How does one become published?

Discussion in 'General Science & Technology' started by Acitnoids, Oct 11, 2009.

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  1. Acitnoids Registered Senior Member

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    What steps would somebody need to follow in order to get their original work published? I'm under the impression that some sort of collage degree is needed but are such credentials required? I have heard that someone without a pedigree would need to find a sponsor in order to get their work reviewed. Where would such a person find a sponsor? Apparently people send their work in all the time yet where are they sending it? Of course I'm referring to scientific publication but this is not the only field which deals with publication. Works of entertainment are most readily published through a paid agent. Is there an equivalent to a paid agent regarding scientifically published work or is this what paying into the university system is all about? It's one thing to have an original idea. It's another thing altogether to be able to organize that idea so that other people can understand and utilize it. What kind of format/templet should a wannabe published work follow (ex: abstract, summery, introduction, original content, application and then closing)?
    .
    If you have been published, please share how you went about it? Do you think you could have made such an accomplishment without the acquaintances made at school or work? Maybe one of you could start a thread where other members can provide a link to their own published work? Personally I would like to see how you laid out your ideas and would find it inappropriate to start such a thread myself.
     
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  3. Nasor Valued Senior Member

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    Most journals are pretty specialized, so the first step is to find a relevant journal that publishes articles related to whatever it is you want to write about. It's also important to realize that different journals have different styles, so read the journal's submission guidelines carefully AND be sure to read several articles from a recent issue of the journal so you know how they want your article to be written, then write your article accordingly. Then send it in and wait to see what they say...often even "good" articles that they want to publish will have some changes that the journal wants made before they will publish them, so expect to do some follow-up editing etc. after you get the journal's response. It might be something simple and stylistic ("We want you to present this data using a different style graph...") or something fairly major ("We want you to explain in more detail how your results in part H relate to your calculations in section C..."). Be sure to include lots of relevant citations in your work.

    Contrary to popular opinion among crackpots, most journals don't automatically reject someone's work if the person doesn't have the relevant degrees. In fact, the vast majority of journals don't even ask any sort of question like "Do you have a PhD?" or "What is your degree in?" BUT, it is pretty uncommon to find people without the relevant degrees who are able to do high-quality work that looks professional enough to publish and is able to withstand peer review.

    Also, some journals are more "important" than others, so be realistic when choosing a journal to submit to. Most PhD scientists who do solid work don't get their article published in Nature or Science even if the work is good, and you probably won't either.
     
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  5. Acitnoids Registered Senior Member

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    Nasor,
    Thanks for the reply. First off, I don't know if what I have is even worth publishing. The thing is, I know nothing of the process. So you would suggest starting with a qualified journal right off the bat? I assume they expect a finished product as in ready for print. This is where some guidance would be nice. I thought, maybe, there was a standard layout that eveyone adhered to but like you said. "Read several articles from a recent issue ... so you know how they want your article to be written." As far as needing valid credentials, I honestly didn't know if that was a prerequisite. I certainly wasn't implying that there is some kind of vast conspiracy out there trying to keep the common Randy out of the loop. It is no surprise that those associated with academia are also the most readily published. I'll take it this means that there is no middle man between author and publisher. That's good to know. How long does it usually take between submission and finding out if your work is publishable? Do you have any suggestions on a good science journal worth referencing for their proper article layout? This is why I suggested a thread where members can link to their own published work. I think it would give an average person a good look at how it is properly done.
     
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  7. Nasor Valued Senior Member

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    Yeah, it's pretty specific to whatever journal you're targeting.; Although once you have an article written and formatted for one journal, it shouldn't be too much trouble to edit it to work for another journal. But there definitely isn't any standard format.
    I didn't think you were implying anything like that. I was just mentioning it because it's common for non-professionals who can't get published to complain that only people with PhDs etc. can get published, when in fact that's not true. It's just pretty uncommon to find non-professional people who are able to put together a publication-quality piece of work.
    It varies with the journal, but usually a week or two.
    This entirely depends on the topic of your paper...
     
  8. Dredd Dredd Registered Senior Member

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    Start a blog.
     
  9. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    Even if you don't have a degree in the discipline you're working in, if you consider yourself a scientist, don't you read the journals and keep up with what's going on in your field??? Perhaps I should have said, "Especially if you don't have a degree . . . .," since without the academic background journals are one of your main sources of information.

    You should already know which ones cater to which level of research and what they expect in a submission.
     
  10. Acitnoids Registered Senior Member

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    Nasor,
    Thanks again for your insight.
     
  11. Acitnoids Registered Senior Member

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    Fraggle Rocker,
    I think you assume to much which is exactly what I was trying to avoid by asking what the proper process was. Why would I waste my time if I wasn't qualified? You can certainly see the value in what I'm asking, can't you? The act of publication is a requirement. If you've never attempted it before it can be quite intimidating.
     
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