160206 Edanz Ryuku

University of the Ryukyus

6 February 2016

Kate Harris Julian Tang

Author Success Workshop:

Advanced Tips for Writing Research Manuscripts 1

Seminar Series

6 March 2016


Manuscript structure

Effective writing

Discussions

Introductions

Promoting your research

6 February 2016


Planning & Effective writing

Manuscript structure

Titles & Abstracts

Cover letters

Peer review

Promoting your research

S

Be an effective communicator

Your goal is not only to be published, but also to be widely read and cited

Developing advanced writing skills

Logically communicating your ideas in your manuscript

Making the best first impression

Promoting your research findings to different

audiences

Section 1

Planning for academic publishing

Skills needed on the path to publication success

Preparation

Journal Selection

Writing

Submission

Peer Review

Publication Success

• Training in reading papers, ethics, writing, presenting

• Expert Scientific Review

• Expert Scientific Review

• Journal Selection & submission strategy

• Training in ethics, writing, presenting

• Revising • Editing • Reformatting

• Training in ethics, writing

• Editing • Abstract

Development • Cover Letter

Development • Reviewer

Recommendation

• Training in navigating peer review

• Review Editing • Point-by-point

checking • Response

Letter Development

• Reformatting

• Press release, news writing

• Media & presentation training

• Training for early career researchers

• Training in writing grant proposals

• Grant proposal editing

Patenting Engagement

Coverage and Staffing Plan Prepare well What editors want

Increase impact

High quality research

Impact factor (for past 2 years) = No. of cites / No. of articles

Logical, engaging, useful message

Original and novel research

Well-designed, well-reported,

transparent study News value, importance, timeliness

High scientific & technical quality, sound

research/publication ethics

High readability & interest; clear, real-world

relevance

Coverage and Staffing Plan Prepare well Good publication ethics

State conflicts of interest

No plagiarism or redundancy

Clear author contributions

No fabrication or falsification

Always follow ethics guidelines

Committee on Publication Ethics, COPE

Safety/hazard warnings

Environmental /Human safety

Coverage and Staffing Plan Prepare well

Choose your journal early!

Author guidelines • Manuscript structure • Word limits, References • Procedures, Copyright

Aims and scope • Topics • Readership • Be sure to emphasize

Check • Writing style • Relevant references • Originality, importance & usefulness!

Coverage and Staffing Plan Prepare well Journal Selector

www.edanzediting.co.jp/journal_selector

Insert your proposed abstract/title or keywords


Filter/sort by: • Field of study • Impact factor • Indexed in SCI • Open access • Publishing frequency

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

• Author guidelines • Journal website

Similar abstracts

Journal Selector www.edanzediting.co.jp/journal_selector

Coverage and Staffing Plan Prepare well Publication models

Subscription-based

• Mostly free for the author • Reader has to pay

Open access • Free for the reader • Author usually has to pay

Hybrid • Subscription-based journal • Has open access options

Coverage and Staffing Plan Prepare well Predatory journals

Some Open Access journals are not good

Easy way to get money from authors

• Promise quick and easy publication • Often ask for a “submission/handling” fee • May copy name of real journal; false IF • May not exist, or may be of low quality • Beware of spam e-mails!

If you are ever unsure, please check Beall’s List of Predatory Publishers

http://scholarlyoa.com/2015/01/02/bealls-list-of-predatory-publishers-2015/


THINK Trusted and appropriate?

SUBMIT Only if OK

thinkchecksubmit.org

CHECK Do you know the journal?

Trustworthy journals

Section 2

Effective writing

Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills Improve readability

Nature’s guide to authors:

Nature is an international journal covering all the sciences. Contributions should therefore be written clearly and simply so that they are accessible to readers in other disciplines and to readers for whom English is not their first language.

www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/index.html#a4

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

Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills Improve readability

Keep it simple!

Use short sentences 15–20 words; one idea per sentence

Use active voice Simpler, more direct, and easier to read

The tests were performed by us -> We performed the tests

Most writing style guides and journals prefer it… “Nature journals prefer authors to write in the active voice”

(http://www.nature.com/authors/author_resources/how_write.html)

Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills Simple language

Prefer Enough Clear Determine Begin Try Very Size Keep Enough End Use

Avoid Adequate Apparent Ascertain Commence Endeavor Exceedingly Magnitude* Retain Sufficient Terminate* Utilization *OK in certain fields (magnitude of earthquakes, to terminate gene expression)

Coverage and Staffing Plan Writing skills

“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 thus another reason why Therefore, we believe…”

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

“...at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.”

Simple language

Delete extra words!


Avoid At a concentration of 2 g/L At a temperature of 37C In order to In the first place Four in number Green color Subsequent to Prior to Future plans; past history

Prefer At 2 g/L At 37C To First Four Green After Before Plans; history

Simple language


Write logical sentences!

Which of these are correct?

A is 4 times larger than B A is 4-fold larger than B A is 4 times as large as B

B is 4 times smaller than A

B is 75% smaller than A B is 25% the size of A

A B

Avoid mistakes 1


Estimate Estimation

Decide Decision

Assess Assessment

We made a/an… We conducted a/an… Extra verb

We decided… Clear, short, and direct

Avoid mistakes 2

Don’t hide verbs inside nouns!


Readers expect…

old/given/familiar information to appear first new information to appear last

An increasing number of people are relying on medical information on the Internet. Hence, governments could conduct public campaigns to promote healthy lifestyles via online media.

The Internet is being used as a source of medical information by an increasing number of people. Hence, online media campaigns could be used by governments to promote healthy lifestyles among the public. / [Active…] Hence, the public could benefit greatly from government online campaigns that promote healthy lifestyles.

Avoid mistakes 3


Readers expect…

verbs to closely follow their subjects heavy ends (not heavy starts) of clauses

Subject

The device leakage current on transistors fabricated on SiO2 with different self-assembled monolayers decreased by two orders of magnitude after annealing.

The transistors were fabricated on SiO2 with different self-assembled monolayers. The device leakage current decreased by two orders of magnitude after annealing.

Verb

Avoid mistakes 4


Be accurate and concise!

Avoid mistakes 5

After considering all of the data runs after all of the computer sim tests, around 10% of all the virtual molecule designs were finally id’d.

After we analyzed the results from the computer simulations, 12% of the virtually designed molecules were identified. / After analyzing the results from the computer simulations, we identified 12% of the virtually designed molecules.


Compared with is for saying how things are different

The accuracy of the new program was reduced

compared to the previous program.

The accuracy of the new program was reduced compared with that of the previous program.

The accuracy of the new program was lower than that of the previous program.

Avoid mistakes 6


1. You deserve the funding, but the study design is not perfect.

Which sentence suggests that you

will get funding?

2. The study design is not perfect, but you deserve the funding.

Scientific writing style


The study design is not perfect, but you deserve the

funding. The grant will be awarded in two stages.

Stress position

Topic position

The topic position introduces the idea of the current sentence

Readers focus at the end of the sentence to determine what is important. The stress position also introduces

the topic of the next sentence (useful for explanations and processes).

Scientific writing style: coherence


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

Scientific writing style: coherence

Activity 1

Please see Activity 1 in your workbook

Section 3

Overview of manuscript structure

Manuscripts with impact

Where to start?

Your findings form the basis of your manuscript

First organize your findings

Logic, then English language

Figure 1

Figure 2

Table 1

Figure 3

Logical flow • Chronology • Most to least

important • General to

specific • Whole+parts

Is anything missing?

? Additional analyses?

Start with your illustrations

Manuscripts with impact Prepare an outline

I. Introduction A. General background B. Related studies C. Problems in the field D. Aims

II. Methods A. Subjects/Samples/Materials B. General methods C. Specific methods D. Statistical analyses

III. Results A. Key points about Figure 1 B. Key points about Table 1 C. Key points about Figure 2 D. Key points about Figure 3 E. Key points about Figure 4

IV. Discussion A. Major conclusion B. Key findings that support conclusion C. Relevance to published studies D. Limitations E. Unexpected results F. Implications G. Future directions

Write down key ideas in bullet points, as IMRaD (=Introduction, Methods, Results,

and Discussion)

No need for sentences or correct English yet

Medical/Life Sciences: use reporting guidelines from EQUATOR network, equator-network.org

Then, draft the title/abstract and use the Edanz Journal Selector

List information from your reading in the appropriate section: Paraphrase with citations!

Manuscripts with impact The ‘write’ order

How does your study contribute to your field?

What did you find?

What did you do?

Why did you do the study?

Title/Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion


Title/Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Title/Abstract

Methods

Results

Discussion

Introduction

Abstract /Title

write

The ‘write’ order

Manuscripts with impact Get feedback

Write your manuscript section-by-section – Less stressful – Get feedback after each section; set deadlines – Easier for your colleagues to review

Revise for content, overall logic, and journal style (see guidelines/past papers)

Edit for consistency, conciseness, clarity & accuracy

Get feedback from pre-submission peer review

Get language assistance


Aim

Introduction

Current state of the field

Background information

Specific aim/approach/contents

Problem in the field

Previous studies

Current study

General

Specific Importance/hypothesis

Worldwide relevance? Broad/specialized?

Recent, International Not too many self-cites

Check: Results? Literature review afterwards?

Why is your study needed?

Manuscripts with impact Example introduction

Scaffold-based tissue engineering involves the combination of cells, bioactive factors and structural scaffolding materials to promote repair and regeneration of tissues.1-3 Researchers have recently developed many scaffold materials for specific injury sites. These scaffolds effectively support cell attachment and growth…. Integrating electrospun scaffolds with cells remains challenging. It is often difficult for cells that are cultured on electrospun fibers to penetrate into pores…. Optimizing both porous and mechanical features of scaffolds for tissue engineering would be a crucial step in simulating the extracellular matrix…. This study aimed to design and fabricate poly(glycolic acid) scaffolds using electrospinning to consistently allow cellular infiltration into the scaffolds…. We report on the fabrication of five scaffolds and their effects on tissue development.

Background

Current state

Problem

Importance

Aim/approach

Contents

Manuscripts with impact Problem/knowledge gap

However, …an alternative approach… …a challenge …a need for clarification… …a problem/weakness with… …has not been dealt with… …remains unstudied …requires clarification …is not sufficiently (+ adjective) …is ineffective/inaccurate/inadequate/inconclusive/incorrect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Few studies have… There is an urgent need to… There is growing concern that… Little evidence is available on… It is necessary to… Little work has been done on…

Key phrases

Manuscripts with impact Writing the Introduction

The aims should directly address the problem

Modified from: Lee at al. Korean Phys Soc. 2014;64:L945–L948.

Two-dimensional layered semiconducting chalcogenides (such as MoS2) have attracted attention owing to their intrinsically high carrier mobility, mechanical flexibility, and finite bandgap. However, improvements for MoS2 transistors have been hampered by the presence of a Schottky barrier…

Problems of a current solution

Current problem

In this research, we investigated the high-temperature electrical behavior of a MoS2 transistor with a high Schottky barrier…

Aim


What was done

• Variables measured • Processes, treatments, measurements • General to specific

• Quantification; models/equations • Appropriate statistical tests (& P level) • Consult a statistician

Who/what was studied

• Tests, controls • Number of samples/sets of tests • Materials/equipment (+ maker)

Data analysis

What did you do?

Methods/Experimental

Manuscripts with impact Methods/Experimental

Established techniques

• Cite previously published studies • Briefly state modifications • Use flow chart/table if needed

• Explain purposes; justify choices • Give enough detail for reproducibility • Use Supplementary Information

Organization • Arrange in (titled) subsections • Keep parallel to the display items • Use topic sentences to start sections

New techniques

Physical Sciences: Caution notices for dangerous substances/processes …No incidents occurred; researchers have to be qualified and trained, and use

suitable protocols, precautions, and facilities

Manuscripts with impact Methods

“We used NMR spectroscopy to determine the structure of the polymers.”

We name of

technique investigate

name of property.

study

measure

confirm

determine

used to

Method------------------------------Purpose

Method – Purpose


“To determine the structure of the polymers, we used NMR spectroscopy.”

we name of

technique.

used

Purpose-----------------------------Method

Purpose – Method

investigate

name of property,

study

measure

confirm

determine

To

Methods

Manuscripts with impact Results

• Synthesis, characteristics • Group, subgroups • Algorithm, trial, improvement

• Each subsection relates to one figure and method

• What you found, not what it means

• Use Supplementary Information

• Data accessibility

Logical presentation

Subsections

Factual description

What did you find?


Treatment A reduced soil lead levels by 32.7% and increased soil pH by 12.3%. Treatment B reduced soil lead levels by 22.3% and increased soil pH by 15.6%. Treatment C reduced soil lead levels by 38.1% and increased soil pH by 6.9%.

Describe relationships among your results


Treatment C reduced soil lead levels (38.1%) more effectively than treatments A (32.7%) and B (22.3%). However, treatment B increased soil pH levels (15.6%) more effectively than treatments A (12.3%) and C (6.9%).

Describe relationships among your results

“showed a greater reduction”

Manuscripts with impact Discussion

Summary of findings

Relevance

Conclusion

Similarities/differences Unexpected/negative results Limitations (validity, reliability)

Implications

Previous studies

Current study

Future studies

Specific

General

How do you advance your field?

Manuscripts with impact Discussion

Summary of findings

Relevance

Conclusion

Similarities/differences Unexpected/negative results Limitations (validity, reliability)

Implications

Previous studies

Current study

Future studies

Specific

General

How do you advance your field?

This study demonstrates

for the first time that…


Combined Results–Discussion

Results Interpretation

Figure 1


Figure 2


Figure 3


Figure 4

Initial observation


Characterization

Application


Combined Methods– Results–Discussion

Methods & Results Interpretation

Figure 1


Figure 2


Figure 3


Figure 4

Initial observation


Characterization

Application


0

10

20

30

40

50

1 2 3 4 5

Check your opinions

Over 5 days of reverse bias

reliability testing the current of

the devices increased from 32 ±

10 μA to 43 ± 17 μA (Figure 2).

This rise in current may be

explained by…

Do you agree with this interpretation?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1 2 3 4 5Time (days)

Cu

rren

t (μ

A)

What happens after 5 days? Is this real?


Main vs. subordinate clause

Although the study design is not perfect, you deserve funding.

Subordinate Main

Linking word

• Although • Even though • While • Whereas

Subordinate clauses say 2 things:

• Idea may not be important • There is a contrasting idea coming

Discussing limitations

Manuscripts with impact Discussing limitations

Although this study was limited by its small sample size, our results demonstrate that people using customizable news aggregation pages give high user experience scores.

Although our results demonstrate that page customization is useful, the study was limited by its small sample size.

Bad news = Subordinate clause at the start

Bad news = Main clause in stress position

Bad news = Subordinate clause at start Good news = LONG main clause in stress position

Manuscripts with impact Conclusion section

What do you want people to remember?

May be a separate section

May be a “Future work” section

In conclusion, polymeric nanoparticles could be used as a generic carrier of hydrophobic drugs for efficient delivery. Compared with drug administration alone, these nanoparticles mediated a higher and more rapid uptake of the encapsulated drug by nanoparticle-cell contact-mediated transfer. A contact-mediated mechanism of delivery into the cytosol could enable effective delivery of anticancer drugs directly to the intracellular molecular targets. Further understanding of this contact-based transfer mechanism will be important to exploit this novel delivery system for the administration of hydrophobic chemotherapeutic drugs to improve cancer therapy.

Conclusion

Key finding

Implications

Future directions

Modified from: Snipstad et al. Cancer Nanotech. 2014; 5: 8.

Manuscripts with impact Link your ideas

General background

Aims

Methodology

Results and figures

Summary of findings

Implications for the field

Relevance of findings

Problem in the field

Current state of the field Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Solution

Situation/Problem

Evaluation/Comment

Activity 2

Please see Activity 2 in your workbook

Section 4

Titles and abstracts

Customer Service Marketing your work Title and abstract

First impression of paper: clear/concise/convincing

Importance of your results

Validity of your conclusions

Relevance of your aims

It sells your work: Readers judge your style & credibility

Often first/only part that is read by

readers & reviewers

Your title & abstract summarize your study


Title

Important points

Only the main idea Accurate, simple Population/model Include keywords Fewer than 20 words Hanging title:

method/study type

Avoid

Unneeded words (A/The, A study of) Complex or sensational words Complex word order Abbreviations, jargon “New” or “novel”

Customer Service Marketing your work

Interrogative Does a hot drink provide faster

absorption of paracetamol than a tablet?

Indicative/ Descriptive

Bulk and surface properties of liquid Al-Li and Li-Zn alloys

… + Method in subtitle

Xxxxxxx: a randomised longitudinal fMRI study

Assertive/ Declarative

β-Adrenoceptor blockade modulates fusiform gyrus activity to black versus

white faces / Retardation of plastic instability via damage-enabled

microstrain delocalization

Pharm Res; Psychopharmacol; J Mater Sci; Metall Mater Trans A

Title and abstract

Title


Context Background, problem, aim

Results Outcomes, effects,

statistics & key data

Conclusion Relevance, implications Learning points, future

Methods Patients/materials/animals Treatments, measurements

No references, unusual abbreviations, figures/tables Clinical: funding & trial registration number after abstract

Abstract


Biomedical abstracts (structured)

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.

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


Biomedical abstracts (structured)

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.

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

Why study is needed

What you did

What you found

How you advance the field


Physical science abstracts (unstructured)

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 (unstructured)

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.

Why study is needed

What you did

What you found

How you advance the field

Customer Service Marketing your work Using keywords

Search Engine Optimization

Identify 7–8 keywords (try to use standard terms*)

Use 2 in your title, 5–6 in the keyword list

Use 3 keywords 3–4 times in your abstract

Use keywords in headings when appropriate

Be consistent throughout your paper, but include synonyms

Cite your previous publications when relevant

*From PsycINFO, BIOSIS, ChemWeb, ERIC Thesaurus, GeoRef, MeSH, etc

Section 5

Cover letters


Dear Dr Struman,

Please find enclosed our manuscript entitled “Evaluation of ICT in Glasgow prognostic scoring in patients undergoing curative

resection for liver metastases,” which we would like to submit for publication as an Original Article in the International Medical

ICT Journal.

The Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) is of value for a variety of tumours. Several studies have investigated the prognostic value of the GPS in patients with metastatic breast cancer, but few studies have performed such an investigation for patients undergoing liver resection for liver metastases. Furthermore, there are currently no studies that have examined the prognostic value of the modified GPS (mGPS) using an ICT platform in these patients. The present study evaluated the mGPS using ICT in terms of its prognostic value for postoperative death in patients undergoing liver resection for breast cancer liver metastases.

A total of 318 patients with breast cancer liver metastases who underwent hepatectomy over a 15-year period were included in this study. The mGPS was calculated using ICT based on the levels of C-reactive protein and albumin, and the disease-free survival and cancer-specific survival rates were evaluated in relation to the mGPS. Prognostic significance was retrospectively analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Overall, the results showed a significant association between cancer-specific survival and the mGPS and carcinoembryonic antigen level, and a higher mGPS was associated with increased aggressiveness of liver recurrence and poorer survival in these patients. This study is the first to demonstrate that the preoperative mGPS via a simple ICT tool is a useful prognostic factor for postoperative survival in cancer patients undergoing curative resection. This information is immediately clinically applicable for surgeons as well as hospital information and patient record systems and health care protocol developers. As a premier journal covering ICT in health care, we believe that the International Medical ICT Journal is the perfect platform from which to share our results with all those concerned with ICT use in cancer management.

Give the background to the research

What was done and what was found

Interest to journal’s readers

Cover letter to the editor

Editor’s name Manuscript title

Article type

Declarations on publication ethics Suggested reviewers Contact information

Customer Service Marketing your work Cover letter to the editor

This study is the first to demonstrate that the preoperative mGPS via a simple ICT tool is a useful prognostic factor for postoperative survival in cancer patients undergoing curative resection. This information is immediately clinically applicable for surgeons as well as hospital information and patient record systems and health care protocol developers. As a premier journal covering ICT in health care, we believe that the International Medical ICT Journal is the perfect platform from which to share our results with all those concerned with ICT use in cancer management.

Why interesting to the journal’s readership (para 4)

Target your journal – keywords from the Aims and Scope

Conclusion & importance

Relevance


Highlight recent issues in the media

“Given the considerable attention climate change has received worldwide, it will be important to…”

Highlight recent policy changes

“Recently, the Japanese government has implemented new incentives to promote entrepreneurship …”

Highlight recently published articles in

their journal

“It has recently been reported in your journal that wind turbines produce the cleanest form of energy. However, their efficiency still remains a problem…”

Highlight current controversies

“Currently, there is disagreement on the effect of substrate rigidity on stem cell survival. Our study aims to address this controversy…”


Important information:

Recommended reviewers Author’s contact information

We would like to recommend the following reviewers to evaluate our manuscript: 1. Reviewer 1 and contact information 2. Reviewer 2 and contact information 3. Reviewer 3 and contact information 4. Reviewer 4 and contact information Please address all correspondence to:

Reviewers

Contact information

Can also exclude reviewers


Recommending reviewers

Where to find them?

From your reading/references, networking at conferences

How senior? Aim for mid-level researchers

Who to avoid? Collaborators (past 5 years),

researchers from your university

International list: 1 or 2 from Asia, 1 or 2 from Europe, and 1 or 2 from North America

Choose reviewers who have published in your target journal


We confirm that this manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal. All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with submission to the Journal of Economic Research & Practice. This study was funded by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Last paragraph:

Declarations related to publication ethics Source of funding Conflicts of interest


We confirm that this manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal. All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with submission to the Journal of Economic Research & Practice. This study was funded by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Last paragraph:

Declarations related to publication ethics Source of funding Conflicts of interest

Ethics

Funding

Conflicts of interest

Customer Service Marketing your work Special cover letters

Reason for Fast Track

Timeliness, broad importance for society, urgency Interest to broad community Novelty, originality, high quality Major contribution to field/literature, new insights/ideas Separate letter, form, or statement in cover letter? Statement within article (25–250 words)? Include statement in Abstract? Can sometimes be followed by “full paper”

Fast track…e.g., peer review in 2–5 weeks, but limitations on word count/figures


Combined declaration + rapid review request

We confirm that this manuscript is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration by another journal other than International Medical ICT Journal. Our ICT-linked algorithm is the first one to be used prognostically in oncology. No other studies have been published on ICT as a prognostic factor for postoperative survival in cancer patients undergoing curative resection. [Details of specific features, then]…Our article would therefore make an immediately useful contribution to the literature and to clinical practice. Hence, we request the Fast Track option for peer review by the International Medical ICT Journal.

Declarations related to publication ethics Reason for rapid review


Combined declaration + rapid review request

We confirm that this manuscript is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration by another journal other than International Medical ICT Journal. Our ICT-linked algorithm is the first one to be used prognostically in oncology. No other studies have been published on ICT as a prognostic factor for postoperative survival in cancer patients undergoing curative resection. [Details of specific features, then]…Our article would therefore make an immediately useful contribution to the literature and to clinical practice. Hence, we request the Fast Track option for peer review by the International Medical ICT Journal.

Ethics

General features

Specific features & call to action

Declarations related to publication ethics Reason for rapid review

Section 6

Peer review

Peer review

The submission process

Accepted—publication!

Editor Author

Peer review

Reject

Results novel? Topic relevant? Clear English? Properly formatted?

Revision • New experiments • Improve readability • Add information • Revise figures

Peer review What reviewers are looking for

The science

The manuscript

Relevant hypothesis Good study design & appropriate

methodology Good data analysis Valid conclusions

Logical flow of information Manuscript structure and formatting Appropriate references High readability

Peer review is a positive process!

Coverage and Staffing Plan Peer review Decision letter

“Slush pile” desk review: Rejection (not novel, no focus or rationale, wrong scope or format) / Resubmit after editing

Peer review: Accept / Accept with minor revisions / Revise & resubmit / “Reject” • Hard rejection

o Flaw in design or methods, ethics o Major misinterpretation, lack of evidence

• Soft rejection o Incomplete reporting or overgeneralization o Additional analyses needed o Presentation problem

Interpret the decision letter carefully (& after a break)

Coverage and Staffing Plan Peer review Decision letter

25 November 2014

Dear Dr. Costa,

Manuscript ID Nano-014-2211-9: “Optimizing electron transport layers in multilayer OLEDs devices ”

Your manuscript has been reviewed, and we regret to inform you that based on our Expert reviewers’ comments, it is not possible to further consider your manuscript in its current form for publication in Nanoletters.

Although the reviews are not entirely negative, it is evident from the extensive comments that the manuscript, in its current form, does not meet the criteria for publication in Nanoletters. The results are too preliminary and incomplete for publication at the present time.

The reviewer comments are included at the bottom of this letter. I hope the information provided by the reviewers will be helpful in future.

Decision

Reason

Comments

Coverage and Staffing Plan Peer review Editor is interested

in your work

The Reviewer comments are not entirely negative.

It is not possible to consider your manuscript in its current form.

I hope the information provided will be helpful when you revise your manuscript.

I regret that the outcome has not been favorable at this time.

Coverage and Staffing Plan Peer review Editor is not

interested in your work

We cannot publish your manuscript

Your study does not contain novel results that merit publication in our journal.

We appreciate your interest in our journal. However, we will not further consider your manuscript for publication.

We wish you luck in publishing your results elsewhere.

Coverage and Staffing Plan Peer review Revise for resubmission

…You will be unable to make your revisions on the originally submitted version of the manuscript. Instead, revise your manuscript using a word processing program and save it on your computer. Please also highlight the changes to your manuscript within the document by using bold or colored text. Once the revised manuscript is prepared, you can upload it and submit it through your Author Center.

When submitting your revised manuscript, you will be able to respond to the comments made by the reviewer(s) in the space provided. You can use this space to document any changes you make to the original manuscript. In order to expedite the processing of the revised manuscript, please be as specific as possible in your response to the reviewer(s).

IMPORTANT: Your original files are available to you when you upload your revised manuscript. Please delete any redundant files before completing the submission.

Because we are trying to facilitate timely publication of manuscripts submitted to Nanoletters, your revised manuscript should be uploaded by 20 December. If it is not possible for you to submit your revision in a reasonable amount of time, we may have to consider your paper as a new submission.

Once again, thank you for submitting your manuscript to Plant and Soil and I look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

How to respond

Due date for resubmission

Coverage and Staffing Plan Peer review Reviewer response letter

Respond to every reviewer comment

Easy for editor & reviewers to

see changes

• Revise and keep to the deadline; be polite • Restate reviewer’s comment • Refer to line and page numbers

Use a different color font

Highlight the text

Strikethrough font for deletions

Coverage and Staffing Plan Peer review Reviewer response letter

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

Coverage and Staffing Plan Peer review

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 with previous results.

Response: It’s very clear that you’re not familiar with the current analytical methods in the field. I recommend that you identify a more suitable reviewer for my manuscript now!!!

Reviewer response letter

Coverage and Staffing Plan Peer review

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 with 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 “Pack model” [Pack et al., 2015]. Hence, we have explained the use of this function and the Pack model in our revised Discussion section (Page 12, Lines 2–6).

Evidence

Revisions

Location

Reviewer response letter

Agree or disagree with evidence

Please see Activity 3 in your Workbook

Activity 3: Peer review

Promoting your research after publication

Section 7

Coverage and Staffing Plan

Publicize your work

Presenting after you publish

Advantages

Actively promote your article

Advice on future directions

Networking with researchers/media

Networking with journal editors

Conferences, Seminars, Press Conferences, Media Enquiries, Media Interviews,

Social Media, Open Days, Public Education


Publicize your work Publicizing your article

Increase the impact of your research after publication

• Conference • Web, email • Social media • Press release • Newsletter • Report

Respect news embargo

Report clearly and accurately

Respect access/archive policies

Respect copyright/CC licenses

Respect journal publication policy

Check conference guidelines


Publicize your work Your multiple audiences

Everyone evaluates your study…and you

Pre- and post-publication impact

• Journal editors & reviewers • Readers, opinion/policy makers • Students, researchers, industry • Employers, schools, interest groups • (Science) Media, public, politicians • Conference/journal panels • Review boards, funders, donors

Quality, Impact & Relevance

Why your work is important!


Publicize your work Match your audience

Pre- and post-publication impact

IMRaD research article

(journals,

posters, slides)

Hard news

(conclusion as “lede”)

(press

releases)

Hard news, delayed

lede

(implication at start)

Soft news/

Feature story

(news-letters)

Hard news, delayed lede + kicker

(implication at start &

end)

Only after journal publication!



Writing for the public

Hard news

Newsworthiness: why care? PITCH

• Proximity

• Impact

• Timeliness

• Conflict

• Human interest (e.g., unexpectedness)




Hard news

Heading

• Can say “new”; can use subheading • Name the source (institution)

Conclusion first (lede/top line) • Name the source (researchers & journal) • Implications or importance in a quote

Results before Methods; use bullets Background last

• Try to end with a quote




Hard news

6WHs

• Who? What? Where? Why? When? How? Keep the lede short (15-20 words) Be concise!

• Short paragraphs • 300-400 words

Stress what is new Avoid jargon and technical language Background info and Contact in “Notes” at end



Who to target

Hard news

International media (traditional, online) International news agencies National media Local media (for local community) Specialist news agency/hub (e.g., EurekAlert) Specialist media (practitioners) Consumer media (popular magazines) Institution / academic society Interest groups (social media / blogs)



Writing for the different audiences

Hard news

Show what you’ve done

Show how you’ve spent (public) funds

Apply for more funding

Share knowledge, educate public

Affect policy/practice

Raise reputation

S

Be an effective communicator

Your goal is not only to be published, but also to be widely read and cited

Developing advanced writing skills

Logically communicating your ideas in your manuscript

Making the best first impression

Promoting your research findings to different

audiences

Thank you!

Any questions?

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Kate Harris: [email protected] Julian Tang: [email protected]