Choose a journal for these papers  Get together with your team.  Together, read the three abstracts.  Read the three journal descriptions.  Based on the abstracts and journal descriptions, decide together which journal to submit each paper to.  Give your paper to Laura or Sue. Exercise 2

Choosing the right journal Sue Silver How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008

Choosing the right journal Some important questions  What is the new information in my paper?  How important is it?  Who needs to know this information?  What kind of paper do I need to write? Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Choosing the right journal Some more important questions  Does the journal publish this type of paper?  How quickly does the journal publish papers?  Can I afford the author fees? Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Choosing the right journal Author priorities for journal selection*  Quality and prestige of the journal  Specialization - journal aimed at scientists in a particular specialty  Previously published in the journal/Habit  Speed of publication * International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Choosing the right journal Where can I send my paper?  Science and Nature Very wide audience Over 90% rejection rates! Publishes research with the “highest influence within a discipline”, “highest quality”, and of exceptional impact Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Choosing the right journal Where can I send my paper?  General versus Specialist  Traditional versus Letters  International versus national/regional Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Choosing the right journal Where can I send my paper?  General versus Specialist Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Choosing the right journal Where can I send my paper?  Traditional versus Letters Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Choosing the right journal Where can I send my paper?  International versus national/regional Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Choosing the right journal Where can I send my paper?  Match your paper to what the journal publishes  Think about who reads the journal and why they are reading that journal Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Choosing the right journal Time to publication  Journals with high rejection rates might not be quicker at making decisions  Decision times are sometimes quicker for short papers  Some journals publish online before the paper appears in print Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Choosing the right journal Can I afford to publish in this journal?  Does the journal have page charges?  Does the journal charge for color figures? Do I need color figures?  Open access journals ask the author to pay for publication  Society journals may charge reduced fees to members Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Choosing the right journal Make a list of suitable journals and then find out:  Types of paper they publish  The kinds of topics they are interested in  Word limits  Time to decision and publication  Author fees How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008

Choosing the right journal In summary  Select the journal carefully  Read the aims and scope of the journal  Think about the target audience and the level of your work (do you have a realistic chance of being accepted?)  Follow the Instructions to Authors and include everything they ask for SUBMIT! How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008

Instructions to authors The next question is:  Where are The Instructions to Authors? In the journal? Online? How to get publishedZhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008

Instructions to authors Three vital steps to successful manuscript publication:  FIND the Instructions to Authors  READ the Instructions to Authors  FOLLOW the Instructions to Authors Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Instructions to authors Content criteria  Subject area  Types of manuscript  Style of writing (depends on readership) Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Instructions to authors Style of writing (example from Frontiers)  Writing style: crisp, concise, and accessible, even to those reading outside their area of expertise. Avoid or explain all specialist terminology. Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Instructions to authors Content involving one or more of the following  Global issues  Broadly impacting research  Cross-disciplinary or multi-country comparisons or initiatives  New techniques and technologies  New approaches to old problems  Practical applications of ecological science Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Instructions to authors Mechanical criteria  Word count  Number of figures  Instructions on figure formats  Where/how to submit Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Instructions to authors Criteria for Reviews  Length: 3500 words, not including short abstract (max 150 words), introduction, 50 references and 6-7 figures and 2-3 tables. (Additional tables or figures may be posted on the journal’s website)  All manuscripts should be submitted through our online manuscript tracking system, accessed through the "Manuscript Submission" button on the home page. The submission page contains instructions to authors on the automated submission and peer review processes. There is no need to send a hard copy by post but please keep electronic copies of what has been uploaded. Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Instructions to authors Submission of illustrations  Photos Formats – JPEG (.jpg), Adobe Illustrator (AI), or Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) files Resolution – 300 dots per inch (dpi) at a width of 5 inches File size – 2–5 MB Labelling – each image should be a separate file, labelled (for example) Tang and Hu – Figure 1 Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Instructions to authors Submission of illustrations (../continued)  Line art Formats – JPEG (.jpg), Adobe Illustrator (AI), or Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) files Resolution – 300 dots per inch (dpi) at a width of 5 inches (15 cm) File size – 1-3 MB Labelling – each image should be a separate file, labelled (for example) Tang and Hu – Figure 2 Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Instructions to authors Ecology  The target length for Articles is manuscript pages (double-spaced, 12-point font, including everything from Title Page through the last figure). The abstract can have a maximum of 350 words. Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

Instructions to authors Study the Instructions to Authors  Saves time  Gives the manuscript a better chance of being sent to peer reviewers  Gives the manuscript a better chance of being accepted  Makes Editors very happy! Zhejiang University, Hangzhou – 15/16 December 2008How to get published

LUNCH!