Writing for Scientific Journals

Writing a Good Paper for Scientific Journals

Focus on quality communication and writing: Avoid making grammatical and spelling mistakes. Pay careful attention to formatting and ensuring tables and figures are appropriate.
Plan your study within the context of existing research: Address a question that needs to be answered, ensure your findings can be relevant to others, and avoid replicating existing studies.
Consider the importance of your study: Your research should provide either supporting evidence for older information, new and different information, corrections to previously published findings, entirely new concepts, or contribute to the advancement of science.
Select unique topics for your research: Consider the budget, infrastructure, and resources available to you. Conduct a thorough literature search and maintain updated records.
Take detailed notes of results and observations: Begin writing the article early in the study while results are still being obtained. Ensure timely publication, and if needed, consider publishing a short communication or quick publication.
Ensure ethical treatment of patients and animals: Obtain written consent from participants and comply with the Ethical Review Board.
Utilize a statistician for data analysis: Ensure the appropriate methodology is used for analyzing the data. Maintain systematic and accurate record keeping. Keep separate forms for each patient and utilize summary forms for all patients.
Ensure data accessibility and accuracy: All data should be accurately recorded and managed using software.
Structure your writing: Structure your writing with the research question at the forefront and avoid unnecessary information.

Common Mistakes

Articles should not be excessively long.
Avoid poor writing.
Don't excessively criticize existing studies, as your reviewers may have contributed to those studies.
Avoid weak selection of necessary information, such as providing unnecessary or personal details.
Limit the use of professional jargon and unnecessary technical details.
Make sure the article is sent to the journal at neither too early nor too late a stage.

Publishing Pathways and Choosing the Right Journal

Consider where to publish your study: Possible options include international journals, journals published in Turkey, and other journals.
Be prepared for rejections: Keep a list of journals ready in case of rejection.
Choose the journal strategically: Consider the focus of the journal, if your study aligns with its scope, the journal's impact factor, the study type, the scientific value of your work, the scientific field to which your work contributes, the speed of publication, and the ease of submission preparation (online vs offline).
Research potential journals thoroughly: Consider factors such as the journal's editorial board, editor, subscriber count, printing lead time, and accessibility.
Understand the importance of indexing: ISI (Institute for Scientific Information) uses several indices: SCI (Science Citation Index), SCIE (Science Citation Index Expanded), Social Sciences Citation Index, and Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI)

Writing Your Paper

Consider the journal's format: Ensure formatting guidelines (page width, spacing, font size, style, etc.) are adhered to.
Familiarize yourself with author guidelines: Review instructions and guidelines for submission, illustrations, information for authors, etc.
Utilize templates: If possible, use journal-specific templates to guide your writing.
Write each section thoroughly: Include detailed information in each section, ensuring that any figure and table descriptions are comprehensive.
Adhere to the journal’s writing guidelines: Include all sections, follow formatting rules, and pay attention to consistency and clarity in language.

Paper Sections

Abstract and Keywords: Concisely summarize your research and include relevant keywords.
Introduction: Introduce the research topic and its significance.
Materials and Methods: Explain the methodology used in the study.
Results: Present your findings in a clear and organized manner.
Discussion: Interpret your findings and relate them to existing literature.
Conclusion: Summarize your main findings and their significance.
Other Sections: Include acknowledgments, references, tables, figures, figure legends, the title, running title, authors, and corresponding author information.

Paper Title

The title is crucial: It should grab the reader's attention and accurately represent your study.
Create the title early: This makes it easier to build the paper around it.
Informative and concise: The title should be concise and informative, avoiding generalities or excessive length.
Avoid acronyms: Do not include abbreviations in the title.
Include keywords: The title should reflect the main keywords of your research.

Understanding and Choosing a Journal

Choose a journal that aligns with your research topic: This will ensure your work is seen by the right audience.
Consider the journal's impact factor: This indicates the journal's level of influence and prestige.
Familiarize yourself with the writing style of the journal: This will help you tailor your work appropriately.
Utilize templates: Templates can help ensure your paper is formatted correctly.

Conclusion:

By adhering to these guidelines, you can increase the likelihood of your paper being accepted for publication in a scientific journal. Planning, careful writing, and a strategic approach to journal selection are critical.