Tag Archives: Publication

The Importance of Indexing in Academic Journals

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In the rapidly evolving academic publishing world, journal indexing plays a pivotal role in determining the visibility, accessibility, and credibility of research. Whether you are a seasoned researcher or a novice in the field, understanding the importance of journal indexing is crucial for navigating the publication landscape effectively. This blog explores the significance of journal indexing, the process through which journals are indexed, and the implications of indexing for the visibility and credibility of research.

What is Journal Indexing?

Journal indexing refers to the inclusion of academic journals in a database or directory that categorizes and lists publications based on specific criteria. These databases serve as repositories of scholarly content, making it easier for researchers, academics, and professionals to discover relevant literature in their fields. Common indexing databases include PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.

Indexing databases vary in scope and specialization. Some are broad and multidisciplinary, covering a wide range of academic fields, while others are more specialized, focusing on specific disciplines, such as medicine, engineering, or social sciences. The inclusion of a journal in these databases is often seen as a mark of quality and credibility, as indexed journals are subject to rigorous evaluation.

The Significance of Journal Indexing

  1. Enhanced Visibility and Discoverability: One of the primary benefits of journal indexing is its increased visibility of published research. When a journal is indexed in a reputable database, its content becomes more accessible to global audiences. Researchers can easily find articles through keyword searches, leading to a higher likelihood of citations. Increased visibility can have a cascading effect, contributing to the academic impact and recognition of the research.
  2. Credibility and Prestige: Indexing is often associated with credibility and prestige in the academic communities. Journals indexed in well-known databases generally adhere to high standards of quality, peer review, and editorial integrity. This recognition can enhance the reputation of both the journal and the authors who publish in it. Researchers are more likely to submit their work to indexed journals, if they know that they will be taken seriously by peers and evaluators.
  3. Access to a Wider Audience: Indexed journals often have a broader reach, attracting readers from diverse academic backgrounds and institutions. This can lead to more collaborations, discussions, and advancements in the field. Publishing in an indexed journal means that their work is more likely to be read and cited by others, thus contributing to the overall growth of knowledge within their discipline.
  4. Improved Citation Rates: Articles published in indexed journals tend to have higher citation rates than those in non-indexed journals. This is partly due to the ease with which these articles can be found and accessed in databases used by researchers worldwide. Citations are a key metric for assessing the impact and influence of a researcher’s work, making indexing an important factor for academic success.
  5. Compliance with Institutional and Funder Requirements: Many academic institutions and funding agencies require researchers to publish in indexed journals for career advancement, grant approval, or research funding. Indexing serves as a form of validation, ensuring that the research meets the established standards of quality and rigor. Researchers can fulfil these requirements and enhance their professional credentials by publishing in indexed journals.

How Do Journals Get Indexed?

The process of getting a journal indexed is rigorous and involves several steps. Indexing databases have specific criteria that journals must meet for inclusion. While these criteria may vary depending on the database, some common factors include the following:

  1. Peer Review Process: One of the most critical aspects of journal indexing is the resilient peer review process. Indexing databases prioritize journals that demonstrate a commitment to thorough, unbiased, and transparent peer review, ensuring the quality and reliability of published research.
  2. Editorial Quality: The overall quality of the editorial process, including the qualifications and expertise of the editorial board, plays a significant role in determining whether a journal is indexed. Journals with reputable editors, who are experts in their fields, are more likely to be indexed.
  3. Publication Ethics: Adherence to ethical publishing practices is essential for indexing. Journals must demonstrate a commitment to ethical standards, including conflicts of interest policies, proper attribution of authorship, and transparency in the publication process. Journals that engage in unethical practices, such as predatory publishing, are unlikely to be indexed.
  4. Timeliness and Regularity: Indexing databases prefer journals that publish regularly and on time. Consistency in publication frequency and the timely release of issues are important indicators of a journal’s reliability and professionalism.
  5. Originality and Relevance: The content published in a journal must be original, relevant, and contribute to the advancement of the field. Indexing databases assess the significance and impact of the research published in the journal as well as their relevance to the academic community.
  6. International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): An ISSN is a basic indexing requirement. The ISSN serves as a unique identifier for the journal, helping databases categorize and track it accurately.
  7. Citations and Impact Factor: Some indexing databases consider a journal’s citation metrics, such as its impact factor, when making indexing decisions. Journals with higher citation rates and impact factors are more likely to be indexed as they demonstrate the journal’s influence and importance in its field.

Read More: The Future of Academic Publishing: Trends and Predictions

The Impact of Indexing on Research Visibility and Credibility

Journal indexing has a direct impact on research visibility and credibility. When a journal is indexed, it gains a wider audience and becomes more accessible to researchers worldwide. This increased visibility can lead to higher citation rates, thereby enhancing the academic impact of research.

Moreover, indexing serves as a mark of quality and reliability, signalling to the academic community that the journal adheres to high standards of peer review, editorial integrity, and ethical publishing practices. Consequently, research published in indexed journals is often viewed as more credible and trustworthy.

Publishing in indexed journals can significantly boost their professional reputation and career prospects. Indexed publications are often considered more prestigious and given greater weight in academic evaluations, tenure decisions, and funding applications.

In the competitive landscape of academic publishing, journal indexing plays a crucial role in determining the visibility, accessibility, and credibility of research. By understanding the significance of indexing and the process by which journals are indexed, researchers can make informed decisions about where to publish their work.

At Turacoz, we understand the importance of targeting the right journals for research purposes. We employ indexing databases to identify the most suitable journals for your work, ensuring that research reaches the widest possible audience and achieves the recognition it deserves. Whether you are looking to publish in a highly specialized journal or a multidisciplinary platform, our expert medical writers help in journal selection and navigate the complexities of academic publishing with confidence. For more information, visit www.turacoz.com to discover how proper journal indexing can enhance your research visibility and impact.

Talking Science with Laymen – Future of Scientific Communication

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“Not explaining science seems to me perverse. When you are in love you want to tell the world.” – Carl Sagan

From the corridors of laboratories, science has found its way to our mobile screens. Digital media and social apps have pulverized the boundaries between a published paper and the public. Today a scientist can communicate and share his progress with everyone on the planet irrespective of his background. During the pandemic, Twitter brought an evolution in the minds of people about research and science. Twitter allowed global communication between scientists on a scale never experienced before. The way to see progress in science has become a routine even for people who are not from a medical background. Social media changed the meaning and trends of scientific communication forever.

Unlearning the old rules

From Publish-or-Perish theory to Post-your-Publication concept, science has come a long way. Scientists and doctors are using common social media platform (Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.) to blog and post about new advancements. Pharmaceutical companies are forming patient advocacy groups to engage more lay audiences and connect with them. These small changes have brought in the quintessential butterfly effect to the way documentation is done these days. New types of documents like Lay summaries, etc. are bringing in considerable shift in the paradigm of scientific publications.

A look over perks

Walking behind time is not a wise decision. The present is expecting direct communication with lay audience and scientists outside the field. The traditional methods of publishing and communication only target people related to the field but with social media at our fingertips, scientific communication can reach everywhere, be it a patient or a student, a medical writer or a businessman. A few of various advantages of choosing social media:

  • Boosting professional profiles
  • Making science accessible
  • Rise in NSF Fundings
  • Educating patients and young doctors
  • Reaching the audience across the globe
  • Higher citations in coming years
  • Communicating and connecting can help in the development of medications and treatment.
  • Networking and marketing
  • If misinformed people are there spreading incomplete knowledge, then authorized documents must be there to correct the wrong guidelines.

Checklist before sharing on social media

Medical content is something that people trust and apply in their daily life, like dosage of a particular drug, mode of action, side effects, etc. Something that seems obvious to you can be a fact for your audience. So, put your words in right frame.

Here are some tips to improve your draft:

  1. Address real-life issues which can change the behavior of readers like smoking, dietary habits, etc. Use standard details and facts.
  2. Plan according to your goals and targets; be sure of what you expect out of it, like media coverage, collaboration, feedback, visibility for your research, or citations for your papers.
  3. Make your audience feel like part of your research. Tell stories and use fiction to spread your message.
  4. Keep yourself aware of how scientific communication will be interpreted by others and the media.
  5. Presentation and design – the question and answers format can usually not go wrong and make sure that language is clear and comprehendible to a layman.
  6. Images and graphs can create the big picture in front of an audience. So, provide visuals using graphics and statistics.
  7. Convert results and conclusions of research in pdfs for better understanding.
  8. The power in your words depends upon the trust of your readers. Use it wisely and with ethical standards.
  9. Spark the curiosity in the audience by talking about the scientific process. Talk about the conclusion, future and answers the questions occurring in your reader’s mind.
  10. Don’t use jargon and scientific terminologies. If you are using one, then explain it properly in clear terms. Abbreviations and acronyms will not make sense to a broader audience.

With more people getting involved in the progress of research and healthcare, scientific communication is becoming an influential part. The revolution in the publication field has arrived and the way to connect with people is changing with a distance of a click. Scientific communication and publishing make science an important section of society. To protect the thread of trust between people and the research world, the rules and guidelines are also expanding. To learn more about the new documents and guidelines visit https://turacoz.com/Scientific-Writing-Course/ Tell the world about all your discoveries and learnings because there are millions of science geeks waiting to read and learn.

Lay Summary – A New Phase of Publication

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“What is the side effect of paracetamol? Why can’t my kid get vaccinated? Which vaccine is more effective?” The patients and worried parents are looking all over on internet to treasure trove the answers to these questions. In such a scenario and many of its likes, Google becomes the go-to database for information, but it unfortunately leads to misinformation, misdiagnosis, spurious remedies, all heading to graver damage to health. And hence it becomes imperative to verify any scientific information from authentic databases and validated documents.

In an era of Covid, when every message, blog, news piece, article, all and sundry were talking about it, there was clearly a realization amongst the more aware ones, to lean on more scientifically accurate information. And it urged them to grab published articles for perusal. But the language and terminology of these documents made it arduous for them to comprehend and find what they were looking for. This informed curiosity and interest of laymen towards learning scientific facts and guidelines encouraged Patient Lay Summaries to find their place in the world of Publication and Research.

Patient Lay Summary Explained

Lay Summary is an abstract-like content or summary where complex scientific/medical/clinical information from published research articles is represented in a lucid way to cater to an audience who may or may not have any subject knowledge or scientific background. The difficult terms and methods are made easier to understand and implement and ensure that correct information goes to the reader. According to EMA, all clinical studies need to have a lay summary and should be prepared within one year.

Call for Lay Summary

The main aim of a lay summary is to answer questions of the public regarding studies or research. The basic need of lay summary is awareness to the widest possible audience. If the correct information reaches people in their own language, they can relate to it. This will increase the quality of medical research as patients will be encouraged to contribute and be partners in decision making. Talking about risk management of medicine and trials, these documents provided transparency and a clear vision to the public and are highly appreciated by patient advocacy groups. A lay summary is not only beneficial for the public but also for researchers as a way to take their work out of the room of the scientific fraternity and reach a broader generic audience. A brilliant chance to go out of the box and get attention!

But these documents are themselves a dare to write and this dare is given to medical writers.

Writing for Lay

The medical writers hold the responsibility of informing and educating patients in a way that can alter their decisions. Words can direct a reader on the journey of good health and wise choices. But how to find a midway between writing a The medical writers hold the responsibility of informing and educating patients in a way that can alter their decisions. Words can direct a reader on the journey of good health and wise choices. But how to find a midway between writing a simple and educational document? Try to seat yourself in the mind of a patient and imagine what he or she needs to learn.

Here are some key points you need to follow while drafting

  • A good Lay summary should be able to answer questions like:
  1. What was the study about?
  2. Who Participated in the study?
  3. What were the main results?
  4. Detail about the side effects etc.
  • Writer can use words or terminologies which are more homespun to patients like using brand names and not the salts.
  • Use of infographics, charts, tables, and graphs to make the data more understandable as the images will easily attract them and look at more key facts.
  • Lay summary will be a map for the patients and decide what to choose or not. So, the data and details should be relevant and not just a random collection of facts.
  • Patients are reading something to find -what after that? So, don’t forget to explain the impact of your research or review.
  • Specialized language, jargon should be avoided as it will only confuse the reader.
  • Start using the first person in your sentence formation as if you are conversing with a reader like ‘we decided’ and not ‘that was decided’.
  • A well-written lay summary should be published in a way that there should not be any wall between your work and readers. From social media to sponsor’s website, where all to publish this new type of publication document, should be on your list. To know more visit https://lnkd.in/dQuHWhHH

Down the Road

In a world where every piece of information is one click away, documents like lay summaries are catching momentum; it is the new face of Publication. According to surveys and reports, maximum internet searches encompass health-related guidance. Thereby, it is the need of hours to provide correct, complete and accurate educational information to patients. Social media plays a crucial role in transporting whatever comes in front, right or wrong and medical-writers are in a way, guards of true and authorized knowledge. In the coming years, publication will be all about reaching every corner and a lay summary is not just a right of patients but also the only route to read the right.

Why was my manuscript rejected? – Talking about 5 most common reasons for rejection in journals

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“We are sorry to inform you that your submission is rejected”- This is something you never want to hear or read but this is most often experienced. These words are disheartening. When we start research, it becomes a dream to see that work turning into pages of a journal. But after so much hard work and research what is something that we lack? This blog will unlock your mysteries and let you know the reasons behind that NO, that rejection. Let’s find out what goes wrong and what one should do.

  1. Technical Screening turning into a failure

The first problem can be in your basic check. From plagiarism to figures, something has gone wrong. In technical Screening, manuscript is rejected if: –

  • There is some issue with language
  • Imprecise hypothesis  
  • Main titles, references, list of authors etc. crucial elements are missing
  • There is no proper conclusion
  • Flaws in study design

2. Deviation from aim and outlook of journal

The biggest and smallest mistake we can do is not finding the perfect journal. Before sending your submission, one must know what the aim and scope of the journal is. If your manuscript is not adding any value to the journal, they will reject it. To learn how to find where to publish and how to find that right key visit https://lnkd.in/drKKnPHe

3. Do not Put your feet in two boats

Journals usually mention that if your work is under review at some other place then they will not consider it. So, do not submit your work at two journals, you might sink. Find the journal interested in your research and focus in one direction.

4. Format it before sending

Journals have their own writing style, their way of transforming the manuscript. It begins from font size, font style and can never end because definitive amount of margin is also essential for a journal. So, it is especially important to meet the standards set by a journal and follow the instructions about guidelines.

5. Finding Originality and Significance

If your submission is extension or another version of some research paper, you have high chances of getting a NO. If the journal does not find any significance in what you are trying to convey then also your submission is rejected.

Take Away Points

For the buds of researching world, it is challenging to get their manuscript accepted. But if you know the secrets and tips to the road, this world is welcoming. The world of publishing and medical writing is a place where you need to know what, why and where. Planning matters here.

To turn the “NO” into “YES”, Turacoz is conducting a webinar on Publishing Planning, and this is your chance to track https://lnkd.in/drKKnPHe

References:

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3035881/
  2. https://www.elsevier.com/connect/8-reasons-i-rejected-your-article