Before You Submit: 7 Tips to Get Published
Michelle DeCoux Hampton PhD, RN
Founder and Publication Consultant, The Publication Accelerator
Learn the Formula
The underlying structure of most research reports is abbreviated as IMRaD (introduction, methods, results, and discussion). With practice, you will see the patterns within each section of the IMRaD structure. Becoming a peer reviewer for a journal is a great way to develop your eye by reviewing the work of other writers AND the opportunity to see the evaluation of other, possibly more experienced reviewers.
Keep in mind that if you’re working on publishing your dissertation, DNP project, or thesis, while the structure might be similar, the publishable manuscript should have a much more narrow focus. There are typically major changes that must be made to prepare your academic paper for submission to a journal. Refer to author guidelines and use other articles published in the journal as a model.
Audit and Upgrade Your Scientific Writing Skills
Beyond the IMRaD structure, the presentation of content must meet certain standards of health science writing as well. If you are unsure about primary sources, paraphrasing vs. use of quotations, the differences between summarizing, critical appraisal, and synthesis, I recommend you put some effort into building your knowledge of scientific writing skills.
I developed the Scientific Writing Assessment over years of coaching graduate nursing students in writing for academic success and publication. The rubric provides detailed information about levels of skill mastery with usage tips. In a study that tested its use, I provided strategies for addressing various skill development needs identified by the rubric (see Table 2).
Embrace Imperfection
In my experience, nothing interferes more with writing than perfectionism. First drafts are meant to be messy. Use them to purge all the information that you think might be important with the goal of refining it over time.
Proofread
Proofreading is a process. Once you have the content you feel is important, you can work on improving organization, spelling and grammar checks, review for inadvertent plagiarism, congruency between IMRaD components of the paper and with the journal’s author guidelines, and overall polish.
Seek Feedback
When you’ve been able to prepare a professional version of your manuscript, this is a good time to seek feedback from a mentor or colleague who has successfully published their work. This can be a great time to take a break and get a little space from your paper.
Revise
Receiving feedback from a mentor, peer, or reviewers and editors can feel intimidating and sometimes discouraging. However, constructive feedback is a necessary part of the process. If needed, you might review feedback initially and if you’re feeling discouraged, pause and return when you’re able to refocus on the substance of the comments. Also, when you receive a decision from a journal to revise and resubmit (often with many suggestions for editing), it is not the same as a rejection. Apply the feedback to improve your work line by line.
Submit
The French poet Valery is attributed with the saying “a work is never finished…only abandoned.” There is no state of perfection for a manuscript that will satisfy every reviewer. Aim for simplicity (to the degree possible), clarity, and making a contribution to current knowledge; then click submit. As noted above, the process of peer review is sure to include several rounds of revisions, and if you persist (and sometimes that means shopping it around to different journals), it can result in the publication of a slightly imperfect, yet meaningful contribution to your professional community. Good luck!