Publishing your research work

by Prof K. S. Chiang, Chair Professor, Department of Electronic Engineering

Why bother

Your research work, no matter how marvellous it is, means little to the community of the profession if it is not accessible. The most effective way of making your research accessible is to get it published. Professional periodicals or journals are the most recognised publications of scholarly work. Such journals generally employ a rigorous editorial process based on peer reviews to maintain high standards, and they only accept original research papers that report significant new research results. To have a paper published in a reputable journal is itself recognition of the achievements of the author(s).

Which journal

A published paper never read is as good as a paper never published. To maximise the readership and the impact of your research work, you should always target top journals in your field. Top journals set higher standards for published papers and thus earn higher reputation from the community.

Statistical indicators for journals, such as Impact Factor and Citation Rate, are sometimes employed as references to rank journals. Be very careful using these indicators, as they are only statistics showing certain characteristics of the journals and do not necessarily reflect the quality of the journals. In practice you do not need these to identify top journals in your field. Top journals are simply those where you can find plenty of useful references to help your research. They are the journals you should normally consider for submission of your research work. Choose the one that matches the scope of your research best.

Editorial process

After receiving your manuscript, the journal editor will invite experts in your field (at least two) to review it. The reviewers will write critiques on your manuscript and make recommendations to the editor with regard to the fate of your paper (e.g., publish as it is, publish with minor revisions, possible publication after substantial revision, or reject). The editor will study the review reports and inform you of his or her decision and, if necessary, release the review reports to you. Unless your paper is accepted as it is or rejected straightaway, you will have to do revision and return the revised manuscript to the editor by a deadline. Occasionally you will be asked to do second revision. About a month before the issue is in print, you will receive the galley proofs of your paper for you to check for any typographical errors. The entire editorial process can take many months. Many journals nowadays allow authors to check the status of their manuscripts from the websites of the journals or the associated professional societies. To expedite the process, some journals that target brief reports of timely research do not allow revision and/or proofs correction. Papers submitted to those journals are either straight accepted or rejected.

Some advice

First-class journals seek first-class papers that report first-class research. To target top journals, you should have good research results to start with. The quality of a paper is judged from its scope, novelty, significance, technical content, presentation, and, sometimes, timeliness. Do not rush to publish premature results or incremental progress in mediocre journals. A well-rounded account of your research work is always preferred (because it serves the community better) and has a much higher chance of being accepted by a top journal. Do not waste time on generating publications that, you know, will never be taken seriously by your peers. Your reputation is built upon the quality of your work. Quantity is no match for quality.

Learn how to write a good journal paper from the literature and experienced writers. Try to follow the journal guidelines as closely as possible. Prepare your manuscript meticulously and proofread it critically. If possible, find a qualified person to proofread it and polish your writing.

Few papers are published without revision. When revising your manuscript, try to address all the reviewers' concerns as completely as possible to avoid further revision. If the revision required is substantial, prepare separate sheets to answer the reviewers' comments and highlight the corresponding changes made in the revised manuscript. If you disagree with the reviewers on certain points, explain your views clearly and try to convince them politely that you are right.

If your paper is rejected unanimously by all the reviewers, do not bother to argue even though you have all the reason to believe the reviewers are wrong about your paper, because the chance of reversing the editor's decision in such a situation is usually small. If you are confident with your work, simply revise the paper by taking advantage of the reviewers' comments and submit it as a new paper to another journal.

Your paper may be rejected because of a single detailed negative review report - editors put more weight on detailed reports. If you can prove the reviewer is wrong, it is worth trying to refute their arguments and request a new reviewer. You will have to present strong arguments to substantiate your request. If the editor accepts your request (very likely), you will have a good chance of reversing the situation. Persistence helps.

Do not get too upset when your paper is rejected. Even some Nobel Prize winners had their early papers rejected. Learn from the failure and improve next time. After all, reviewers have their limitations and sometimes make mistakes. In spite of the human factors in the peer-review system, high-quality research work can always find its way to first-rate journals.

Professional societies usually provide guidelines on ethical practices, which detail the obligations of journal editors, authors, and reviewers. Read those guidelines and get the practices right from your very first paper.