Writing

• Writing a high-impact research paper which will impress journal editors, referees, and readers, no matter what type of research you’re doing, is a lot easier than you think

Richard Threlfall gives a step-by-step guide to composing a manuscript

• FAIR data and electronic lab notebooks (ELNs)

John Jolliffe discusses effective research data management for chemists, the advantages of electronic lab notebooks, their impact on scientific progress, and the fears scientists may have

Language

• Use clear and unambiguous language to get your point across

Andrew Moore gives tips on successful science communication and how to attract reader attention.

• Keep your writing simple to help readers understand your research

Richard Threlfall gives a brief guide on how to improve the language of your article.

Choosing a Journal

• Consider the scope of the journal: does your audience coincide with the journal’s?

To figure this out, you can look at the author guidelines, browse past issues or ask your colleagues. Or use a journal finder such as the Wiley Journal Finder

• To comply with open-access mandates does not mean you can not publish in the journal of your choice

A short guide on copyright and glossary of open access terminology, and some funding options

• If you would like to share your negative results with the community, the Journal of Unsolved Questions might be an option.

Peer Review

• Take the time to really think about the referees’ comments and reply to all of them

Richard Threlfall gives tips on how to handle comments from referees and Brian Johnson addresses issues faced by reviewers.

Promoting Your Article & Tracking Its Impact

• Add the article to your webpage and use the communication channels of your institution such as press releases and videos

• Share your article on social media (LinkedIn, X (formerly twitter), Bluesky or alike)
• Contact us if you think your article is newsworthy and interesting for a wide scientific audience for coverage in a magazine

• Article-level metrics show what impact a scientific work has in traditional and social media

You might also be interested in sites such as Google Scholar, academia.edu, ResearchGate, ORCID, ResearcherID, Kudos.

• What is an ORCID?

A unique identifier for researchers that helps accurately link their work to them, ensuring proper attribution and visibility of their research across platforms and over time

• Sometimes it doesn’t even take original research to write a highly useful paper

For a fun read on article impact see this piece on a highly cited and widely used paper.

Publishing Process Explained

Clever Picture: From Manuscript to Article,
Jonas Mattheier explains what happens between submission and publication of your scientific article