Reasons for Facing Desk Rejection

There are numerous causes for rejection; however, desk rejection or rejection without peer review is one of the most annoying emails an author gets. It’s not uncommon to have a paper rejected. To decide how to continue from there, you must first understand why the journal editor did not send it out for peer review.

It’s critical to comprehend the reasons behind a rejection before deciding on a strategy. It’s usually simple to extract the criticism about your work from a peer review report and organize your next steps accordingly. It can be more difficult to comprehend why your work was rejected by the journal editor without having been sent out for review. This blog post summarizes the five most prevalent reasons for rejection without peer review to assist you decides on a resubmission strategy.

  1. If the manuscript does not meet the journal’s objectives or scope

It’s doubtful that the paper will be approved if it won’t be of interest or value to the journal’s readers. When deciding which magazine to submit to, always read the Aims and Scope to get a sense of the types of papers the journal is searching for. In other words, does your work, beyond its scientific scope, fit the journal’s unique geographical region? Distinct journals have different scopes, which are usually quite narrow. Make sure your manuscript is appropriate for the journal you want to submit it to.

  1. If the results of your research were not significant or new enough

Journal editors frequently reject papers without submitting them for peer review because they do not believe the manuscript is appropriate for their publication. If you submit your manuscript to a publication with a diverse audience in terms of expertise, the editor may decide that your study isn’t of sufficient interest to a large enough section of the readership.

It’s also possible that the journal editor isn’t sure that your findings are substantial enough to warrant publication. This implies they may not anticipate their having far-reaching repercussions for your field of study. It is usually also necessary for journals with high journal impact factors if the research is original and has not been published before, even if only in part.

  1. If plagiarism is too high

Plagiarism should be avoided at all costs. You could be accused of plagiarism if you intentionally or unintentionally plagiarized the work of other researchers. Manuscripts are run through various plagiarism detection software programmes by publications. If there is more than 20% duplication in a manuscript, it will be returned to the authors for editing. The publishers may report the material as plagiarized if that percentage is significantly greater. If you effectively plagiarize your own work by merely repackaging it, you may be called out.

  1. If your data is inadequately presented, and you applied inappropriate methods

Editors of broad-read journals typically cover a significant percentage of a research field, thus they are unlikely to be specialists in your research topic. As a result, people are likely to skip over your Results section and instead focus on your data when evaluating the quality of your research.

Even if the journal editor is unfamiliar with your research topic, you may expect them to have a strong awareness of what is going on in your field in general. As a result, if they see that you employed an obsolete method or didn’t use a strategy properly, your work will most likely be rejected right away.

  1. If there are issues with language, writing, and spelling

The document’s language, organization, and any tables or figures must all be of sufficient quality to be examined; if this is not possible, the paper will be rejected. Your abstract, cover letter, references, and, if applicable, your discussion and/or conclusions section are usually of particular interest to journal editors (s). It’s usually a good idea to have someone else look through your paper before you submit it; the second set of eyes can help you catch any mistakes you may have overlooked.

There are other causes for submission rejection, but these are only a few of the most typical issues cited by journals. For busy researchers, it may appear to be a lot of work, and this is where we, ManuscriptEdit may help.

How to fix 5 Desk Rejection

Rejection from a journal is no one’s cup of tea but then it’s a reality that a large number of the article gets rejected across different journals.  Also, Journals mention the acceptance rate or the changes of the article getting rejected on their web page.

High impact or top journals routinely reject the majority of the articles. Few changes can improve the chances of successful publication.

  • Non-accordance with the journal’s aim & scope

Very often while selecting a journal we feel that the aim and scope match our field of work; however, it’s not the case.  We need to read the former a couple of times along with the recently published articles to be doubly sure regarding the scope of journals.

  • Lack of proper language and presentation style

Language is an important medium for sharing scientific know-how. Grammatical and scientifically correct language and abiding by the journal formatting guild lines are mandated for avoiding desktop rejection.

  • Plagiarism and simultaneous submission to more than one journal

Copying someone’s work as our own data is a violation of professional ethics. Always give due acknowledgment to someone else’s data while writing. Never submit your work to multiple journals at a time. The author should wait till the editorial process of one journal is over or they have got a clear cut no from the journal.

  • Ambiguity in methodology

The process of the study or the research protocol is mentioned in the methodology. It should be clear and systematic. Any flaw in the methodology section represents non-clarity on how the study was conducted.

  • Abide by journal’s formatting guidelines

Stick to the journal’s requirement for word count, font, line spacing, and margin. Also, be careful with the number of figures and tables allowed and their format for submission. The placement of the figure and table is also crucial that is, whether it should be at the end of the manuscript or within the text itself. Reference formatting both in text and in the list at the end of the manuscript needs lots of precession.

Ideas to Write a Scholarship Essay

If you’re applying for a scholarship, you’ll almost certainly be required to write an essay. Only a small percentage of scholarship programs are exclusively based on an application form. The essay is frequently the most significant element of your application since it reveals who you are and how committed you are to your goals to the scholarship committee. You’ll want to make your scholarship essay as good as it possibly can be. It can be challenging to write a scholarship essay, especially if you want to do it properly. Your essay should astonish the reader and speak directly to the organization’s goals as well as the award’s goals. Experts argue that making a scholarship essay personal and incorporating impactful information are the keys to success.

Below points should be followed while drafting your essay:

Make a list of key points and keywords to include in your presentation

Regardless of the essay prompt, make sure to include all of the essential and important information about your experiences and background that qualifies you for the scholarship. To finish this stage, do some research on the organization you’re applying to and try to locate their mission statement on their website. Make a note of a few essential terms from the goal statement and include them in your essay.

Make an outline

Although not everyone likes making an outline before starting to write, it can be extremely beneficial in this scenario. To begin drafting the outline, start with your list of crucial topics. Telling a narrative is the simplest and most successful technique to write a scholarship essay for many people. You can describe how you came across your favorite book and how it has influenced and inspired you. In your outline, begin with big headings that summarize the basic storyline.

Make a powerful statement that summarizes your arguments

One solid thesis statement that outlines all of the important points should be included. It’s common to begin a piece of writing with this basic statement. The thesis statement does not have to occur at the front or end of your essay, but it should exist someplace to bind all of the separate sections together.

Rewrite, revise, and then rewrite some more

A good writer revises and rewrites their work numerous times. After completing the first write-up, step away from the essay for a day or two and return with new eyes. Make content updates as needed, and pay close attention to spelling and grammar.

Have a friend read your article

Giving your essay to a teacher or college admissions counselor who is experienced with scholarship essays and the college admissions process is ideal. If you don’t have access to such a person, almost anyone with decent reading and writing skills can assist you in improving your essay.

Finalize your write-up

Once you’re satisfied with the write-up, go over it again, paying close attention to structure, spelling, grammar, and whether you addressed all of the committee’s requirements. If you go above the specified word count, you’ll have to make modifications to get back under it. Consider adding more words if you’re considerably under the word count.

Good luck!

Duplicate or Simultaneous Submission and Publication

It is mandatory for authors to agree with the publication ethics while submitting their research papers for peer review to a journal. The articles submitted for publication must be original and must not have been submitted to any other publication. However, it is often seen that the authors disregard this requirement and submit the same research paper (or with minor modifications) to two or more journals. Like plagiarism, the duplicate submission can be of different types: exact duplicate, partial duplicate (substantial), or duplicate with minor changes (article title, references, or authors).

Issues with Duplicate Submission

Duplicate submission is an unethical practice and violates the copyright norm. It leads to the wastage of editorial and review resources. The publication record of the author includes misleading information. The same research paper appearing in two journals raises questions about the reputation and peer review policy of the journals. Another similar practice involves splitting up a single study to publish multiple articles (salami-slicing), to increase the number of publications.

Avoiding Redundant Publication

For authors: If the two research papers are not the exact copy of each other and the author wishes to submit them to two different journals, then the author must:

  • Disclose the details of each paper to both the journals
  • Inform both the handling editors (managing editors) that a similar research paper is under review in another journal (use cover letter to inform).
  • Explain the distinct difference between the two research papers and why two research papers were produced instead of one from the same topic
  • Do not replicate content from other published paper
  • Each paper must address separate research questions.

 

For journal’ reviewers:

  • Always use text-matching or plagiarism tools for screening redundant publication
  • Check the extent and nature of overlapping
  • Major overlapping: identical or very similar findings and/or evidence that authors have sought to hide redundancy e.g. by changing the title or author order or not citing previous papers)
  • Minor overlapping: overlapping in the methodology section or re-analysis of the data
  • Inform the editor about the redundant publication

 

Dealing with Dual Submissions

While working on two different manuscripts that use the same dataset, or if the article is going to be published in different languages, always let the editors know about the plans.

Contact corresponding author in writing, ideally enclosing signed authorship statement (or cover letter) stating that submitted work has not been published elsewhere and documentary evidence of duplication.

Contact author in neutral terms/proceeds with review expressing concern/explaining journal’s position. Explain that secondary papers must refer to the original and request a missing reference to the original and/or remove overlapping material.

In conclusion, ultimately, there’s no need to send out the same manuscript to multiple journals at once. It’s against most publishers’ policies and will only cause delays or even retractions.

Writing an Effective Press Release

A press release is a tool made to announce something significantly newsworthy in the most effective way possible. The whole purpose of a press release is to get coverage and get perceived by a target audience.

Regularly optimizing press releases as part of your content marketing efforts can benefit your overall strategy. Their added perk as a marketing tool is that they can generate demand organically, thanks to interest from reporters. The whole idea behind the press release is communication. It can be written, recorded, or even shown – the form doesn’t matter as long as it’s effective.

Writing an effective press release can be an excellent addition to a marketer’s skill-set however, it is actually difficult. Even if you are familiar with web postings or blog writings, the press releases may seem challenging for writing as they come with their own sets of formatting rules, language, and target audience. Moreover, if you familiarize yourself with the basics, then you can be creative.

Structure of a Press Release

  1. The headline of the Press release: Create a catchy headline, add numbers or other distinct elements. Add keywords to the press release heading.
  2. Mention the date and venue
  3. Press contact/Manager info: Name, E-mail, and Phone
  4. Summary Bullet points: Summarize the writing in few key points
  5. Introduction paragraph: Concise the background information
  6. Detail paragraph: Discuss the event/project.
  7. Closing statement: Conclude the meeting.

The ideal length of a press release is a single A4 side page or about 300 to 400 words (the length of a short news item). That’s just 3-4 short paragraphs and a couple of quotes. Remove the unnecessary waffle that doesn’t add anything to the story. Don’t be tempted to include background information about your company in the opening paragraph. Write a press release by keeping a target audience in mind. However, the press release is not written directly for the target audience, it is written for the editor/journalist/broadcaster and then they tailor it to the readership/viewers/listeners of that publication/program.

To write an effective press release, answer the following questions:

  1. Who? Who are the key players – your company, anyone else involved with the product? Who does your news affect/who does it benefit?
  2. What? What is new?
  3. Why? Why is this news important – what does it tell people that they need to know?
  4. Where? Where is this happening?
  5. When? What is the timing of this? Does this add significance?
  6. How? How did this come about?

In conclusion, the following should be considered to write an effective press release:

(1) Writing a short, catchy headline, (2) Get to the Point –summarize your subject in the first paragraph, (3) Body – explain why this matter to your audience, and (4) Closing statement.

APA (American Psychological Association) Citation for a Research Paper

Citations: Introduction

Citations are the documentation required in a research paper to get accepted for academic purposes or publications. While writing an article or any academic content, an author must include citations (in-text) whenever they refer to a sentence, paragraph, or quote from another source. It basically acknowledges the fact that the information used in a research paper did not originate with the writer.

Types of Citation

Different types of citations contain a different set of rules on how to cite sources in academic writing. There are certain ways the citations can be arranged in a document: Parenthetical citations, Endnote, Footnote, works cited as Lists, Bibliography, etc.

The most common citation styles are MLA, APA, Chicago, as their syntactic conventions are widely known and easily interpreted by readers.

 

APA (American Psychological Association)

APA Style of referencing is the most commonly used form citations in academic and research papers related to social and behavioral sciences by students, researchers, and professionals and it is recommended by American Psychological Association, USA. The APA system updates the referencing guidelines in electronic formats in a separate guide called the APA Manual, which the University students and researchers can use in book format or online through the library.

Disciplines using APA Style include Social Communication, Administration, Business, Education, Political Science, and Psychology.

There are two things to be considered when working with the APA citation style: in-text citations and the reference page. An APA in-text citation consists of the author’s last name and the year of publication (also known as the author-date system). APA style recommends using a reference list for references cited in the text of a paper rather than a bibliography. A reference list includes only those references which were actually cited in the text of the paper. The references must be corresponding to each other.

APA formatting guidelines with Examples

APA in-text citation style

The in-text citation uses the author’s last name and the year of publication, for example: (Mohanty, 2007). For direct quotations, include the page number as well, for example: (Mohanty, 2007, p. 77). A paragraph number can be used for websites and e-books as they do not have page numbers.

APA Reference List citation style

  1. Journals and Periodicals

Journal articles should appear in alphabetical order in your reference list.

Rule:

Author Last Name, First Name Initial. (Publication Date in parenthesis). Article Title. Journal Name (Italicized), Volume (Italicized), Issue number, beginning page-end page. DOI or URL

Example:

Mohanty, B., & Mohammed, A.B.C. (2001). Title of the Paper. Bioscience Reseapro Journals, 15(112), 123-153. DOI: 10.1433005e24/brjda/21d46

  1. Books

Rule:

Name of author (last name, first initial). The date of the publication in parentheses. The italicized title of the book. Edition of the book in parentheses. Name of the Publisher. DOI number or URL or ISBN. Place period after each element.

Example:

May, K.V.R. C., & Abdul, Z. (Eds.). (2018). Title of the Book. Reseapro Academic Press. ISBN 97afqwf28137666.

  1. Website/Online Source

Rule:

Name of author (last name, first initial). (The date of the publication in parentheses). Title of article. Website name. Website URL

Example:

Keay, Y. (1191, June 22). Article Title or Headline. Reseapro News. https://www.reseapronews.com/news/national/1191/06/10/dsd-martin-wdff-fwfn-fwf-for-office-india.html

APA Citation for a Research Paper Overview

Hundreds of reference examples and their respective in-text citations are presented in the 7th edition Publication Manual. The Examples of most common research that writers site are available on this page and other additional examples are available in the Publication Manual.

To cite an appropriate and specific source, first select a category (e.g., Journals) and then select the appropriate type of work (e.g., articles) and follow the relevant example provided under each category.

Please note: When work does not fit within another category that is provided, please use the website’s category.

Market Trends in Open Access Publishing

Define Open Access (OA) publishing?

Open access is a scholarly communication publishing strategy that makes research articles freely available to readers, as opposed to the traditional subscription model, which requires readers to pay a fee to access academic information. This is a concept adopted by researchers, scholars, and libraries.

 What is Article Processing Charge (APC)?

An article-processing charge (APC), sometimes known as a publication fee, is a price levied to writers to make their work open access in either open access or hybrid journal. The author, the author’s institution, or the author’s research funder may be responsible for this cost.

APC includes providing editors and authors with online tools, article production and hosting, coordinating with abstracting and indexing services, and providing customer service.

Papers should be published as rapidly as possible, subject to proper quality controls, and broadly disseminated, regardless of the publishing model chosen by the author.

The following criteria are used to determine APC rates for open access articles only:

  • Journal quality
  • The journal’s editorial and technical processes
  • Competitive considerations
  • Market conditions
  • Other revenue streams associated with the journal

Researchers and scientists of scholarly articles operate as consumers in the market for article processing charges (APC).

What are the current trends in the Open Access Market?

 OA faces significant competition as Researchers continue to aspire to publish in top-tier academic journals owing to their high impact factors and reputation for publishing high-quality research papers. The major publishers continue to dominate the marketplace, and successful ventures into the open-access market are uncommon. The peer-review process has been criticized in the OA market due to the obvious conflict to publish as many papers as possible to generate revenue that gives priority over quality control. Although growth is decreasing, it is still in double digits and much ahead of the underlying journal market. Articles in fully open access journals are showing signals of long-term growth, whilst hybrid journals appear to be flattening. This could be attributable in part to the way revenue is distributed in mixed-model arrangements. According to current trends, the open-access industry will continue to grow at a faster rate than the underlying market for scholarly journals. Hybrid revenue per paper published is higher than revenue per paper published in fully open access journals. The growth curves in both volume and value of OA appear to be flattening out to a stable state. Open access is becoming a far more widely understood and accepted model of publishing in general. The views of open access journals are improving, and they are becoming more recognized as a standard model. This is good for open access journals’ long-term viability, particularly if they maintain high-quality standards.

Conclusion

The majority of research papers are written to influence other scholars, either in the same field or in a different field. Scientists have more investigation outlets such as Open Access, which increases their chances of providing original and up-to-date work. Although the proportion of money spent on open access remains below that of output, it is improving. It is generally driven by higher output levels, while price tactics may help some businesses generate income. Open Access to Science is critical in low-income countries. Institutions, academics, scientists, and healthcare providers lack the financial resources to access academic literature. Providing Open Access to high-quality research papers ensures their intellectual equality among their peers in high-income countries.

The Expectation of Journal Editors

 

The editor may send the paper out for review or may reject it without review. Some scientific journals send out for review less than half of the papers submitted. Journal editors must make a swift decision on a paper’s suitability. It is important to understand what journal editors look for when deciding to send a submission to an academic journal.

What do Journal Editors do?

  • Analyze all manuscripts submitted to their journal.
  • Choose those they believe are appropriate for the journal has enough impact.
  • Send them out for peer review, and take peer reviewer’s recommendations into account when making a final decision on what gets written.
  • Look at the manuscript, the cover letter, abstract, conclusion, and references in deciding to send your manuscript out for review. Pay close attention to these components and understand why they are important will improve the chances of publishing.
  • Weigh the novelty and relevance of a paper against the readership’s perceptions and the journal’s effect.

What Checklists do the  Journal Editors have?

Most important factors that Journal editors consider. Journal editors want to publish high-quality research that their readers would find interesting. It will be readily accepted if it has the following things:

Originality

The need for something unique, something that looks at things differently and asks questions that haven’t been asked before, came up repeatedly in the interviews.

Consistency in research

  • The methods used should be sufficient
  • The conclusions drawn are justified and valid
  • The study should be systematic, well-planned, and well-executed.
  • All works cited should be correctly and carefully referenced.
  • The analysis should be focused on a theoretical context with a discussion of relevant literature.

 

Practice-based relevance

Some papers include a detailed explanation of a specific situation as a case study. Some publications enable practitioners to apply studies, perhaps in collaboration with an educator, to provide complementary perspectives.

Form and argument clarity

There is a certain form of academic writing that isn’t known for its clarity, but many editors value clarity and readability. Clarity and readability are divided into two categories: the language and  the paper’s structure

What are the questions asked by the Journal Editors?

  • Does the Manuscript fall within the scope of the journal?
  • If the Case Report has Ethics Approval?
  • Whether the Study is noble whether its methodology is better than the existing literature?
  • Is the paper carefully prepared and formatted?
  • Is the paper unique and represents cutting-edge research in the area?
  • If the paper Contributes to a thriving science sector?
  • Is the paper meticulously prepared and formatted and contains all of the required sections?
  • If the paper Uses vocabulary that is descriptive and succinct?
  • If the paper Maintains high ethical standards of the Research Process?
  • Does your cover letter provide a persuasive explanation of why the journal should publish your paper?
  • Whether the language used is clear for the readers?

 

Conclusion

The above author guidelines are a piece of general advice but the subject matter and general philosophy of the journal are important.

Medical Grant Proposal Writing

What is a Grant Proposal Writing?

A Grant Proposal Writing is a document or collection of documents submitted to an agency for the express purpose of obtaining funding for a research project. Successful grant applications are the result of a lengthy process that starts with an idea. Grant Proposal Writing is a circular process, although many people think of it as a linear process (from concept to proposal to award).

What are the Steps in Grant Proposal Writing?

Formulate a Research Question

Many people begin by formulating a research proposal. This is simpler if you know what you want to accomplish before you start writing.

  • As a direct result of your project, what expertise or information would you gain?
  • What is the significance of your study in a wider sense?
  • You must make this aim clear to the committee that will be evaluating your application.

 

Define a Goal

  • You must first determine what type of research you will conduct and why before you begin writing your proposal.
  • Even if you already have a subject or experiment in mind, taking the time to define what your end goal is will help you persuade others to support your project.
  • What exactly are you up to, and why are you up to it? Give a reason for your decision.
  • Feel free to show some initiative and tackle a dilemma, just make sure you can justify why and then persuade us that you have a good chance of succeeding.
  • Demonstrate the approach’s uniqueness by presenting the information void that needs to be filled.

 

Find Funding Agencies

  • Whether or not your plan is funded is largely determined by how well your intent and objectives align with the priorities of awarding agencies.
  • Locating potential grantors is a time-consuming process, but it will pay off in the long run.
  • Even if you have the most compelling research idea in the world, if you don’t submit it to the right institutions, you’re unlikely to be considered for funding.
  • There are a plethora of resources available to learn more about granting agencies and grant programs.
  • Most colleges, as well as several schools within universities, have research offices whose primary function is to assist faculty and students with grant applications.
  • To assist people with finding potential grants, these offices typically have libraries or resource centers.

 

Do Internal Review

  • Seek the advice of a mentor or a senior colleague for a second opinion. Remember to check the following things –
  • Title
  • Introduction about the Medical Research
  • Problems in the Medical Research
  • Objectives
  • Preliminary Literature Review
  • Research Methodologies
  • Research Plan
  • Make a Budget Plan
  • Reference

 

Plan your Budget

  • Your proposal must be presented to the funding body as a successful cash reward.
  • There must be a strategy for every aspect of the mission.
  • Analysts will go over it carefully to ensure that the study’s components are affordable.
  • Your application can be executed due to over-costing.
  • Consider if the advancement you can make in the field justifies the expense.

 

Conclusion

Before writing a Research Protocol, identification of Sponsors and Understanding Application Guidelines is vital. Many companies are providing professional grant writing services.

Benefits of Open Access for Students

What is Open Access?

Open Access is the works that are available freely online. The various kinds of Open Access Content – Research Articles, Images, Videos, Open Educational Resources. In this users are free to retain, reuse, revise, remix and redistribute.

How Students Get Benefits from Open Access?

Students & Professors

  • The more open-access information there is, the more likely you Students to have free access to reference textbooks and journals.
  • Open Access takes one step closer to allowing students from other universities to legally share study materials.
  • It also gives students in developed countries access to study findings.
  • Due to the excessive cost of journal subscriptions, even the largest and most well-funded universities are unable to provide their students with full scholarly records.
  • Students attending smaller or less well-funded colleges and universities must make do with whatever access their library can provide. Community college students, who make up a sizable portion of higher education students, struggle even more.
  • Students in every discipline need access to the most recent studies to receive a comprehensive education in their field of study and to be able to jump right into work after graduation. Due to a lack of research resources, students must rely on readily available knowledge rather than the most applicable.
  • Open Access ensures that students receive the best possible education without being arbitrarily limited.
  • Open Access not only helps Students but also Professors. Professors who don’t have access to the most up-to-date information are unable to carry it into the classroom.
  • With science progressing at such a rapid rate, professors must have access to cutting-edge research and academic journals for teaching Students.
  • Colleges and universities in developing countries face far greater difficulties than their counterparts in the developed world in acquiring the most up-to-date academic literature, and also have inadequate library budgets. Open Access would vastly expand the amount of knowledge accessible to these students while also improving the quality of education available to millions of people.

 

Research Students

  • Many students, especially those in graduate school, seek degrees to become trained researchers. If they go on to become teachers, physicians, lawyers, or entrepreneurs, they will still need access to research to succeed. Students Access to papers disappears with their library card after they graduate. If they take a job at another university, that institution’s level of access will vary significantly from what they need.
  • Researchers in the developed world are unable to contribute to the advancement of science and the humanities because they lack access to relevant journals in their field. With Open Access, there’s no need to stress over whether you’re connected to the campus network or whether your library has a subscription. You have access to the internet from anywhere in the world if you’re online.
  • Open Access helps to lift the profile of research done in developed countries, both locally and internationally.

 

Conclusion

With Open Access, New concepts can be disseminated more quickly and broadly, triggering new research studies and providing a boost to awareness. Scientific research indicates that publishing in Open Access results in more citations and effects because of the global visibility without barriers.