How to make sure that a Research paper gets noticed?

Publication of an academic paper is indeed an important accomplishment. But the bigger question is how to ensure that the Research paper gets noticed by a broader community. Only when your study gets proper attention, it will be cited by others, thus increasing the impact of the research. In this post, we shall talk about few tips on how to do exactly that.

You want to show the importance of your paper by writing up a clear abstract and title. If your abstract conveys the objective of your study, it will help the reader determine whether the study is relevant to his/her research. It is also very crucial to highlight the significance and reproducibility of your results and outcomes. Readers have to feel motivated to read on, hence starting a paper with a novel concept to grab attention is a good idea. Impact, today’s world is all about impact. All the researches done around the globe are trying to solve an issue somehow. That is why we see great developments, new ideas and very creative action plans from the academic world. So make sure to emphasize the impact and potential relevance of your study at all times.  There should be a feeling amongst readers that aha we can use so and so to improve so and so situation. Therefore, indicating how the study can be reproduced and impact other subject areas is something researchers need to pay attention to, as well.

Let’s now talk a little bit about the organization and structuring of the manuscript.

To efficiently illustrate your data, the use of figures and tables is critical. Generally, tables are used for the actual experimental results, whereas figures are used for comparing experimental results with those of previous works or with calculated/theoretical values. Figures and table need to be self- explanatory.  Method is considered a vital section in the paper since it allows for the reproduction of your investigation. Many journals offer the possibility of adding Supporting information, which should be used to convey data of secondary importance. Do not save this data for writing a different paper; this might cause the conclusion to be too vague. You should always try to compare results of published studies with yours instead of repeating them. It would be better to compare with studies that helped you in your investigation. During your initial literature review, identify certain papers (about 30) that should be cited in the introduction/results.

Last but not least, a generic summary of 400—600 words is a must. This way the readers who are interested can find the complete details of your work. Asking for your colleague feedback is always a plus. It is a good way to check if the study communicates your perspective and is appropriate for your targeted audience. A third party can provide you with great and valuable insight. Now it is time to bring the paper to the masses, be it via Social Media, or attending conferences or just mingling around. You need to put some effort and time into potential communities online that may be interested in reading your research. Following editors and scientific journalists and engaging with them before your paper is published gives you a chance to promote your article when the time comes. Start forging those relationships as soon as you can. A press office in the university is always a good place to start for sharing your article. Make sure that your press release is written several days before your publication date so that the press release team can get this version out promptly.

We talked about Social Media and promotion of research studies in the previous posts. This post is just a continuation of the previous one since we really do encourage the academics to ensure that a research paper gets noticed. Since this is the only way to effectively implement the outcomes in the society.

Enago