Introduction to the world of scientificpublishing

Florence O. Ene, MBBS, PhD, The University of Tokyo.

Content
1. Introduction
2. Part 1 The bigger picture
3. Part 2 / Publishing: natural VS social sciences
4. Part 3 / Research Career overview
5. Summary / ConclusionVocabularyScience

Editing

Publishing

Proofreading

ResearchPrimary research article

Scientific journal

Review article

Take a minute to check the meaning, with your neighbours!

Introduction
Publish or perish: True or false?
What is Scientific Publishing?
Why do we publish scientific papers?
Why do you think it is important to publish scientific research?

Think about it for a minute!

What is Scientific Publishing?

Synonym: Research publication● Process where by results and knowledge obtained from scientific researchand experimentation are shared and taught to others worldwide.
● A specific kind of publishing that reports and distributes scientific researchand scholarship.

Why do we publish scientific papers?
Why do you think it is important to publish scientific research?

● Allows researchers to validate their work, and from a bigger
picture perspective, create novel solutions to complex problems
through dialogue with fellow researchers.

Publish or perish: True or false?

Dr Barbara McClintock● Awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine (1983)● 40 years after her pioneering work on “jumpinggenes” (genetic transposition).
● It took 30 years for the scientific community toacknowledge the validity of her work.

https://www.famousscientists.org/barbara-mcclintock/2021/8/18

Publish orperish?!

https://theconversation.com/predicting-who-will-publish-or-perish-as-career-academics-18473 2021/8/18

Scientific publishing…
● Final step in the research process
Did you know…?
○ Phases in the research process: PRP
P = Planning; R = Research; P = Presentation (final step)

Research findings are worth nothing unless they are shared = PUBLISHED!

The Final Step
Get a promotion?
Become a professor?
Become rich?
Share results?
Add to the existing body ofscientific evidence?

Part 1: The bigger picture

Contributing to Science
Person A discovers X, person B discovers Z.
Together X and Z explain Y!

Part 1: The bigger picture

Person A discovers …
What should they do next?
Publish where?
Publish how?
Publish in what language?

Part 1: The bigger pictureInternational science publications are in English.
Country-specific publications are in the local languages.
Advantages and disadvantages of publications in a common
international language.
Advantages and disadvantages of local-language publications.

Part 1: The bigger picture
Small results - smaller journals
Big results - bigger journals
Imagine steps...steps...steps...then a jump!...then steps
again...steps…steps…jump.
The small steps are also very important - they help the scientificcommunity get closer to the jumps.
But big journals - and most of use general readers - are onlyinterested in the jumps!

Part 1: The bigger picture

Person A discovered...
What if they were wrong? What if they made a
mistake? What if they made up their results?
Effect of their data: accurate or inadequate?
Reproducible or not?

Part 1: The bigger picture
Imagine you are carrying out experiments.
Your boss wants to prove their own ideas, but your results do notsupport them…
One time the experiment turns out as they “wanted”, but you find out you
made a mistake in the protocol.
What would you do?

Think about it for a minute!

Part 2: Publishing in the natural VS social sciences
1. Differences between the sciences
Natural Sciences● Often lab-based research: Requirements for large funding (equipment,space, people)● Long time from initial project idea to results and publications
Social Sciences● Often idea-based research: Less dependent on large funding● Shorter time between project idea to results and publications

Part 2 Publishing: natural VS social sciences

Summary question: Think of publishing research in your field of science (natural orsocial).
What rules/trends can you identify on how and where people perform researchand publish?

Think about it for a minute, turn to your neighbours and share!

Part 3: Research career overview
A career in scientific research
1. Undergraduate degree
2. Master’s degree
3. Doctoral degree
4. Post-doctoral fellow
5. Researcher▪ How much independence do people○ At university (Academia)
have to make decisions at each stage of a scientific○ At company (Industry)
career?
Alternative career paths▪

Who decides what is to be researched and what isto be published?

Think about it for a minute!

Part 3 Research career overview
Alternative careers in science
After Bachelor degree:- Science school teacher- Lab. technician
After Master’s:- Science school teacher- Company technician/ researcher
After PhD:
- Science editing, writing, science communication- Science management- Science education- Research fund management- ConsultingPart 3: Research career overview(My path as a physician-scientist)

Advantages of an alternative career path:
Coping with life challenges
Life changes
Migration and transition

Part 3
Opinion question: An alternative career path is a sign of failure
True or False?

Think about it for a minute!

Summary / Conclusion
Summary question:
Keeping in mind today’s lecture content, what is YOURPERSONAL responsibility for the research you will be doing?

Think about it for a minute!

THANK YOU!

For CREDIT students only: REPORT questions