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Author Academy: Effectively Communicating your Research 26 June 2015 Dr. Jeffrey Robens

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Page 1: 150626 Edanz Springer

Author Academy: Effectively Communicating your Research

26 June 2015

Dr. Jeffrey Robens

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Be an effective communicator

Your goal should not only to be published, but also to have impact in your field

Choose the best platform to share your research

Write clearly in English

Logically organize your ideas in your manuscript

Effectively communicate with the journal editor

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Publishing your work

Section 1

Download at: edanzediting.co.jp/springer150626

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Publishing your work Why should you publish

Marketing Promote a new product to the field and stakeholders • Build reputation, establish collaborations, validate utility

Defensive • Prevent competitor from patenting product • Secure your product before patenting

Discontinue product development • Product development not successful or not useful • Publish findings to prevent research waste

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Publishing your work Strategic disclosure

Often cannot publish all the findings from a project

Need to decide before writing which findings to disclose

Need to consider patent-related issues regarding findings

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Publishing your work Prior art

Public disclosure of a product before patent application

Public disclosure (e.g., article)

Patent application

Defensive publishing!

• But not fair to the company making the product • Cannot publish research until after patent application?

Not novel

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Publishing your work

Grace period for prior art

Remain competitive academically without sacrificing intellectual property

Grace period Different countries have different laws that secure a

product after publication but before patent filing

Disclosure Patent Grace period

United States: 12 months (35 US Code 102(b)) Japan: 6 months (Article 30 of Japanese Patent Law)

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Publishing your work

Searching for prior art

Determine the novelty of a product

Academic databases SpringerLink, Google Scholar, Web of Science*,

Scopus*, PubMed, IEEE Xplore, SciFinder*, arXiv

Patent databases • Japan (www.j-platpat.inpit.co.jp) • US and China (gpsn.uspto.gov) • Europe (worldwide.espacenet.com) • PatentScope (www.wipo.int/patentscope) • Google Patents (www.google.com/patents)

Prior Art Finder (www.google.com/patents/related)

*Also searches patents

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Publishing your work

Academic vs. non-academic publications

Non-academic

Internal documents Regulatory agencies/Patents

White papers

Academic

Scientific journals Conference proceedings

Books/monographs

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Publishing your work

Journals vs. conference proceedings

Journals

Proceedings

• Widely indexed • Higher visibility • Impact factor

• Faster publication • More specialized • Networking

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Publishing your work

Factors to consider when choosing a journal

Aims & scope Readership

Indexing

Which factor is most important to you?

Open access Publication frequency

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Publishing your work

Factors to consider when choosing a conference

Call for papers Audience

Indexing Word

limitations

Speed of publication is an advantage

Usually no major revisions after peer review

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Journal selection Journal Selector www.edanzediting.co.jp/journal_selector

Insert your proposed abstract or keywords

springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author

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Journal selection

Filter by: • Field of study • Impact factor • Open access • Publishing frequency

Journal Selector www.edanzediting.co.jp/journal_selector

Journal’s aims & scope, IF, and publication frequency

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Journal selection

• Author guidelines • Journal website

Are they currently publishing similar articles?

Similar published articles

Journal Selector www.edanzediting.co.jp/journal_selector

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Effective writing

Section 2

Download at: edanzediting.co.jp/springer150626

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Effective writing Improving readability

Use short sentences Limit your sentences to 15–20 words

One idea per sentence

Use active voice More simple, direct, and easier to read

Recommended by most writing style guides and journals!

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Effective writing

Readers focus at the end of the sentence to determine what is important.

1. You deserve a raise, but the budget is tight.

Which sentence suggests that you

will get a raise?

2. The budget is tight, but you deserve a raise.

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/flow/

Sentence structure

Stress position

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Effective writing

The budget is tight, but you deserve a raise. Your salary

will increase at the beginning of next year. Stress position Topic position

The topic position introduces the idea of the current sentence

The stress position also introduces the topic of the next sentence

Sentence structure

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Effective writing

One method of producing carbon fibre precursors, with the potential of commercial applicability, is electrospinning. It has previously been demonstrated that electrospinning can successfully produce precursor fibres that can be converted into high quality carbon fibres with controlled fibre diameters and morphologies. The majority of electrospun carbon fibre precursors reported in the literature are PAN-based. The high cost of PAN, depleting petroleum resources and the toxicity of its solvent, dimethylformamide, has motivated research to look into alternative electrospinnable materials to produce cheaper and more environmentally friendly carbon fibres. Because petroleum-based carbon resources exhibit negative environmental impacts and are of limited availability further motivates research towards green carbon fibres.

Recently, a wide range of renewable resource-based materials have been investigated for the fabrication of carbon materials. Among them, lignin has been looked at as a very promising candidate…

Schreiber et al. J Mater Sci. 2014; 49: 7949–7958.

Topic sentence

Stress sentence Topic sentence

Supporting sentences

Academic English writing style

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Effective writing

“I should use complex words to make my writing more impressive.”

Use simple language!

• Your ideas and findings are already complex

• Explain these complex ideas simply to your reader

“The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.”

– Albert Einstein

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Effective writing

To ascertain the efficaciousness of the program, we interrogated the participants upon completion.

To determine the success of the program, we questioned the participants upon completion.

Avoid complex words

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Effective writing Be concise – Avoid unnecessary words

“A number of studies have shown that the charged group...”

“...as described in our previous study.”

“...at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.”

“As a matter of fact, such a low-temperature reaction…”

“That is another reason why, we believe…”

“It is well known that most of the intense diffraction peaks...”

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Effective writing Be concise – Avoid unnecessary words

“A number of studies have shown that the charged group...”

“...as described in our previous study.”

“...at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.”

“As a matter of fact, such a low-temperature reaction…”

“That is another reason why, we believe…”

“It is well known that most of the intense diffraction peaks...” “It is well known that most of the intense diffraction peaks...”

“As a matter of fact, such a This low-temperature reaction…”

“A number of studies have shown that the charged group...”

“That is another reason why Therefore, we believe…”

“...as described previously in our previous study.”

“...at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.”

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Break

Any questions?

Follow us on Twitter

@EdanzEditing, @JeffreyRobens

Like us on Facebook

facebook.com/EdanzEditing

Download and further reading edanzediting.co.jp/springer150626

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Manuscript structure

Section 3

Download at: edanzediting.co.jp/springer150626

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Compliance

Procedures Follow company procedures

closely with appropriate teams

Auditing

Companies will often: • Validate assays • Check data quality

(notebooks, raw data) • Ensure manuscript accuracy

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Use your figures to

structure your manuscript

Where to start?

Form the basis of your manuscript

First step, is to logically organize your findings

Share with colleagues Logical? Disclosure?

Figure 1

Figure 3

Table 1

Figure 4

Additional data? ?

Do not disclose

Figure 2

Logical presentation

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Introduction

General introduction

Specific aims Aims

Current state of the field

Problem in the field

Why does your study need to be done?

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure

The long-term risk of type 2 diabetes in association with adiposity and weight change among women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has not been clearly characterised.

Writing the Introduction

Problem in the field

Your aims must directly address the problem

Specific population

2 variables Outcome

Women with history of GDM

Adiposity (BMI) Weight change

Long-term risk of type 2 diabetes

Modified from: Bao et al. Diabetologia. 2015; 58: 1212–1219.

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure

The long-term risk of type 2 diabetes in association with adiposity and weight change among women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has not been clearly characterised.

Writing the Introduction

Problem in the field

Modified from: Bao et al. Diabetologia. 2015; 58: 1212–1219.

Your aims must directly address the problem

In this study, we examined the associations of BMI and weight change with the long-term risk of type 2 diabetes among women with a history of GDM.

Study aims

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Methods/Experimental

How it was done

• General methods • Specific techniques

– Discuss controls

• Quantification methods • Models/equations • Statistical tests

What/who was used

• Samples or participants • Materials

– Where purchased

How it was analyzed

Consult a statistician

What did you do?

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Results

1. Initial observation 2. Characterization 3. Application

Logical presentation

What did you find?

Example:

1. Fabricate new membrane for water treatment

2. Evaluate physical and chemical properties (e.g., under different temperatures/pressures)

3. Efficacy in removing particulate contamination

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Results

1. Initial observation 2. Characterization 3. Application

Logical presentation

What did you find?

Each subsection corresponds to

one figure

What you found, not what it means

Subsections

Factual description

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Discussion

Summary of findings

Relevance

Conclusion

Similarities/differences Unexpected/negative results Limitations

Implications

How contributes to the field?

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Combined

Results–Discussion

Results Interpretation

Figure 1

Results Interpretation

Figure 2

Results Interpretation

Figure 3

Results Interpretation

Figure 4

Initial observation

Logical presentation

Characterization

Application

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure

These results show that increasing temperature decreased the density, surface tension, and viscosity of all the tested alloys. By contrast, increasing the zinc content in these alloys decreased the density but increased the surface tension and viscosity. The surface tensions results show good agreement with the Butler model, while the viscosity results are in agreement with the Kaptay and Kozlov–Romanov–Petrov models. These findings may be useful for designing new lead-free solder materials. Further understanding of the physiochemical properties of these alloys could also extend the possible applications of this system to additional electronic materials.

Conclusions

Conclusion

Validation

What do you want your readers to remember?

Modified from: Gancarz T. J Electonic Mater. 2014; 43: 4374–4385.

Implications

Future directions

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Linking your ideas

General background

Objectives

Methodology

Results and figures

Summary of findings

Implications for the field

Relevance of findings

Problems in the field

Logically link your ideas throughout your manuscript

Current state of the field Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Journal articles vs.

conference proceedings

Proceedings often shorter than research articles

More concise Introduction

More brief Methods

Most important findings in the Results

Most important figures, tables, & graphs

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Abstract

First impression of your paper

Importance of your results

Validity of your conclusions

Judge your writing style

Probably only part read

Relevance of your aims

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Sections of an abstract

Aims

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Why the study was done

Your hypothesis

Techniques, models

Most important findings

Conclusion/implications

Concise summary of your research

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure

Purpose Influenza CD8+ T-cell epitopes are conserved amongst influenza strains and can be recognized by influenza-specific cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs). An influenza peptide vaccine eliciting these CTLs would therefore be an alternative to current influenza vaccines, which are not cross-reactive. However, peptide antigens are poorly immunogenic due to poor delivery to antigen presenting cells. In this study, we investigated the potential of virosomes as a delivery system for influenza T-cell peptides. Methods The conserved human HLA-A2.1 influenza T-cell epitope M158–66 was formulated with virosomes. We assessed the immunogenicity and protective effect of the peptide-loaded virosomes in HLA-A2 transgenic mice. Delivery properties of the virosomes were studied in mice and in vitro dendritic cell cultures. Results Immunization of HLA-A2.1 transgenic C57BL/6 mice with peptide-loaded virosomes in the presence of the adjuvant CpG-ODN 1826 increased the number of peptide-specific CTLs. Vaccination with adjuvanted peptide-loaded virosomes reduced weight loss in mice after heterologous influenza infection. Association with fusion-active virosomes was found to be crucial for antigen uptake by dendritic cells, and subsequent induction of CTLs in mice. Conclusions These results show that influenza virosomes loaded with conserved influenza epitopes could be the basis of a novel cross-protective influenza vaccine.

Biomedical abstracts

Modified from: Soema et al. Pharm Res. 2015; 32: 1505–1515.

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure

Purpose Influenza CD8+ T-cell epitopes are conserved amongst influenza strains and can be recognized by influenza-specific cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs). An influenza peptide vaccine eliciting these CTLs would therefore be an alternative to current influenza vaccines, which are not cross-reactive. However, peptide antigens are poorly immunogenic due to poor delivery to antigen presenting cells. In this study, we investigated the potential of virosomes as a delivery system for influenza T-cell peptides. Methods The conserved human HLA-A2.1 influenza T-cell epitope M158–66 was formulated with virosomes. We assessed the immunogenicity and protective effect of the peptide-loaded virosomes in HLA-A2 transgenic mice. Delivery properties of the virosomes were studied in mice and in vitro dendritic cell cultures. Results Immunization of HLA-A2.1 transgenic C57BL/6 mice with peptide-loaded virosomes in the presence of the adjuvant CpG-ODN 1826 increased the number of peptide-specific CTLs. Vaccination with adjuvanted peptide-loaded virosomes reduced weight loss in mice after heterologous influenza infection. Association with fusion-active virosomes was found to be crucial for antigen uptake by dendritic cells, and subsequent induction of CTLs in mice. Conclusions These results show that influenza virosomes loaded with conserved influenza epitopes could be the basis of a novel cross-protective influenza vaccine.

Biomedical abstracts

Modified from: Soema et al. Pharm Res. 2015; 32: 1505–1515.

Why needs to be done

What you did

What you found

How contributes to the field

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is widely used as an important model system for investigating inorganic precipitation reaction or crystallization. However, recent results show that the yield of vaterite CaCO3 microspheres is poor—up to 16 mM—in ethanol/water in the presence of polyelectrolyte poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfate) (PSS). We now report an approach to synthesize pure vaterite CaCO3 microspheres through improving the concentration of polymer PSS, improving the yield up to 80 mM. Our time-resolved experimental results revealed that the vaterite microspheres evolved gradually from an initial amorphous precursor, to poorly crystallized nanoparticles, to sphere-like aggregates, to vaterite microspheres embedded within the calcite rhombohedra, and finally to the vaterite microspheres with smooth surface. Our findings provide valuable insight into the formation of vaterite CaCO3 microspheres and demonstrate the possibility for large-scale synthesis of CaCO3 materials with controllable morphology and crystallographic structure in aqueous solution at room temperature.

Modified from: Zhang et al. J Mater Science. 2015; 50: 5540–5548.

Physical science abstracts

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is widely used as an important model system for investigating inorganic precipitation reaction or crystallization. However, recent results show that the yield of vaterite CaCO3 microspheres is poor—up to 16 mM—in ethanol/water in the presence of polyelectrolyte poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfate) (PSS). We now report an approach to synthesize pure vaterite CaCO3 microspheres through improving the concentration of polymer PSS, improving the yield up to 80 mM. Our time-resolved experimental results revealed that the vaterite microspheres evolved gradually from an initial amorphous precursor, to poorly crystallized nanoparticles, to sphere-like aggregates, to vaterite microspheres embedded within the calcite rhombohedra, and finally to the vaterite microspheres with smooth surface. Our findings provide valuable insight into the formation of vaterite CaCO3 microspheres and demonstrate the possibility for large-scale synthesis of CaCO3 materials with controllable morphology and crystallographic structure in aqueous solution at room temperature.

Modified from: Zhang et al. J Mater Science. 2015; 50: 5540–5548.

Physical science abstracts

Why needs to be done

What you did

What you found

How contributes to the field

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure

Aims

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Why the study was done

Your hypothesis

Techniques, models

Most important findings

Conclusion/implications

Concise summary of your research

Physical science abstracts

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure Physical science abstracts

Aims

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Why the study was done

Your hypothesis

Techniques, models

Most important findings

Conclusion/implications

Concise summary of your research

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure

In this study, we investigated the ablation of graphite as a function of laser fluence for 355, 532, and 1064 nm wavelengths generated by a nanosecond Nd:YAG laser. For lower wavelengths, the transition from the thermal ablation to the phase explosion takes place at lower laser fluences. We observed a change in crater shape due to the effect of deep drilling in the proximity of the phase explosion threshold. Based on calculations of plasma radiation flux to the target surface, we found a considerable increase of absorbed energy density at the 355 nm wavelength.

Modified from: Hoffman et al. Appl Phys A. 2014; 117: 395–400.

Physical science abstracts

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure

In this study, we investigated the ablation of graphite as a function of laser fluence for 355, 532, and 1064 nm wavelengths generated by a nanosecond Nd:YAG laser. For lower wavelengths, the transition from the thermal ablation to the phase explosion takes place at lower laser fluences. We observed a change in crater shape due to the effect of deep drilling in the proximity of the phase explosion threshold. Based on calculations of plasma radiation flux to the target surface, we found a considerable increase of absorbed energy density at the 355 nm wavelength.

Modified from: Hoffman et al. Appl Phys A. 2014; 117: 395–400.

Physical science abstracts

What you did

What you found

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Coverage and Staffing Plan Manuscript

structure

Check author guidelines

Check recently published articles

Consider your audience

For interdisciplinary audiences, include background and conclusion

Identify journal editor preference

What the journal requires

Physical science abstracts

When should you include background and conclusions?

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Communicating with journal editors

Section 4

Download at: edanzediting.co.jp/springer150626

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Communicating with journals

Abstract: First impression for readers

Cover letters are the first impression for the journal editor

Significance Relevance

Writing style Interesting to their readers?

Is your work important?

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Communicating with journals

Dear Dr García-Fernández,

Please find enclosed our manuscript entitled “Prediction of the largest peak nonlinear seismic response of asymmetric structures

under bi-directional excitation,” which we would like to submit for publication as an Original Article in the Journal of Seismology.

Assessing the seismic performance of asymmetric structures is challenging because of their elevation irregularities. Various methods have been proposed to estimate the peak response of asymmetric structures to seismic motion, with considerable progress seen over recent decades in methods that combine non-linear static (pushover) analysis of a multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) mathematical model with the response spectrum analysis of an equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model. In this study, we improve an earlier nonlinear analysis method by determining the nonlinear properties of two independent equivalent SDOF models based on the principal direction of the first modal response of the structure in each nonlinear stage. This is determined based on the results of the pushover analysis of the structure. The largest peak response is then estimated by combining the analysis of the two modal responses. Previous methods rely on the elastic mode shape for estimating the seismic response, where a change in mode shape can markedly alter the results. By contrast, the current method takes into account changes in the principal direction of the first modal response, allowing for a more reliable estimation of the response of asymmetric structures to ground motion acting at an arbitrary angle of incidence. We believe the findings presented here would be of considerable interest to the readers of the Journal of Seismology. The implementation of seismic performance evaluation is expanding worldwide, and the evaluation methods are improving with the progress of computational methods. These recent advancements, including those presented here, have implications in many fields related to seismology including building engineering, mining and exploration, and seismic hazards, all of which are of interest to your readers.

Why study needs to be

done

What was done and what

was found

Interest to journal’s readers

A good cover letter

We would also like to suggest the following reviewers for our manuscript…

Editor’s name Manuscript title

Article type

Recommend reviewers

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Communicating with journals

Respond to every reviewer comment

Easy to see changes

Writing response letters

Read by the journal editor, not the reviewers

Highlight the text

Refer to line and page numbers

Use a different font color

Highlight the text

Strikethrough font for deletions

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Communicating with journals Agreeing with reviewers

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

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Communicating with journals

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: 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 Smith model [Robens et al., 2012]. We have now explained the use of this function and the Smith model in our revised Discussion section (Page 12, Lines 2–6).

Evidence

Revisions

Location

Disagreeing with reviewers

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Be an effective communicator

Increase your chances to be published, and also to have impact in your field

Choose the best platform to share your research

Write clearly in English

Logically organize your ideas in your manuscript

Effectively communicate with the journal editor

Page 58: 150626 Edanz Springer

Thank you!

Any questions?

Follow us on Twitter

@EdanzEditing, @JeffreyRobens

Like us on Facebook

facebook.com/EdanzEditing

Download and further reading edanzediting.co.jp/springer150626

Jeffrey Robens: [email protected]