From thesis to perfection: publishing your contribution.
A thesis can be seen as one of the most important academic work done during a scholar's life time. However its worthiness is realized only when published in a complete and accurate manner. Most of the researchers presume that doing a good research is sufficient for a successful publication, but they are often misled by not taking into consideration other essential aspects of publication such as lack of formatting, selection of the wrong journal, poor ethics adherence and wrong submission procedure.
In this world of competitive academics, it's true that our research is getting noticed with tools such as Google Scholar, but in the process small errors can lead to detrimental impact in its acceptance rate, scientific and future academic influence. Therefore, publication needs to be approached systematically, detailed, structured and without a rushed submission.
It is important to develop a publication strategy at first stage; the goal (either published as a journal article, for academic achievement or professional advancement and global recognition) should be clear at the outset, to identify and reconstruct thesis accordingly to achieve the chosen goal.
The process of transformation into a publishable manuscript;journals usually don't take the whole thesis document. Instead it must be fragmented into two to three concise papers, removing redundant literature, focusing the important findings and contribution.
Literature validation is the other aspect of the process. A thorough search should be done to incorporate latest research, cross check the key articles and evaluate research gaps again, to maintain up-to-dateness of the work in an ever changing field.
Methodology must be accurate and transparent to gain credibility. Clear design of the research, the sample specification and the reproducibility of the research process are essential to withstand peer review.
Academic format should also be adhered to, including Title, Abstract, Introduction, Literature review, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion and References, but it should also take into account the specific requirements of each journal.
A proper Title and Abstract increase the discoverability. It should be concise, informative and keywords rich.
Avoiding plagiarism should be taken at the highest priority, through proper paraphrasing, citation, plagiarism detection software. A uniform and consistent referencing style such as APA, MLA, Harvard will enhance the publication.
Clear academic writing should be adopted. Elaborate sentences and technical jargon should be replaced by comprehensible words, along with diligent proofreading of the manuscript to avoid grammatical and formatting errors.
Choosing the appropriate journal to submit the manuscript. Scope, impact factor, acceptance rate, and timeline should be studied to be submitted to the journal of the appropriate choice. And submission guidelines have to be adhered to strictly.
Peer review process is very important. Handle the criticism with positive attitude and try to improve the manuscript accordingly. Ethical considerations are also critical in research publication.
Tools available are numerous, such as Google Scholar, Grammarly, and reference managers, but they should be used to complement researchers rather than replace the thinking and scientific ability of an individual researcher. Researchers should always be prepared for rejection, learn from the review and be confident to resubmit.
After the publication, the journey of increasing the influence and reach of the published work, is by promoting research, and building up academic connections and online reputation.
The process of publishing research thesis to a publication of perfect standards, requires rigor, strategic approach and great attention to detail, and with it each and every scholar can turn their work into meaningful global contribution.
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