5 Point Guide to Publishing a Research Paper in a STEM Journal

In the field of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), academic writing and publishing of papers in a reputed journal emerge as one of the most competitive engagements for many aspirants. Today, innumerable academic STEM publishing journals have surfaced, but simultaneously, the number of applicants has also soared.

In the wake of such developments, many publishing houses have revised the rules that need to be followed by aspirants wanting to publish their research papers.

However, many of the rules that have been passed differ largely from one STEM journal publishing house to another. With such an elaborate, yet rigorous process adopted to scrutinize research papers for publishing, there is no straightforward formula that dictates the process applicants must follow to get their research recognition.

But a few guidelines on how to approach the issue and proceed in a direction that will convince journal editors to publish your research are given below.

As the initial stage of STEM publishing, writing must be the main focus of every applicant. During this phase, researchers are advised to take a step back and analyze several articles from the journal they want to publish their own research in. Always pick the journal you would like to be published in, before commencing the writing stage.

Surveying previously published articles and employing the acquired insight into your own work would help you develop a research paper that progresses in a logical manner. With the focal point being the logic behind research and its successful outcome, the foundation for the writing stage is laid.

While treading cautiously toward laying out a detailed writing plan, researchers must also prepare an outline of their research with key information that highlights the overarching theme of their paper.

In addition to this, make sure the argument being presented in the paper is the prime focus of the research paper and is scattered throughout the article.

Before submitting the article for the journal editors’review of the STEM publishing house, researchers must seek the right guidance in scholarly writing, reviewing, and revision skills.

Although similar, revision and review play two different, yet important, roles in creating a publishable research paper.

As one of the indispensable and essential next steps of STEM publishing, review is the next step after analyzing and writing. Within the review stage, the applicants are encouraged to go the extra mile and get the final structure of their research paper reviewed by an experienced colleague, professor, or their head of department.

Journal editors might reject a paper without a second thought if the English language is not polished and easy to grasp for the readers. Always remain attentive towards how the research is being displayed throughout the paper.

Revision, on the other hand, enters the scene after analyzing, writing, and reviewing process has been thoroughly completed. Researchers targeting a particular journal must remain true to the format and style of earlier published articles in the journal. Such an approach would make the process (of finalizing the research paper to be published) easy and also ensure that the structure of the paper follows the requirements of the STEM journal.

What good is a research papers, if it does not put forth a concrete and argumentative structure in front of the readers? The next step after completing the paper is to analyze it for its argumentative structure and the logic.

Subsequently, applicants are advised to leverage the innovative analytical tools available in the market to test and reveal the argumentative structure of scholarly papers. An ideal plan would be to walk through the recent issues of the journal and look for the published articles’ topics and their quality.

As an example, the argumentative method developed by Stephen E. Toulmin is a style of argumentation which segments arguments down into six components: Claim, Grounds, Warrant, Quantifier, Rebuttal, and Backing. The applicants can apply this argumentative method to align the final piece of their paper with the expectations of STEM publishing house.

However, it is better to stay focused on matching the format of the applied research paper with the already published ones to ensure no gaps left when the editor sets his/her eye on the paper for review before publishing.

Here arrives the main step of writing a research paper — submitting work to journals for consideration. Apart from the basic auditing and scanning of the final research piece, applicants must keep a close eye on the scope and field of the journal they are considering publishing their paper in.

Also, to add extra credibility to the submission request, attaching a cover letter elaborating on the relevant and interesting insights into the paper would work in favor of the applicant.

While it is imperative to give undivided attention to the quality of work, an applicant must also make sure s/he follows the correct submission procedure. Often, skipping even one of the steps mentioned in the instructions leads to the research paper being dismissed, even when the format, quality, and other elements are excellent.

As the last and final step of getting the research published in a STEM journal, dealing with editors’ feedback constructively is very critical. Before submitting the paper for consideration, read it, think about the proposed changes, discuss it with qualified individuals, and then draft a response.

After jumping through all the hoops and hurdles, remember never to give up! Resubmit the research paper, make sure you acknowledge every feedback from the editor, and think about how the final research paper would be making its way towards getting published in a journal.

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