Turning the 'best' research into a polished publication: The researcher's perspective.

  A thesis is often considered the most important undertaking in a researcher's career, representing years of investigation and analysis. However, once completed, a thesis does not necessarily transform into a scholarly output. A thesis only assumes real academic significance when published in a precise, error-free, and peer-reviewed form. It is common for researchers to believe that their well-conducted study will inevitably lead to publication. Yet, the reasons for failure are diverse and include overlooked areas such as layout, choice of publication medium, ineffective submission strategy and academic malpractice. Today the need for the validation of research is greater than ever, as scholarly literature appears more instantaneously. Internet sites such as Google Scholar have made research findings and publications readily accessible and comparable throughout the world. Such visibility implies that minor errors in structure, citation or presentation may critically influence the acceptance of a research output, the perceived credibility and future impact of the researcher and his findings. To successfully publish a thesis thus involves a rigorous, systematic and strategic procedure as opposed to an informal method of submission. The initial move toward ensuring perfect publication is the implementation of a publishing strategy. Researchers must determine at an early stage whether publication means journal submission, career enhancement, professional networking or widespread visibility. These factors then facilitate the restructuring of the thesis and appropriate publication vehicle. A converted thesis then needs to take a publishable shape. It is unfeasible for journals to accommodate extensive, raw theses; they prefer short, targeted manuscripts. This could take the form of splitting the thesis into multiple research articles, removing redundant literature sources and emphasizing main contributions. Updated validation of literature and a clear methodology also support a strong foundation, enabling readers and reviewers to identify key features of the study. Adherence to academic standards with relation to structure (title, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, references), clarity in both titles and abstracts and consistency in citation styles (APA/MLA) as well as plagiarism avoidance are all equally paramount to perfect publication. Finally, researchers must ensure careful editing and proofreading, identify the appropriate journal, adhere to their respective submission requirements, respond to comments made by reviewers positively and persevere in spite of any potential rejections, as these serve as a mechanism to facilitate improvement of the work. In sum, a thesis can only be converted into perfect publication through a logical approach involving meticulous and constant dedication.

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