How to publish in the top journals? (4)

Preparing and submitting your article is what I would call the final check. And this is important again, because I come back to the phrase, I used earlier, do not antagonize the editor of the journal. How can we avoid doing that? First of all, be quite sure that what you’ve written in your article reflects the title. And it might be that you need to change the title, maybe not completely, but by adding a word here or there. For example, if you say economic impacts of tourism, that’s a global topic. So maybe what you need to say is the economic impacts of tourism in China or in Guangzhou, or in Tianjin. Make sure that your title is accurate. That’s the first thing.

The second thing is, have your research objectives been met? As I said to you before If not, just say what you have not been able to achieve and why. Third point is referencing and style. Go to the journal, read the page which says referencing and style. Make sure that the way your reference accords to what the journal wants. The style, for example, how you set out sub headings, whether you use tables. All these things are what we call house style. Again, if you don’t conform to these, you will be likely to get your paper sent back,and we are asked to make changes. Maybe the last two things are very important. One is a spell check.

Every computer now has a spell check. Use it. Because if there are lots of errors, particularly spelling errors and grammar errors in your presentation, then you get the article sent back. And if you’re not a native speaker, then find somebody who is and ask for help. And the last point, very important again, each journal will have a word limit for articles. If it says eight thousand words, don’t write nine. If it says five thousand, don’t write six. So these points, let me repeat them, because they’re very important. One, does your article reflect the title? Secondly, have your research objectives been met? Thirdly, is the referencing and style according with the journal requirements. Fourthly, run a spell check.

And last of all, make sure that the word length is appropriate. Maybe the last point I would make is, again, which I made earlier, make sure that all the references you have in your article are included in your reference list or your bibliography. I’d like to talk to you now about something else. Maybe the last point I should tell you is about the review process. Normally, when you submit your article, the journal editor will read it. If he or she thinks it’s of the standard to be published in the journal, he will then send it to a specialist, sub editor, and the sub editor then will read it.

Normally, they have the choice of either rejecting it, which we call desk rejection or they will think this is worthwhile sending to reviewers. Usually, there would be three reviewers chosen to read your article. And this is what we call a triple blind system. So the reviewers do not know who you are, and you don’t know who the reviewers are. The only people who know these two things will be the editor and and review editor. Then what happens next? Usually within a given time period, each reviewer will write a review of your article. They will set out what they think is good, what they think is weak, what they think is new. They might comment on your spelling.

They may comment on missing references. When those three reviews are in, then what will happen? The review editor will then send those reviews to you as the corresponding author. Normally, what the reviewers will say? They will say to accept your article. That’s very rare to do it without some changes. Secondly, minor revision, that there are little things you need to change. Thirdly, major revision, which means there are quite substantial things you need to change. And fourthly, reject. Now the review editor basically has a choice here, he reads all these three reviews and obviously make his own review of it as well, and will then report back to the editor.

For example, if there were three rejects, it is very likely the editor would say we will reject this paper. If, for example, there was one which said minor correction, two which said major corrections, it is very likely he would send it back to you and say these are the comments. If you want to resubmit, then please do so within a time period, usually six weeks. And what you find then is that each of the comments of the reviewers is put in a table. And you have to decide, how are you going to react to those comments.

And in the other side of the table, you put in what your reaction is. Now, one thing here which is very important you don’t have to agree with the reviewers’ comments. It might be, for example, the reviewer said you should have included this article or this book. And you might answer, I’ve read this article and I’ve read this book, but I don’t think it contributes to my article. That’s perfectly legitimate. But when you resubmit then, you need to answer each of these points. And my experience with journals is if they think that is a possibility of a submission being improved to meet the journals’ standards, then they will give you the opportunity of doing so.

And again, remember that the reviewers do not know who you are, and you don’t know who the reviewers are. This is a blind review. So that’s a very important thing. So trying to publish in a top journal, the ambitious go for the best. But please remember some of the things I’ve said to you. And again, I repeat this phrase, do not antagonize the editor. Make sure that your paper is in the format required for publication in that journal.