What types of articles do journals publish?

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TYPES OF ARTICLES JOURNALS PUBLISH A guide for early career researchers

Transcript of What types of articles do journals publish?

Page 1: What types of articles do journals publish?

TYPES OF ARTICLES JOURNALS PUBLISH

A guide for early career researchers

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Publish or Perish

As a researcher, you are expected to start publishing early in your career. Not having any publications to your credit could jeopardize your future prospects.

But original research could take years to complete!

No!

Does this mean you cannot publish a paper until you complete your research?

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Publish, don’t Perish

An original article is not the only way in which you can disseminate your research.

Learning more about the different types of scholarly literature will help you choose the most suitable format for publishing your study.

What’s more, you need not wait to publish until you complete your research!

Did you know?

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Types of scholarly literature

Now let us look at some of these in detail.

Primary literature Secondary literature

Requires original research Is based on previously published studies

Includes observations or comments on research that is currently being conducted and has not been reported elsewhere

Usually discusses or summarizes primary literature and is very useful for readers who are seeking more information about a particular topic

Examples• Theses/Dissertations• Conference proceedings• Technical reports

Examples• Monographs (books dealing with a

specific area of research in the sciences)

• Literature reviews (or review articles)

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Original research articles Original research articles are a type of primary literature.

Characteristics of original research articles

They include a hypothesis, background study, methods, results, interpretation of findings, a discussion of

possible implications, and a conclusion. They have a definite structure.

They are lengthy – could range from 3,000 to 6,000, even 12,000

words.

They are time-intensive.

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Review articles (1/4)

Characteristics of review articles

They provide an overview of existing literature in the field.

They are usually lengthy, between 3,000 and 5,000 words, or more, depending on the

journal.

Review articles are a type of secondary literature.

They look at published research from a different perspective, or analyze problems in published data.

They offer an efficient way for early-career researchers to begin publishing as well as to establish themselves as critical thinkers.

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Review articles (2/4)

Types of review articles – Literature reviews

LITERATURE REVIEWS

• They provide a critical summary of all published studies on a particular topic.

• They analyze specific issues, identify trends, or point out research gaps in existing literature .

• They can be published as part of an original article or as standalone papers.

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Review articles (3/4)

Types of review articles – Systematic reviews

SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS• They are more structured and rigorous than

literature reviews.

• They address a clearly formulated question about the literature reviewed.

• They include both published studies and gray literature (unpublished studies, reports, dissertations, conference papers and abstracts, governmental research, ongoing clinical trials, etc.)

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Review articles (4/4)

Types of review articles – Meta-analyses

META-ANALYSES• They use statistical methods to integrate

estimates of effect from independent but similar studies and summarize them.

• They help collate information from many similar studies to achieve more accurate measures instead of relying on measures derived from a single study.

• They are often part of systematic reviews.

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Clinical case studiesClinical studies are a type primary literature.

Characteristics of clinical case studies

They present details of real patient cases from medical or clinical practice and

contribute significantly to the existing knowledge in the field.

They are expected to discuss the signs,

symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of a disease.

They usually have a word count similar to

that of an original article.

They require a lot of practical experience and may not be a suitable publication format for early career researchers.

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Clinical trials

Characteristics of clinical trials

They are usually medical or clinical studies in which human volunteers participate in carefully conducted investigations according to a pre-determined research protocol.

They are usually of about the same length as an original research article.

Clinical trials are a type primary literature.

They can be classified into two broad types: Observational (in which investigators observe the

participants) or Interventional (in which the participants receive specific treatments or interventions).

They require practical work experience as well as high standards of ethics and reliability – they are more useful for experienced researchers.

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Perspectives, opinions, or commentaryThese are types of secondary literature.

Characteristics of perspective, opinion, and commentary articles

• Scholarly reviews of fundamental concepts or prevalent ideas in a field

• Short essays, of around 2,000 words, that present a personal viewpoint or critique established notions pertaining to a field

• Include an author’s viewpoint on the interpretation, analysis, or methods used in a particular study

• Are relatively short articles based on constructive criticism (but the opinions should be supported by evidence)

• Are short articles (around 1,000-1,500 words)• Discuss previously published work, explaining how it

might be of interest to readers.

PERSPECTIVE ARTICLES

OPINIONPIECES

COMMENTARY ARTICLES

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Book reviewsBook reviews are a type of secondary literature.

Characteristics of book reviews

They are a good publication option for early-career

researchers.

They are published in most academic journals.

They are expected to be unbiased.

They are intended to provide insights into and opinions on recently published scholarly

books.

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Other types of articles

Letters/CommunicationsThey include brief descriptions of critical research findings (not the same as Letters to

the Editor).

Technical reportsThey report the results of a project and are submitted to the project sponsor; they

could be published before the corresponding full-length original article.

Conference proceedings These are a collection of scholarly papers presented at academic conferences – often

considered important gray literature, which may or may not be published.

Data papers These are articles dedicated to describe datasets.

Video articlesThis is a new format wherein a novel technique is demonstrated on video and a

detailed textual description follows.

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How to choose the right format for your research

Here are some tips to help you choose the right format for your research.

1. Know that the types of publications are different in different fields. Example– Medicine > Clinical trials – Social sciences > Empirical study

2. Remember that not all journals publish all types of articles.

3. Look at the journal’s guide for authors to get details about the types of articles accepted.

4. Speak to your supervisors or senior colleague for advice.

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GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR PAPER!

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Sources (1/2)

• 6 Article types that journals publish: A guide for early career researchers [Accessed August 10, 2015] Available from http://www.editage.com/insights/6-article-types-that-journals-publish-a-guide-for-early-career-researchers

• A young researcher's guide to writing an original research article [Accessed August 10, 2015] Available from http://www.editage.com/insights/a-young-researchers-guide-to-writing-an-original-research-article

• A young researcher's guide to writing a literature review [Accessed August 10, 2015] Available from http://www.editage.com/insights/a-young-researchers-guide-to-writing-a-literature-review

• A young researcher's guide to writing a clinical case report [Accessed August 10, 2015] Available from http://www.editage.com/insights/a-young-researchers-guide-to-writing-a-clinical-case-report

• A young researcher's guide to a clinical trial [Accessed August 10, 2015] Available from http://www.editage.com/insights/a-young-researchers-guide-to-a-clinical-trial

• Scientific journal [Accessed August 10, 2015] Available from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_journal#Types_of_articles

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Sources (2/2)

• Scientific literature [Accessed August 10, 2015] Available from http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/BIOS/bio1bscholcomm.html

• My instructor wants me to use Primary Literature. What is it and how do I find it? [Accessed August 10, 2015] Available from http://libanswers.library.cpp.edu/a.php?qid=35835

• Proceedings [Accessed August 10, 2015] Available from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proceedings

• Conference Proceedings: What Are Conference Proceedings? [Accessed August 10, 2015] Available from http://libguides.gatech.edu/confproc

• Technical Report [Accessed August 10, 2015] Available from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_report

• Technical Reports: Definition [Accessed August 10, 2015] Available from http://libguides.gatech.edu/c.php?g=53991&p=348582

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