How to write a good research paper

Dangsheng Li, PhD

Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Cell Research

further testing, refining, correction, etc.

Dissemination and exchange of knowledge and information

Essential for the natural advance of science

For scientists: get your grant renewed and get your tenure/promotion

To Publish: why is it important

Cell Research

new ideas/concepts (reasonably sound)

closer and closer to truth

Two Major Parts

A brief Introduction to Cell Research

How to get published: key issues in preparing your manuscripts.

Cell Research ： China’s premium international journal

Founded in 1990 by Zhen Yao

- Cell Research由中国科学院主管，中国科学院上海生命科学研究院生物化学与细胞生物学研究所主办，中国科学院上海生命科学信息中心承办，是目前我国生命科学领域的优秀国际性期刊。

- 2002年， Cell Research获得第一个影响因子（ IF），并至 2006年连续 5年 IF稳定保持在 2左右。近几年来，期刊的 IF 有显著增长， 2007、 2008 、 2009 和 2010年的 IF分别为 3.426、 4.217、 4.535和 8.151。

A brief introduction to Cell Research

www.nature.com/cr www.cell-research.com SIBS.SICLS

IF trends of Cell Research

A brief introduction to Cell Research

www.nature.com/cr www.cell-research.com SIBS.SICLS

- 2008 年十月发表的张辰宇组（南京大学）关于血液中发现miRNA的论文，受到全球媒体的广泛关注，路透社、合众社、《科学的美国人》等都对该文的成果作了报道。

Long range perspective and our inspirations

Having a ladder of life science journals: IF10+, IF5+, and IF2-3: great for China, and great for Chinese scientists.

Let our scientists worry about their research only,

NOT about how to “sell” their work for publishing!

Premium scientific journals represent important components of Spiritual Civilization of the humankind.

Two Major Parts

A brief Introduction to Cell Research

How to get published: key issues in preparing your manuscripts.

How to get published: start with the research (1)

Ask the right questions: focus on the key and fundamental issues of the field or an aspect of the field.

Stay abreast with the most recent advances: originality and novelty.

Will the answers interest other scientists?

Do not replicate for the sake of replicating only! (exceptions: technology)

How to get published: start with the research (2)

Choose the right approaches: stay within the capacity of resources and expertise available to you.

Build on a solid basis. Repeat produces reliability.

Pay attention to rigorous controls.

Always consider alternative explanations.

Collaborations will benefit all: expand your field and expertise.

How to get published: prepare your manuscript (1)

Assess your progress: do I have a reasonably coherent and intact story?

Be objective with the overall scope and significance of your work.

Choose the right journal: repeated rejections waste your precious time, can be very frustrating and take fun out of publishing.

Seek advice from more experienced colleagues when you are not sure.

How to get published: prepare your manuscript (2)

Put your study in a proper perspective (i)

Allow for fair and objective evaluation of your research.

Objective evaluation of key issues in the field that relate to your study:

-- what is known? What is unknown? What is controversial?

What specific questions does my study aim to address or answer? Why is it important or worthwhile to address/answer these questions (with respect to the overall situation of the field)?

How to get published: prepare your manuscript (3)

Put your study in a proper perspective (ii)

Write a good abstract/summary and an effective introduction (with the above issues in mind):

-- keep reminding yourself about those questions -- pay close attention to the logic flow: Introduction should not be a simple list

of facts [ “A did this, and B did that…”]. -- not a good idea to go straight into “we did X, Y, and Z…” without proper

attention to the above questions

Does my study aim to settle/address a controversial issue? -- If so, give sufficient background about the controversy, explain potential

reasons that might have led to the different results. Clearly indicate what distinct features of your work (e.g., more reliable techniques, more direct test of the hypothesis etc) allow for a better resolution of the issue. Simply casting a vote and adding to the controversy or confusion will not be very attractive.

How to get published: prepare your manuscript (4)

M & M: Give sufficient details to allow other scientists to repeat the work

Results: Present a story with the key issues/questions in mind

You are telling a story, not simply reporting a compiled list of data.

Pay close attention to the overall logic flow. Poor logic will put the readers off. Logic flow is more important than time flow.

Use informative titles for each subsection. State the main “mini-conclusions”. Avoid “agarose gel electrophoresis of xxx”!

How to get published: prepare your manuscript (5)

Discussion connect to the Introduction, briefly summarize what

you have done, and discuss the advances and potential implications of the work within a proper perspective.

Avoid unnecessary repetitions of the contents already contained in the Introduction and Results sections.

Be objective: do not under- or over-sell your work (err on the safe side if you are not sure).

Reasonable speculations based on known knowledge AND your own findings are OK. Usually should limit it to 1 step (no further speculations based on speculations).

How to get published: prepare your manuscript (6)

When you are not a native English speaker (i)

Writing a good paper: it is doable! (One does not need to be Mark Twain)

Be realistic and be prepared to learn: it takes learning to do research properly, and it takes learning to write a good paper.

We are at the same starting line: the key issues and requirements relating to a good paper are the same for all (it doesn’t matter whether you are a native speaker or not).

How to get published: prepare your manuscript (7)

When you are not a native English speaker (ii) Read some good papers (learn by example). -- pay close attention to the overall organization and logic flow -- learn some frequently used key phrases/expressions: indicating that…,

suggesting that…, to this end…, we reason that…… A good overall structure and clear logic flow are the key. -- occasional grammatic and other small language errors are less important -- however, do fix every mistake that you could find: the impression of being

careless and sloppy can be very damaging! -- avoid word-by-word translations from Chinese!

Be willing to re-write and revise BEFORE formal submission. -- Seek advice from more experienced / native speaking colleagues -- Seek professional help (can be very expensive and won’t solve all the

problems)

Helpful Tips: If you think you have a high profile paper

**Authors can improve their manuscript and chances for review by paying attention to these points when writing the manuscript**

Keep in mind how an Editor evaluates a paper: Scope, Significance, Logic, and Technical Quality.

Show your paper to colleagues (outside the field) to help evaluate whether the paper is accessible to a general audience.

Take advantage of the cover letter to convey why you feel that the results are of unusual significance. Do not simply repeat your abstract!

Pre-submission inquiry: ask editors for advice about whether the paper is a strong candidate for the journal.

Helpful Tips: After you receive a reject decision from a high profile journal

Read the decision letter and reviews carefully. Focus on the scientific issues.

If the reviews or editorial evaluation cite legitimate limitations or lack of sufficient general interest, it is usually in your best interest to submit the manuscript to another journal.

If the reviewers and/or the editors have misunderstood a key aspect of the paper, email the editor about the possibility of reconsideration. Provide brief explanation of the relevant points and how you plan to address them. Be honest with yourself; but nothing is impossible.

How to get published: revision stage (1)

Revision is usually “as good as you can get” after the 1st round of reviews.

Two kinds of revisions: minor and major

How to get published: revision stage (2)

Take the referees’ comments seriously. -- Be objective with their criticisms. In many cases, addressing their

comments will strengthen your paper; and when this means additional experiments, the recommendation is to do it whenever possible.

If you do not agree with the Refs, state your scientific reasons.

-- Do this in a polite and yet firm manner -- Citing one Ref’s comments against the other is not recommended

If certain things indeed can not be done, state your objective reasons.

Bottom line: be respectful and candid, and act in good faith. (Spinning around issues is not a good idea)