your papers will be around long after you are gone – they are your scientific legacy
• Think about that immutability as you write• Numbers (regrettably) are important
2
2011 Professional Development Series 3
Overarching Thoughts
Quality is Everything
2011 Professional Development Series 4
Personal Experiences
• Have one of the most cited papers in the biological sciences (5,671) – hardly anyone has ever read it
• Have papers that are highly read (as judged by downloads) but never cited
• The work I am proudest of is not the most cited• As an Editor you see a lot of papers – both good and
bad• Even the best scientists write bad papers - they just
know how to work the system better
4
2011 Professional Development Series 5
Emerging Metrics - Gerwick
http://pubnet.gersteinlab.org/
2011 Professional Development Series 6
Emerging Metrics - Bourne
http://pubnet.gersteinlab.org/
2011 Professional Development Series 7
Acknowledgement
• The following is a rework of the Ten Rules for Getting Published PLoS Comput Biol 1(5): e57 (there is a rule here - you can always improve your work)
• Notes from Bill Gerwick “Writing a Research Publication – 21 Suggestions” which he has prepared for students
2011 Professional Development Series 8
Rule 1 – To Write You Have to Read
• Read at least 2 papers per day in detail• Review papers through journal clubs and take
note of the reviews of others• Put aside papers you and others think are of
high quality to refer to as you write even if they are not related to the topic
• Look at papers which have open review – learn to write better papers from those reviews
2011 Professional Development Series 9
Rule 2 – Learn to be Objective About Your Work
• The best scientists are the most objective • It is easy not to be objective when you have buried
yourself in it for months on end – see your work in a broader context – how will it impact science as a whole
• It is easier for your mentor to be objective (it is only one of a number of projects going on in the lab) but still..
• Have independent colleagues who can be objective review your first draft
2011 Professional Development Series 10
Rule 3 – Pick the Right Journal
• In order of Priority:1. The quality of the journal as defined by impact factor,
Editorial Board and quality of reviews2. Be realistic about where the work can be published – it
will save time and frustration3. The journal with the readership that is closest to your
work4. Go open access (personal comment)
• Use the pre-submission system to be sure it is the right journal
2011 Professional Development Series 11
Rule 4 – Learn to Write Well
• This is critical to being a good scientist – it is not just about grammar, but comprehension
• Take classes to improve your writing skills• This is valuable whatever your career path as
you will need to present complex ideas clearly, logically and to a broad audience whatever in whatever you do
• This will lead to less rejection and less rounds of editing
2011 Professional Development Series 12
Rule 5 – Learn to Live with Rejection
• Being objective makes rejection easier• Even the best scientists get rejected frequently • Failure to do so has adversely impacted very
good scientists• If all of the reviewers think you have written a
poor paper – 9 times out of 10 you have – move on
2011 Professional Development Series 13
Rule 6 – Learn to Use the Review Process to Your Advantage
• Good reviews will improve the paper significantly• Respond to all the points made by the reviewers• Do so in a polite and non-antagonistic way –
particularly when the reviewer has not understood your point – consider it your fault not theirs
• Respond in a way that is easy for the reviewer to comprehend:– Address every point head on in the response letter to the
editor– Make it easy for the reviewer to see where you made
changes e.g. with tracking
2011 Professional Development Series 14
Rule 7 – You Know the Rules for Good Science – Do Not Ignore Them
• Novelty• Comprehensive coverage of the literature to
establish your motivation and hypothesis• Good data and appropriate analysis• A though provoking discussion
2011 Professional Development Series 15
Rule 8 – Even if You Obey Rule 7 the Message Can be Lost If..
• The paper is poorly organized – think logical flow not a blow-by-blow – think scholarship
• There is not the appropriate use of figures and tables• The manuscript is not of the right length• You are not writing to the intended audience• You do not obey (to the letter) the Guide to Authors
– particularly important for the methods section• The title does not convey the message• You overstate your case with words like “novel”,
“new” and a host of other adjectives
2011 Professional Development Series 16
Rule 9 – Start Writing the Paper on Day 1 (Arguable)
• Make a good bibliographic database to draw from as you go• Decide on the journal in which you will publish early• This implies the end result is a paper and not a new
finding/knowledge – get real!• Draw up an outline• Structure the paper around the major results as found in
figures and tables• Starting early makes it easier to finish – being the best at
doing research is not enough – the world needs to know about it
• As a PhD student this also implies you are writing your thesis as you do the work
2011 Professional Development Series 17
Rule 10 – Become a Reviewer Early in Your Career
• Have your mentors give you the papers they are reviewing – write a review and discuss with your mentor to improve your reviewing
• Look at the reviews others have written• Understand the review process – EIC, AEs,
reviewers • This will allow you to see your work in a new
light
2011 Professional Development Series 1818
Discussion/Questions?