What are predatory journals? Predatory journals are profiteering “individuals or companies”, who use the open-access publishing system to exploit authors, by charging them article processing fees without providing the high quality editorial services associated with legitimate journals [1]. How prevalent are they? Predatory journals are on the rise; their publication volumes increased “from 53,000 in […]
Active versus passive voice in scientific writing
The active voice promotes simple, straightforward writing. As such, most scientific journals encourage the use of the active voice over the passive voice [1]. Active voice – the subject acts. Passive voice – the subject is acted upon. You will use a variety of tenses when writing a scientific paper. Please see our “Verb tenses […]
Why you should get an ORCID iD
What is an ORCID iD? An ORCID iD is a permanent 16-digit numeric identification number. Rather than relying on surnames, this number unmistakably distinguishes you from other researchers [1]. What are the benefits [1, 2]? You’ll get credit for all your publications – Throughout your career, you may change your name (e.g. take your spouse’s […]
