Publication types Scientists
and clinicians, as producers of scientific and medical research
findings for dissemination to the general population, need to be aware
of the different publication types that exist and how and when to use
them. Many of the different publication types will already be familiar
to this audience, but some might not appreciate the extent of the
variety.
The most important distinction among publication types
is that between the primary and secondary literature. The primary
literature refers to the places in which original scientific research is
first published in a publicly accessible document. This includes most
journal papers, conference proceedings, theses and dissertations. The
information published in the primary literature is later condensed and
reorganized into the secondary literature, which includes textbooks,
book chapters, review articles, indexing and abstracting services and
various other forms of information compilation. The role of the primary
literature is to share new findings with the broader community; the role
of the secondary literature is to compile and organize the information
in the primary literature into an easily accessible and understandable
format. Some journals publish papers of both type, in addition to
features, news and other sections, while some journals can be considered
exclusively primary journals (that is, publishing solely primary
literature, the results of original research) and others can be
considered secondary journals (specializing in review articles). It is
worthwhile being aware of this when choosing journals and establishing
relationships with journal editors; it is also worthwhile thinking about
possible review article themes when you have established some authority
in your area of research.
Among journals publishing primary
research there is a great variety of publication types and it is helpful
to be aware of these when starting to think about writing up your work,
because one type of primary publication format might be more
appropriate for your work than another. Most academic journals list the
publication types they publish on their web pages. Some of the possible
types of manuscript include the following: • Full-length papers • Rapid communications • Short communications • Letters to the editor • Case reports • Technical or Laboratory notes • Methods
Each
of these publication types will have a slightly different format that
will be set out in the journal’s Guide for Authors. When preparing any
manuscript, read the instructions in the Guide for Authors closely and
follow them precisely. Once you are satisfied that you have sufficient
findings to warrant publication, you need to decide on your target
journal (see tip on journal selection) and the publication type. By this
stage you may already have written up your methods and results
sections, because this can be done while you are still performing your
research and, with perhaps the exception of section numbering, font size
and the allowable number of display items, these sections will be
readily introducible into any publication type. To determine the best
publication type for your work, you need to self-evaluate it. It may
also be helpful to ask a colleague to evaluate it and provide an
independent assessment. Is there sufficient material for you to write a
full article? If so, great! If not, perhaps a short communication or
letter would be more appropriate. Are the results particularly exciting
and timely, or are you worried about a competitor publishing similar
findings before you can? If so, you might want to consider writing a
rapid communication article. A number of journals, for example
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, specialize in this
type of article and strive to achieve a very short lag between
acceptance of a manuscript and publication.
If you are not sure
what format or journal is best for your work, you can always send a
journal editor a pre-submission enquiry. Many journals offer this
facility, and even for those that don’t, the editors will likely reply
to a polite enquiry about possible publication. Such an enquiry should
contain a brief outline of the research you wish to publish and why it
is particularly timely and of relevance to the readers of that journal.
You should mention how many potential display items your paper will
contain and what each of them shows. Unlike manuscript submissions (see
tip on ethics),
pre-submission enquiries can be sent to multiple journals
simultaneously. When you receive a favorable response, you can proceed
with writing the introduction, discussion and abstract, and reformatting
the methods and results sections as appropriate. This approach enables
you to use the correct amount of references (many journals/publication
types have a limit on the number of references that can be included) and
comply with section word limits, preventing the need for rewriting an
existing manuscript.
In summary, it is important to be aware of
the different types of literature that exist and the variety of
publication types within each class. It is also important to honestly
evaluate your work to determine what publication type is most
appropriate for your study. Determining the appropriate target journal
and publication type in advance, and complying with the instructions set
out in the Guide for Authors of the target journal, as they relate to
the relevant publication type, will increase your chances of acceptance
for publication and shorten the time from initial submission to
acceptance.
每
种论文的格式都略有不同,这些都载于期刊的《稿约》。撰写稿件时请阅读《稿约》并严格遵守。如果你觉得自己的研究成果已达到发表标准,就要决定目标期刊
(见“期刊选择”部分的注意事项)和论文类型。此时,你的“方法”和“结果”部分应该已经写好,因为这些部分在做试验时即可同步完成。除了标号、字体和图
表数量还有待调整外,这两部分应该已可随时导入任何类别的论文。为确定哪种论文类型最合适,你需要自我评价一下自己的工作,请同事做个独立评价可能也有帮
助。你是否有足够素材来写一篇全长论文?如果是,很好!如果否,短讯或读者来信可能会更合适。你的研究结果是否非常及时和让人兴奋?是否担心你的竞争者提
前发表类似结果?如果是,您可能该考虑写一个快讯。不少期刊(如Biochemical and Biophysical Research
Communications专门发表这样的文章,并努力缩短见刊周期。
总之,重要的是要知道文献有不同的种类,每一种类之内又有哪些论文类型。此外,要诚实地评价你的工作并决定哪类论文是最适合的。要
事先确定适当的目标期刊和论文类型;目标期刊的《稿约》涉及拟发表论文的类型,因此也要遵守其规定;这才能增加论文被接受的机会,缩短见刊周期。 Dr Daniel McGowan 分子神经学博士 理文编辑学术总监