Topics that should be avoided when writing a research paper

Selecting a topic for a research paper might be difficult, but there are some characteristics that can help an author to avoid wrong research topics. A topic should be fascinating to the writer/author and helpful to an audience, however; there are some topics that should definitely be avoided. For example personal information and personal stories, topics with a lack of approachable information, too narrow topics, too broad topics and controversial/political topics, same-sex marriage, religion/race, etc.

Below is a list of topics that one should avoid while picking up the research topic:

  1. Beyond scientific comprehension

Some issues, such as those relating to theology, are beyond the purview of scientific understanding; you may be interested in one of these areas, but there will be no outcome.

  1. Personal data and narratives

Unless you’re famous or have at least one book written about you, you can’t write a research paper based on your own biography or life stories. A research paper necessitates conducting research, which necessitates having certain sources to draw from in order to complete it properly.

  1. Topics about which no information is available

This may seem self-evident, but you can’t create a research report about a topic if you don’t have any data. As a result, you won’t have enough information to produce a good report.

  1. Topics that are too narrow

You don’t want to choose a topic that is difficult, if not impossible, to write about simply because it is too restricted. You can simply write about “volcanoes as a future source of energy,” but writing about “how deep Vesuvius is and why it is thus” will be far more difficult because it is just too precise.

  1. Topics that are too broad

You may feel as like you are drowning with information on your subject, yet you are unable to write anything down. That’s because there’s so much information out there that it’s difficult to tell what’s vital from what’s not. In contrast to writing on the economy in general, the free-enterprise system might be a good topic to choose. The economy is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of data and concepts to write about.

  1. Topics that have been proven in the past

Not every research paper needs to make a ground-breaking discovery. However, picking a topic that is apparent or has previously been established isn’t exactly difficult. Choose a topic that is intriguing and requires multiple sources to support it, rather than one that is based on popular information.

  1. Topics with untrustworthy sources

Strong, dependable sources are used in high-quality research articles. They’re no longer reliable if you can only discover information from one source or if the sources you’re using are extremely biased. Make sure you don’t choose a topic that is based on a single point of view, as this can be readily refuted or debunked.

Conclusion

To summarize, you should keep in mind that you will be given a limited amount of time to create a research paper and will have to do it entirely on your own. You can seek assistance from others, but ultimately, writing the research paper is your responsibility, and you must complete it on your own. So pick a realistic topic and limit it down to a manageable size so you can complete it in the allotted time. Before you choose a topic, consider your interests, but bear in mind that if the issue you’re interested in isn’t practical, it’s probably not a smart choice for your research paper. Choose your topic, but rely on your instructor to help you finalize it because she can assist you based on her experience, which you lack.

Writing the Results Section of a Research Paper

Writing a result section is the most straightforward and apprehends to be the easiest part of writing a manuscript. However, in real situation, it can turn into a nightmare if the authors get confused about the “research question” over which the project was designed. 

  • What is the result section?

It is the supportive evidence of the hypothesis or the ideology stated by the author. It gives a clear, concise, and impartial fact-based interpretation of the aim and objective of the manuscript.

Important points while writing RESULTS

  • Reiteration of the aim and objective of the manuscript

A short paragraph at the beginning of the result stating the focus of the paper is essential to keeps the audience focused.

  • Sub-sectioning of the result section

To effectively organize the results section subsection focusing on various data or aspects of analysis can be designed. The division can be based on the “The core objective or research question asked in the manuscript” OR on the basis of statistical significance quantification methods.

  • Results should be an unbiased representation of the observation

The results depiction should not be influenced by the author’s will. It should be clear, logical, objective, and impartial reporting of the facts. It should answer the research question by the analysis and interpretation of obtained data. The interpretation should be statistically correct or significant.

  • Tables / Figures for deciphering results

Results should contain good quality none pixelate figures to support the research finding. Properly labeled tables that summarize the finding and analysis are crucial parts of the results. The presentation of results should be clear and to the point.

  • Representation of statistical correct data

Results represent the statistical accurate data that is authentic and not obtained by chance. The statistical test should be completed represented and only significant data should be the part of results. The raw data should be provided as supplementary data for a better understanding of the reader.

  • Comparing profiling of the observations with similar articles

To support the hypothesis or research question we can site the reference of the similar findings of other authors in the result section. However, plagiarism is not allowed.

  • Results should be written in past tense with a conclusion of the observation

The results are mentioned in the past tense as the observations are first made and then penned down. The result should end with a concluding paragraph to reinforce the finding in the minds of the author.

How to Publish Research Papers in Highly Indexed Journals?

Most students and researchers struggle to publish their research work in a suitable and highly indexed journal. Lack of knowledge in organizing the paper, selecting a journal, formatting as per guidelines, and revising as per reviewer’s instruction are the reasons for such struggle. Getting published in prestigious, high-impact academic journals is a highly competitive proposition. However, these challenges can be avoided by following the below instructions:

Writing a research paper

Choosing the appropriate topic is the primary step of writing a research paper. A good and relevant topic must be selected with a narrow and interesting focus area, and yet wide enough to find sufficient data. Prepare an outline, note down all the information or ideas that must have come to mind while going through the literature review. Prepare a draft, organize the information collected. A rough draft must be prepared where the ideas are written in an unfinished form. This helps organize ideas and determines the final format of the paper. The draft must be revised as many times as possible to create a final product. The final document thus created is the first draft of the research paper.

Selecting a journal

Verify the scope of the target journal; even a remarkable, novel research work is likely to face rejection if the research topic doesn’t align with the scope of the journal. The quality of any journal is assessed based on the number of abstracting and indexing services. It is recommended to adopt a balanced and realistic approach while choosing the best journal.

Formatting

A research paper must be formatted so that it complies with the guidelines of a journal or style manual. Prepare your submission according to the specifications set out in the Author Guidelines of your chosen journal. Ensure that the word count falls within this range, not above or below it. The author’s information must be provided with a brief abstract and keywords. Further, the text must be arranged in headings Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussions, and conclusion. Cite the references in the text as per the guidelines and list them after the conclusion. All the other necessary information regarding ethics, conflict of interest, funding, the acknowledgment must be provided on the title page.

Submission

Before submitting the research paper the author must have all the mandatory information required for submission. Kindly read the checklist provided on the journal site and prepare the documents accordingly. Once the information is collected, proceed with the registration step and complete the submission carefully.

Cover letter and Abstract

The abstract should be prepared carefully and encompass the aim and scope of the study; the key problem to be addressed and theory; the method used; the data set; key findings; limitations; and implications for theory and practice. A cover letter speaks about the uniqueness of the research work that has been carried out, what makes the findings of the research study of deep significance to the future of the discipline, and why the research methodologies employed to carry out the research are extraordinary and profound.

Conclusion

All the above criteria must be considered if aiming to publish a research paper in a highly indexed journal. High-impact and highly indexed journals accept less than 10% of the research papers submitted to them, hence, proper attention, planning, and careful implementation are required to improve the likelihood of getting their work published.

How to publish your research paper in a journal indexed under SCOPUS database?

Founded in 2004, SCOPUS is one of the largest indexing databases for journals and books in the medical and life sciences field. Over 25,000 journals and 200,000 books are indexed under the SCOPUS database. Publications are the primary metric for success in the research field. Publication in a high-impact and peer-reviewed scholarly journal is the ultimate aim of a researcher to demonstrate his/her credibility. Popular and reputed databases such as SCOPUS indexes the journals by considering several factors; regularity (issue release frequency), type of review process (peer-reviewed or not), and reputation of the journal. Hence, publication in a SCOPUS indexed journal can be challenging. The following section describes a step-by-step process that will help you to publish your research paper in a suitable journal indexed under the SCOPUS database.

Performing search in the SCOPUS database

It is effortless to search for SCOPUS indexed journals under a specific category or with a keyword on the homepage (https://www.scopus.com/sources.uri). One can search for a specific journal just by providing simple details such as –

  • The specific subject of interest,
  • Title or Keyword of the specific journal/publication,
  • Name of the publisher, and
  • ISSN code

However, if one is not sure of these details, he/she can perform a broader search by selecting the specific subject area of the research.

Identifying the target journal

Check for the aim and scope of the journal, examine the nature of the journal, and ensure its peer-review process. Research about the journal performance and understand the review and publication timelines. Confirm whether your target journal is indexed in SCOPUS by performing a search in the database, as mentioned in the above section. Keep ease, quality, reach and impact at the forefront of your mind and look for the appropriate publishing models (Open Access or Subscription-Based).

Preparing the research paper based on journal guidelines

Author guidelines are made available by the author in the author’s information or about the journal section. Follow the guidelines provide while formatting your paper and attach a cover letter (must) and mention the reason if any of the given instruction is not followed. Always limit the number of tables and figures and remove additional information to concise the data. Prepare figures and tables carefully and format exactly as mentioned in the guidelines. The length of the manuscript must be considered while formatting. An ideal length for a manuscript is 25 to 40 pages, double spaced, including essential data only. Write a concise and straight-to-point conclusion. Do not just repeat the abstract; the conclusion should explain the novelty of the research and the future aspects.

Submitting Your Paper

The final step is to submit the final formatted paper to the target journal via the submission portal. A good and complete understanding of the journal’s terms and conditions is required while submitting your paper. One should be aware of where to submit a paper, submission deadlines, submission fee, or open access fee, and any other procedural necessities to follow before submission.

In conclusion, having a research paper published in a Scopus indexed journal is of great importance for researchers. Researchers require carefully preparing and understanding all the requirements for formatting and submission. The requirements for scientific publication in a SCOPUS indexed journal are very high, and every researcher must understand this before submitting their work for review.

ManuscriptEdit helps authors and researchers at every step of their publication journey by offering dynamic and customizable editorial services including Proofreading, Formatting, and Journal Recommendations and Submission.

How to Bounce Back From Manuscript Rejection

Manuscript rejection comes as a setback for aspirants research scholars and marks as a hurdle to accomplish higher education or promotion in their respective fields. This is a more heart-wrenching situation in the case of young researchers who have attached high expectations from their work or heading towards the “1st published work” of their academic career.

However, one should take manuscript rejection as a stepping stone towards success and with an optimistic attitude should bounce back with the clarity of vision in terms of the steps to be accomplished for successful publication.

  • Let’s have a look at few tips to overcome rejection:

Understanding the type of rejection: Have a thorough look at the communication to assimilate the logic behind the rejection. It implies ascertaining whether it was 1st stage rejection from the editor’s table itself or was done in later stages. Rejection at the early stage implicates poor English language usage, lack of clarity with respect to content, failure to implement author guidelines, and reference formatting errors. All these aspects of rejection can be easily solved with some assistance and the manuscript can be resubmitted.

  • Non-alignment with the journal: The article is rejected as they don’t match the aims and focus of the journal. In such a case opting for other journals should be useful. Some journals mention as “insignificant advancement to current knowledge” means that the article is not adding extra information to the existing database. This needs the author’s clear retrospection and improvisation to get the content published.

 

  • Reviewer comment: It is a piece of advice in order to address the pitfalls or gaps in the understanding of the manuscript. You can write a detailed response or execute the needed experiments ( if any)to supplement the manuscript with the needed insight.

The technicality of the Manuscript: Error in data collection and method writing, copying with other’s work( text or data), improper heading which affects the flow of paper, ambiguity in hypothesis formation or its implementation in text. Revision in gross scale is needed to address the above mentioned and still, the chances of successful acceptance are low.

  • New journal submission: Rejection often brings emotional turmoil. New submission involves the entire set of preparation all again and seems to be very hectic. Therefore, such a situation should be taken in a practical mindset and in the light of the present situation.

 

  • Language and content editing services: Once the author is clear about the reason for rejection then he should bounce back with full force and try taking the help of service providers to speed up the submission process all over again. It not only helps the author to address the pitfall of the manuscript but also gives a feel-good factor of not being alone in the journey to publish his hard accomplished work. Clear planning at the end of the author combined with the assistance of editing services certainly promises for in-time article publication.

 

Conclusion: Clarity of vision, the thriving force to publish and the selection of write assistance can go long way to realize the dream of getting his hard accomplished work published.

Writing Sequential Numerical References for a Research Paper

Reference list: Introduction

A formal reference is a published or unpublished source from which information is sought while writing a research paper. A reference list is a list of the information used in the original paper, sorted in the order in which it occurred. It is normally found in the last part of the paper, nevertheless, it can also be found as a footnote or an endnote.

Significance of a Citing your Sources

Referencing is essential for conducting excellent research and for your readers to understand how you conducted your research. Knowing why you need to reference can help you see why it’s critical to know how to reference.

Types of Reference/Citation Styles

A citation style specifies the material that must be included in a citation, as well as the order in which the information is presented, as well as punctuation and another formatting. There are a variety of methods for citing sources from your research. The citation style used can vary depending on the academic discipline.

There are four referencing techniques or conventions that are regularly utilized. The Modern Languages Association, the American Psychological Association, the Harvard, and the Modern Humanities Research Association are the four systems. Further styles used in styling include Oxford, Chicago and Vancouver (numeric).

Numeric style of Reference format

Vancouver is a numbered style. In Vancouver referencing, every data/information is assigned a number that relates to the sequence same as it appears in the text, which is a numeric reference style. The same number is used if the same source is mentioned more than once in the text.

Using references in the manuscript as citations (i.e. in-text citations)

You can enter the number in brackets or as a superscript when adding an in-text citation to your document. Whichever option you use, be sure you maintain consistency throughout your work. e.g. (1) or [1] or 1.

Include the citation number for each piece of work if you want to cite more than one source in a sentence. To connect two integers, use a hyphen. g. There are many studies that have examined the effect of alcohol on cognitive impairment (1,3, 4-7, 9).

Example: These findings were in agreement with the results of previous studies [2,22-24]. It is noteworthy that some researchers have reported that BMI does not correlate with H. pylori incidence [8,23].

Listing references (i.e. reference list at the end of the paper)

It is not necessary to mention the author in the citation in the text while using the Vancouver style, but you must include the author in your reference list at the conclusion. This list appears at the end of the paper, in numerical order same as it appeared in the text.

Example: Pattnaik K, Das K. Property rights, control, and the performance of firms in Indian industry. Journal of Economics 2019;42(1): 109-138.

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.

Publishing your article after Acceptance

What is an Accepted Manuscript?

The version of the manuscript that has been peer-reviewed is the accepted version. The simplest permitted versions are files that are effectively just plain text with no layout characteristic. This is how the vast majority of accepted papers appear. The Accepted Manuscript should be identical to the final published edition, but there should be no logo, citation details, copyediting, formatting, or copyright marking from the publisher. The document might be in PDF or Word format. Keep a copy of your Accepted Manuscript for any future postings after you receive the acceptance email from the Editorial Office.

What documents do you receive after acceptance?

When your paper is accepted for publication, the proofs are sent to the corresponding author. A paper is subedited (copyedited) after it is accepted to achieve optimum clarity and reach. Ensuring the accuracy of references is vital as published papers should not contain errors. Your paper is combined into an issue of the journal and published in its final form once the associated author approves them.

  • An acceptance letter from your journal’s editorial system.
  • When the object is passed to production, the Production Tracking System (PTS) sends an acknowledgment letter with the following information:
  • The reference code for the utility to track your accepted article.
  • Offprint Order form link to order Proofs and reprint of your article.
  • Copyright, sponsorship and funding, and open access are all covered in the Rights and Access form.
  • A link to a colour figure reproduction form, if applicable.

What to do after Research Paper acceptance?

There are still things that you must-do if you truly want to benefit from your publication.

  • Get an ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) as it assigns a unique identification to each research output, ensuring that your work is not mistaken with that of others.
  • Making the accepted work online provides some advantages, including:
  • Earlier access to research that can be read and cited
  • Authors can promote their work as soon as it is acknowledged by their peers, keeping the publication process moving forward.
  • Share it with people as possible to recognize and respond to your work. Breaking down technical and language barriers is another powerful and effective strategy to increase public interest in your work. The way different publishers and periodicals address the problem of sharing differs.
  • Researchers will have more prospects for grant acceptance because they would be able to list their work early.
  • After all of your time and work has gone into publishing and promoting your paper, it only makes sense to keep an eye on it and assess the feedback.

Conclusion

The length of time it takes to prove an article varies by journal. Most journals will send you proofs within two weeks of receiving your acknowledgment letter. Many papers are published online one week before they are printed, and the corresponding authors of these papers will be notified via e-mail when the online publishing date is confirmed. It takes roughly 4-6 weeks for an article to be published after it has been accepted. After that, you can unwind, relax, and reward yourself for your work until the next piece.

Benefits of Outsourcing Medical Writing Projects

Outsourcing Medical Writing

Outsourcing scientific and clinical writing assignments lower the staffing needs by lowering the cost of recruiting, training, and retention. Medical device and pharmaceutical companies are increasingly turning to outside vendors to meet their technological and regulatory writing needs for business development.

What are the Stages of Outsourcing?

What And When To Outsource Medical or Scientific Research Paper? 

  • If a team determines that it will need medical writing assistance, the process of outsourcing medical writing activities should begin with a schedule for what documents will be required and when they will be required.

 

Finding And Selecting A Medical Writing Company

  • Ask the right questions and provide the right information to the Medical Writing Company

 

Managing The Services Provided

  • Make sure the writer is an empowered member of the clinical team should be part of managing the ongoing medical writing

 

Evaluating Performance At The End Of The Project

  • It’s crucial to assess the results at the end of the project before deciding whether to work with the same writing company on future projects.
  • Take the opportunity to meet with the main clinical team members and the medical writer after the project’s final activities are completed to share and review everyone’s opinions about how far the partnership went.

 

What are the Benefits of Outsourcing?

Adaptability – The re-appropriated writings from the Medical or clinical research writing firms have a lot of versatility for those who can’t afford to hire their authors.

Increase in profits – When companies outsource to Medical writing firms, they can save money in a variety of ways by minimizing or removing in-house workers and relying on a team of professional outside authors.

Best to focus on your core competency – Most businesses do not specialize in medical writing. The world of medical devices and pharmaceuticals is rapidly changing. By outsourcing, focus can be directed on Core Competency.

Compact writing services – Medical Writers, skilled editors, specialist statisticians, and staff writers make up a competent medical writing team. As a result, you won’t need to employ many people to do the writing, editing, and presentation of the abstract poster. This will help you save even more money.

Documents that adhere to strict regulatory guidelines – Pharmaceutical companies and clinical testing firms must meet the conditions set out by the respective regulatory authorities to introduce a new drug or perform a clinical trial. Medical writing services make it simple to solve this obstacle by sending documents that meet regulatory requirements.

Effective medical communication – Health content writing necessitates knowledge of medical terminologies, as well as experience and technical writing skills. The rethought writing of medical writing experts helps you share your thoughts easily.

Improvement in your sales and services – Medical device ads, product literature, and service brochures can all be outsourced to professional medical writers who can create eye-catching marketing material and increase sales revenue.

Tips for outsourcing medical content writing

  • Clearly describe the need as well as the audience you want to reach.
  • Provide detailed indications
  • outsourcing entails a collaborative effort.
  • Establish realistic deadlines
  • Be ethical 

 

Conclusion

Outsourcing medical writing successfully necessitates selecting medical writers who are not only knowledgeable about the requirements of each paper, but also capable coordinators who can push your clinical teams to present a straightforward, well-argued tale.

 

MY TARGET JOURNAL REJECTED MY RESEARCH PAPER: WHAT SHOULD I DO?

A journal rejecting a submission is an unfortunate reality in the life of an academician. This is especially true for young scholars who rightly feel dejected given the hard work and high expectations hinged in their submissions.

However, a journal rejection is not the end of the world and there are still various options before a young scholar, depending on the exact type of rejection. Here are some quick tips on how to react to a journal rejection.

What type of rejection: Read the communication carefully to understand what type or stage of rejection has been made by the journal. In some cases, rejections are desk rejections, where the editors reject an article in the first stage of sorting. This may be due to poorly written or structured articles, failure to follow formatting instructions of the journals, lack of proper English, improper referencing, etc. These can be easily rectified and you can share it back after revision with the same journal.

Poor fit with the journal: Often journals reject articles because it does not fit their exact focus area or the interests of its readership. In such cases, you may either try to rework the research paper, but perhaps it makes more sense to try some other journal perhaps better suited for your research paper. Sometimes, journals also suggest ‘insignificant advancement to current knowledge’ as a reason, which basically means your article is not adding much value to the present discourse. This is where you have to think about how to improve upon your work to make it more relevant.

Reviewer Comments: Reviewers often share detailed comments and suggest resubmission post revision. This is not a total rejection but an ask to improve upon your paper. You can revise your research paper and resubmit it with a detailed response to the review comments.

Technical issues: Sometimes journals reject submissions because of technical factors. There may be complaints of plagiarism, insufficient data work, reviewers finding flaws with the methodology or data collection, challenges to the hypothesis, etc. For plagiarism, often unintentional due to improper referencing, it is best to engage professional editorial help for a plagiarism proof manuscript.

Critiques of data work, methodology, etc are serious concerns that require not just a relook at the research paper but the entire research exercise. In such a case, you may either choose to revisit your entire work, or you may choose to share a revised version with some other journal, as the one who has rejected it on these grounds is unlikely to entertain even a revised version.

Change journals: This is always an option, often a tempting one, especially an emotional one in wake of rejection. except for some specific reasons, trying to resubmit to a new journal means only going through the entire submission process all over again. This means delays as well as extra work. Therefore, such a decision, if taken, must be done judiciously considering all factors of rejection.