One-day agenda on scientific publishing

09:00

Welcome and introductions

09:30

What Makes a Great Paper? – 30 mins
Examples of what top tier journal editors look for in a manuscript

10:00

Practical Exercise 1: You’re the Editor! – 15 mins

10:15

Titles and Abstracts – 30 mins
How to create a brief and engaging title and abstract for your paper

10:45

Break

11:00

Practical Exercise 2: Reviewing Your Abstracts – 90 mins
Participants must bring in a recent, unpublished abstract which they can review one-to-one with the editors to get expert feedback on their work

12:30

Lunch

13:30

Submitting Your Paper – 40 mins
Submission procedures, making a case to editors, and tips on structuring and writing a good cover letter

13:30

From Introduction to Conclusion – 30 mins
A guide to structuring each part of the paper to facilitate clear writing

14:10

Practical Exercise 3: Pitching your Research – 20 mins

14:30

The Editorial Process and Peer Review – 45 mins
An overview of editorial processes at top tier journals and of peer review, including tips on writing rebuttal letters when responding to a reviewer’s comments, and how to be a good peer reviewer yourself 

14:30

Authorship and Authors’ Responsibilities – 15 mins
The contributing criteria for authorship and the responsibilities of an author

15:15

Break

15:30

Practical Exercise 4 : Assessing Referee Reports - 30 mins

16:00

Writing a Review – 30 mins
How to write a Review Article for a top journal

16:30

Q&A and feedback

16:45

End of day