Writing Guide for Academic Journals

Publication date: 2018 Mar 05

The strategy is not just a plan what you have to do in order to succeed; it is a complex thing that covers internal and external motivators. Internal motivators deal with your reasons and purpose of writing. External motivators are more materialistic points, as they bring some benefits to you. In particular, it may be high points in research assessment, a presentable profile in some specific field, or a career promotion.

You should also pay attention to planning aspects such as a number of researchers in the field, an existence of the journal in which you want to be published, group of scholars or scientific conversation on the issue of your interest. Before you start writing an article, we recommend you to choose on the pages of which journal you want to see it. In this way you won’t have to adjust the paper according to the requirements of this or that journal, so you can save your time and energy. The key point is to maintain the motivation and be ready to wait, as it may take a long period to get the article published.

Scan and analyze writings of your field

In other words, you have to explore requirements to the writings on the subject of your interest. For that you have to take several journals and take a close look at them. First of all, scan the abstracts and the whole text, pay special attention to the first and last sentences, and the vocabulary used in different parts of the text. Thanks to that you can determine not only tendencies of research, but also different types of papers and their structures.

Create a plan and follow it

It is very hard to create something without any preparation and background, besides it is a pretty way to get lost. The best decision is to combine just writing with creating an outline. You should work hard and make the outline as detailed as possible. Create your plan in accordance with the requirements of the journal you want to be published in. The type of headings, the number of sections and subsections, what content and arguments to include – all these points should be described.

Ask and consult with others

Most people ask for feedback when the paper is already written, but you should not be limited only by this option. From the very beginning you should discuss your ideas with others. In this case you will be able to correct and improve the article step by step. If you have done some particular part of work, show it to your tutor, colleagues or friends, and find out their opinions.

The writer should be single-minded, patient, persistent and flexible at the same time

It is a common practice when people work on several issues at the same time, but you should keep in mind one thing – a worthy idea should mature. Not everything you are working on right now will be published in the near future. Some ideas will remain just ideas. When you feel that the point has a powerful potential for research, focus on it. Look at this point from different perspectives, ask what others think about it, and research deeply. You may be criticized or feel tired, but such situation means that you are moving, probably, in the right direction.

Analyze the thoughts of reviewers

No matter, whether you will get a positive or negative feedback after submission, this is your experience, that’s why you have to learn from it. Make a list of points you have to pay attention to and work on them.

Think about yourself

To prepare the excellent article is a very responsible and troublesome step. While writing for the journal you are constantly under pressure, and this fact may have a negative impact on your health. You can face risks concerning your mental health, diseases of the musculoskeletal system and some others. In order to avoid negative effects you have to take a break from time to time, eat well and sleep enough.

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