The thrill of the paper, the agony of the review

Publishing particulars: Part 2. Tips for effective manuscript development

In Part 2 of this Perspective on Publishing Particulars, I share several recommendations with early-career stage investigators for how to successfully develop a competitive manuscript for publication. In the initial section, I first discuss how to organize content most effectively for an original research article by creating a "storyboard" of the key results, including the sequence in which they will be presented. I then emphasize the importance of rigorously outlining all the information to be presented in the manuscript before attempting to write the text. In the second section, I comprehensively discuss tactical approaches for developing the specific component parts of an original research paper, including the Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results and illustrations, and Discussion, as well as strategies for referencing the text. In the final section, I provide suggestions for how to best develop a compelling review article. The topics discussed include how to view the opportunity; selecting authors and defining their respective roles; identifying the foundational components of the text; conducting a comprehensive review of the target published literature; and organizing, writing, and illustrating the article.

Publishing particulars: Part 3. General writing tips, editing, and responding to peer review

In Part 3 of this Perspective on Publishing Particulars, I begin by providing several general writing tips to consider when developing a manuscript for publication. I then discuss the process involved in rigorously editing research papers and advance some important considerations for manuscript submission. I next share my thoughts and recommendations when attempting to interpret and respond to comments from the manuscript peer review process. Finally, I discuss author responsibilities after a manuscript is accepted for publication. Overall, this portion of the 3-part commentary seeks to complete a broader discussion on publishing in the biomedical sciences aimed at better informing early-stage investigators about many of the nuances of this critical area of professional development.

Publishing particulars: Part 1. The big picture

In Part 1 of this Perspective on Publishing Particulars, I share my thoughts on several key issues related to publishing in academic biomedical research for early-career stage investigators. Among the topics discussed are the importance of publishing peer-reviewed manuscripts, considerations associated with different types of publications, how frequently you should publish, how to select a scientific journal for your manuscript, and navigating authorship questions, including who should be an author, authorship order, and who should write a manuscript. The goal of this first part of the Perspective is to lay a "foundation" of basic knowledge on the publication process from which to discuss more specific aspects of manuscript development in Parts 2 and 3.