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What to Publish
 Know the types of journal articles.
 Decide what you want to publish.
 Determine whether your expectations meet the requirements
for the desired article type.
 Types of articles: 5 major types
 Original Research
 Short report/Brief research findings
 Review
 Comment/Expert opinion
 Case study
 Others (new protocol, editorial, conference report etc.)
Checklist: Expectations against article type
 Original work based data
 Data is unique, no manipulation
 Raw data should be available upon request
 Raw data must support statistical analysis done in
manuscript
 Data answers something new or validate any
question-answer scientifically but not repetitive
of something already done or scientifically proved
 Review
 Re-view: Understand what it mean to review
 Review of previous works (mostly original) to
propose an acceptable hypothesis
 Paraphrasing multiple previous papers is not a
review
 Summarizing type review: this type of review
may or may not contain any new hypothesis
but it contains a vast summary of all research
works done in that filed in the last 20-50 years
Checklist: Expectations against article type
Comment/Opinion
 Usually done by experts in that field
 Or, you are reporting some underrated
scientific/social/economic facts that affect
greater scientific achievements
 Should be backed by scientifically acceptable
and available data/database/news.
 Max 1.5 page
 Case study
 Based on small number of real time case
addressing something new findings
 Can be even one single case if it is something
for the first time observed
 Strong data must be presented to support the
unique findings with very small sample
population
Journal Selection
 Predatory journal: Don’t follow the short-cut way to
publish in predatory journal
 Focus on following criteria
 Peer-reviewed (Single blinded or double blinded)
 Indexing
 Aims and Scope
 Impact factor (IF)
Abstracting and indexing
• Abstracting:
 Summary enlisted in database
 enable users to determine whether or not they need to read the entire text
• Indexing:
Content of documents
Contain subject terms and headings
Also describing the content and main themes
Ref: Taylor and francis librarian resources online
Indexing
Indexing is the process of
organizing and categorizing
information for easy retrieval.
In academia, indexing
services play a crucial role in
making research more
accessible and discoverable.
Popular indexing services:
Google Scholar, PubMed,
Scopus, Web of Science, etc.
Benefits of Indexing
Increased visibility: Indexed papers are more likely to be found
and cited by other researchers.
Global reach: Researchers from all over the world can access
indexed publications.
Enhanced impact: Indexed papers contribute to the scholarly
community and foster knowledge sharing.
• PubMed/MEDLINE
• PubMed Central
•Web of Science: Science Citation Index® (SCI)
• Scopus
• Current Contents®/Life Sciences
• Biotechnology Citation Index®
• Biological Abstracts
• Academia
Google Scholar
CrossRef
WorldCat
J-Gate
CNKI SCHOLAR
Bielefeld Academic Search Engine(BASE)
Academia
Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and E-Journal
Case Study: Below are the abstracting and indexing list of two journals on biological science. Among all important
databases included in the list, here are concepts of few databases.
Google Scholar: provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature.
Scopus: Elsevier's abstract and citation database
Web of Science: provide reference and citation data from academic journals, conference proceedings
Crossref: Digital object identifier Registration Agency of the International DOI Foundation
PubMed: The United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) database to search and retrieval of biomedical and life
sciences literature
Decide which journal should you consider to submit your manuscript focused on ‘biomedicine and biological science’ and
which one has more chances of being a predatory journal?
Impact Factor
o Considerations one must take into account when looking at a calculated IF for a journal.
 First, the journal has to be indexed in order for the IF to be calculated.
 Second, journals with larger readership exposure are far better.
 Third, the narrower the subject field the better.
 Fourth, formal review or reference articles do better.
 Finally, organizations with self-referencing options also do better.
Ref: doi10.1055/s-0030-1267079
In any given year, the two-year journal impact factor is the ratio between the number of
citations received in that year for publications in that journal that were published in the two
preceding years and the total number of "citable items" published in that journal during the
two preceding years
Criticism of Impact Factor
Biased towards certain disciplines: Journals with higher IF tend
to be in certain fields.
Focus on citation quantity: IF does not measure the actual
impact on society or scientific advancement.
Manipulation: Some journals may artificially boost their IF
through self-citations or other means.
Alternative Metrics
Altmetrics: Measures of research impact beyond traditional
citations, such as social media mentions, downloads, and
media coverage.
h-index: Combines an author's productivity and citation impact.
Eigenfactor Score: Evaluates journal influence based on
citation patterns.
Indexing vs Impact factor
 Indexing comes first.
 Check if the journal is indexed in the central database of your field. (e.g.
PubMed)
 Do not focus too much on IF. Specialized journals in a specific field can
also have low IF.
 Target: Peer-reviewed, central database indexed with correctly aligned
scope may or may not have high IF.
Academic Integrity
• A commitment to good study practices and shared values which
ensures that my work is a true expression of my own understanding
and ideas, giving credit to others where their work contributes to mine.
• Engaging in good academic practice.
• Involves essential skills, such keeping track of where you find ideas
and information and referencing these accurately in your work.
• We are all committed to openness and honesty in our words and
actions.
• When we act with integrity, we receive the credit that we deserve for
our work and others receive the credit for theirs.
Plagiarism
 Plagiarism Latin word "plagiarius" meaning "kidnapper“
 Presenting work or ideas from another source as your own, with or
without consent of the original author, by incorporating it into your
work without full acknowledgement. (Oxford University definition)
 Considered as academic crime globally
 Types of plagiarism: Copy-pasting, paraphrasing without citation,
self-plagiarism, and mosaic plagiarism.
Is the presentation of someone else’s work as if it were your
own, regardless of whether you do so intentionally or of how
much acknowledged material you use.
Work means any intellectual output, and can include text, data,
images, sound or performances.
Where you refer to, or use, information, ideas or any other
content from somebody else’s work, the original source must be
acknowledged through accurate citation and referencing.
Use quotation marks to indicate exact quotations from the work
of other authors.
Consequences of Plagiarism
Academic repercussions: Failing grades, expulsion, academic
probation.
Legal consequences: Copyright infringement lawsuits, fines,
and penalties.
Damage to reputation: Loss of credibility and trust in the
academic community.
Why Avoid Plagiarism?
Upholding academic integrity: Honesty and ethical conduct are
essential in research and academia.
Building credibility: Properly citing sources enhances your
credibility as a researcher and writer.
Fostering originality: Plagiarism stifles creativity and original
thinking.
How to avoid Plagiarism
 Do literature review on your own and thoroughly
 Take notes, think and correlate between different notes
 Synthesize your summary from the notes
 While synthesizing be careful that you are interpreting the information correctly not making
something new
 Do not copy from previous articles and paraphrase the lines to make something new
 Based on your synthesized information, write by yourself with your own words
 Cite source reference correctly
 Try avoiding plagiarism in your everyday life such as presentations, reports and manuscripts.
Strategies to Avoid Plagiarism
Citation Styles: Learn and adhere to appropriate citation styles
such as APA, MLA, Chicago, or IEEE.
Paraphrasing: Restate ideas in your own words while maintaining
the original meaning and give proper credit.
Quoting: Use direct quotes for verbatim text and enclose them in
quotation marks.
Source Management: Keep organized records of all sources used,
including author names, publication dates, and page numbers.
Plagiarism Detection Tools: Utilize software like Turnitin to check
for unintentional similarities in your work.
Best Practices
Start Early: Begin your research and writing well in advance to
avoid rushing and unintentional plagiarism.
Plan Your Citations: Identify sources you'll use before you start
writing to ensure proper citation integration.
Keep Track of Sources: Maintain a reference list or bibliography
throughout your research process.
Review and Edit: Proofread your work to ensure accurate
citations and proper paraphrasing.
Self-Check and Peer Review
Self-Check: Regularly assess your work for possible instances
of plagiarism before submitting.
Peer Review: Seek feedback from colleagues or mentors to
catch any unintentional plagiarism.
Conclusion
Plagiarism, indexing, and impact factor are significant aspects
of academic publishing.
Upholding academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism is crucial
for maintaining credibility and trust.
Utilizing indexing services and understanding impact factors
can boost the visibility and reach of your research.