1. Discussion session on How to write high-impact papers
Department of Meteorology
Discussion session on How to write high-impact papers
Some introductory points
Robin Hogan, with input from Mike Lockwood
November 8, 2018

2. Motivation We want to do the best science that has the highest impact
In the 2008 RAE:
Our score was stellar in “Esteem”
We did well in “Outputs” (papers) but not as well as in Esteem!
In the 2013 REF:
Esteem is no longer a consideration 
Impact now being assessed via case studies
The quality and impact of our “Outputs” is also crucial: are we making the best of our science in the way we go about writing papers?

3. What is impact? Academic impact Media impact Operational impact
Citations, invited talks
Media impact
TV, radio, web, newspaper
Operational impact
New schemes in weather forecast and climate models
Industrial impact
Patents, products, knowledge exchange
Government impact
Government documents (e.g. IPCC), changes of policy
Is there a conflict between scientific excellence and impact?

4. The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
Lukewarm, generally invisible, a bit dense
Highly luminous, very inflated, not very hot
Very luminous
Very faint
Very hot
Rather cool

5. ? Number of Google search results Number of papers (could be h-index)
Stuart Lowe
Blogosphere
Number of papers (could be h-index)

6. wok.mimas.ac.uk
Give affiliation if you have a common name

7. Press here

8. Brian has 55 papers with 55 or more citations
“Yesterday I finally worked out how to produce a citation report from web of science. It is always disappointing to find out that your most cited papers are the crap ones. What does this mean about impact?” (Methven, 10.05am)

9. Discussion points Career choices and impact
Should we seek out high-impact areas to work in rather than just focussing on doing good science that interests us?
What's the right balance between finding the low-hanging fruit in many areas versus making a substantial contribution in just one?
Publishing for maximum impact
What is the merit of review articles versus ordinary articles?
Is the choice of journal important? Be aware of those citing your work
The importance of the abstract, short and snappy papers (LPU?) versus long and detailed, how to get the reviewer to click highlight this article?
How to be accepted by journals that include impact as an assessment factor (e.g. Nature, Science & BAMS)
Should a flashy but shallow paper in Nature be backed up by a detailed paper elsewhere?
Promoting impact after publication
Conferences, sending out reprints, media coverage, up-to-date website…
How obsessed should we be with citation statistics?
Is there anything the Department can do to help in these matters?