The average number of authors on scientific articles has increased 5-fold over the last 100 years, from one author per paper in 1913 to more than five authors per paper in 2013 [1], and recent times have seen the rise of hyperauthorship, with one paper listing 5,154 authors [2]. This development has resulted in an […]
How to reference (Part 1)
There is an abundance of resources out there to help with referencing, many of which focus on the technicalities, such as the best style of referencing to use or the best software. However, there is a lack of guidance on how to interweave references into the narrative, which articles to include or exclude, whether to […]
Research promotion and why you should do it
As a researcher, you want your work to make a real difference to the world. In other words, you want your research to have impact. How is impact measured? This is a controversial question. Many solutions have been proposed, including the h-index, the g-index, and the i10-index. However, these metrics are not without their disadvantages. […]
Streamline the publication process with a presubmission enquiry
Before formally submitting to a journal, you can contact the editor describing what you would like to get published. This is known as a presubmission enquiry. If appropriate and presented correctly, a presubmission enquiry will allow the editor to quickly assess if a formal submission is worth your time. Some journals (e.g., The Journal of […]
Effective science writing: quick tips
Focus on the “take-home” message What is the core message of your paper? What is the most important thing you want readers to remember after reading your paper? Can you describe the core message of your paper to a colleague in one minute? Can you condense the paper into 3 to 5 highlights? Can you […]
