Dr Ana Cristina Diniz Silva, Tutor on the Postgraduate Diploma in Cosmetic Medicine and the Postgraduate Diploma in Dermatology, discusses how to get a paper published in an academic journal.
As healthcare professionals, research is an integral part of our work. Publishing papers is acknowledgement of our endeavours, but it’s also another way we can help other HCPs improve patient care.
Studying with Diploma MSc provides the perfect platform for publishing an academic paper.
Here are tips on how to get a paper published in an academic journal:
First, remind yourself why writing an original article is important. Publishing an academic paper may be necessary to graduate or advance a career, but the key is to educate others about your work and improve scientific development.
Identify a ‘hot topic’ for research. You’re better offer discussing controversial subjects instead of well-established consensual topics.
Perform a systematic review of the literature and establish objective criteria for the inclusion or exclusion of studies. Writing a good article isn’t about citing studies and describing their results, but critically appraising their strengths and limitations.
Choose a suitable journal and an article type. Detailed instructions for authors and a full description of the types of articles can be easily accessed on journals’ web pages.
You’ve chosen an attractive subjective and a suitable journal. Now it’s time to follow the guidelines of language, content, reference style, artwork and submission procedures. Lack of context is a common reason why journals reject articles. The cover letter should not repeat the abstract and both must show clarity about the aims of the article and the relevance of your research to the scientific community worldwide.
Distance Education Courses from Diploma MSc courses are an ideal way to start the process of publishing a paper.