Preparing your research paper for publication in journals is indeed a heart-wrenching experience for every researcher. Unfortunately, most researchers make inevitable errors, which increase the chances of rejection. To improve your chances of acceptance and boost your academic career, you need to organise and prioritise each element before submitting the work. Therefore, it’s crucial to avoid jeopardizing the selection of your paper by a reputable journal.
Here is a thorough checklist that will help you prepare the research paper for publication flawlessly:
- Know your target journal
You may have chosen a well-grounded subject matter with a couple of journals in mind. However, there may be another scenario in which you do not know or are in a dilemma as to which journal is the best fit for your research paper. An excellent way of identifying the target audience is by reviewing the sources that guided you to publish your paper.
If you notice that many of your sources are present in the journals, they must be the right choice for another publication, but if they are not, you need to choose from a few reputable journals that are related to your field. Keep in mind which component of the research is the mainstay of the journal article. Remember that if you fail to pick the right journal, you won’t get readers. Another important aspect of choosing the journal is that it is largely based on the timeline. The time needed to publish your research paper may vary. For some journals, it is about one month, whereas for the rest, it may take up to six months. So, make sure to choose the journal wisely.
- Checking the copyright regulations
Have you checked the copyright regulations for research paper publication journals? Checking the copyright-related regulations plays a crucial role in the acceptance of the paper. Remember that a violation of copyright regulations can lead to the rejection of your research paper. It may ruin your reputation. So, do not forget to check all the norms carefully when publishing your article.
- Writing the research paper
When writing a research paper, you need to understand its scope. Apart from this, you need to follow other elements like structure, length, and keyword creation. Besides, you need to create a story that must have an incredible element that makes your readers feel interested.
For instance, the research paper must include important data like your accurate name, the ranking of authors in different phases of writing, and every other piece of data that needs to be included therein. Besides, you need to acknowledge the names of all those people who helped you complete the research paper, like those who received grants, permissions, or any other assistance. At the final stage, you need to cross-check the reference between the bibliography and the citations of the text.
- Check the format of the writing
Formatting is one of the most important elements of writing. A majority of journals have strict guidelines about formatting. Therefore, you need to follow suit and check the layout, margin spacing, numbering, margins, and the type of file.
Be sure your research paper aligns with the journal’s requirements. Apart from this, you need to meet the required word count for the most important elements, like the title or abstract. Finally, you need to run through the references and citations to ensure that citations have been included in the references. Moreover, the researchers need to follow a consistent style during the formatting of the paper to the journal.
- Well-structured data
The presentation of scientific data must be clear and effective, in the form of figures and tables. Make sure the figures and tables do not look messy, and no information is repeated in the text. The visual aspects shouldn’t be too long, and check the components like image captions, figures, table titles, and graphs. You need to share everything in the right format and file as presented in the target journal.
- Check the content for plagiarism
Plagiarism is to be strictly avoided when you are writing a research paper. For instance, you cannot take the words or ideas of another scholar without giving recognition to that person. One of the key components of the research is to stick to originality; the words and the entire idea should be your own and never copied from any other source. To avoid plagiarism, you need to check the following:
- Use a plagiarism-checking tool
- Citing the source
- Supporting the quotations
- Stick to your language and style of writing
- Develop the entire text based on your thoughts
- Check the details and facts
The common error that surfaces in the research paper publication journal is a major inconsistency between facts and details. Therefore, you need to skim through the entire data, equations, and calculations to ensure that they have been incorporated appropriately. Apart from this, you need to check the symbols, citations, symbols, numbers, and every reference you have included in the research paper.
- Check the word count
The word count of the research paper publication is another important thing you need to factor in. So, find out what it specifies about the minimum and maximum length that it needs to have, and more specifically, the keyword. Keep in mind that when your journal goes for translation, it may be shorter or longer. However, it needs to fulfil the word count based on the specifications of the journal.
- Pay attention to the abstract
Does the journal require including an abstract? Well, in that case, you need to spend a lot of time writing it. Wondering why? The reviewers are more interested in reading the abstract and deciding whether they would be interested in going through the entire reading material. The length of the abstract may vary when you translate the research paper, so keep that in mind as well.
- Go through recent submissions
A well-structured paper is often an extension of previous research. Therefore, you need to gain knowledge of how papers are being written from the recent submissions. Go through every aspect of writing, like the concept, language, format, and theme, to make sure that it aligns fully with the guidelines.
The submission process for your research paper is more tedious than writing the whole thing, as you need to double-check everything before sending it for review. A thorough reading of the paper in the journal is usually recommended to avoid major errors and reduce the chances of rejection. At Decode DNA, we assist candidates with scientific research writing for journals and ensure that our team of experts is at it to confirm the publication. Connect with us at https://decodedna.in/to make your research paper flawless.
FAQs
- What are the things to check when reviewing your research before submission?
You must check important things like writing the thesis, the purpose of writing, research question, methods, hypothesis, key findings, and major information.
- Which components must you cross-check in the research paper?
When checking the research paper, go through the quotations, plagiarism, citation sources, formatting, and language carefully to avoid mistakes.