How to write a research paper and get it published

An important way to get your research recognised by peers and contribute to your chosen field is to write and publish an academic paper.

Indeed, this can lead to collaborations with like-minded researchers and help to further your career.

Yet publishing a paper can be a daunting thought and the assumed scale of the task may put off many would-be authors.

Taking this into account the KHP Mind & Body Programme hosted a Lunch & Learn on publishing a paper, using its Health Champions study as a model.

Presented by Gracie Tredget, Programme Manager, and Dr Julie Williams, Research and Evaluation Lead, the session busted some myths and explained the processes. These are lessons from their own experience and others may have different experiences of publishing.

Mythbusting

To clarify early, to write and publish an academic paper:

• you don’t need a PhD;
• you don’t need to be a researcher;
• it doesn’t matter if you haven’t been published before; and
• to be a co-author on a paper, you do not have to work directly with an academic institution.

Why publish in an academic journal?

The main aims of publishing your work are to share your findings and contribute to knowledge in the field. And the publication shouldn’t be the end of the journey, it should be a stepping stone for further stakeholder collaboration and engagement.

Other benefits are to meet the needs of your employer and/or funder, and further your career.

It’s a time-consuming process, so before you start you must consider whether you can devote the necessary hours. You will also need the support of colleagues and managers.

The steps of writing and publishing a journal article

1. Decide what you want to say, your audience, who will be involved in the writing process, and where you want to publish. Research if there are other similar papers in the public domain.
2. Writing the paper. Each journal will have a template and word count (now it’s all online some journals don’t have a word count now but ask you to be as concise as possible). The usual outline is: abstract; introduction/discussion; methods; results; discussion and conclusion/s. Usually one person writes the draft, and the co-authors provide comments, edits, and suggestions. They will all be named on the final paper.
3. Submitting the manuscript. You will need to include a cover letter detailing why the journal should publish your work, and submit accompanying tables, figures, and additional files. Make sure you include everything that the particular journal requires and in the right format.
4. Responding to the reviewer’s comments and the final submission. If the editor decides your paper is right for the journal, they will send it out for review. You will have a deadline to respond to comments, which most journals are willing to extend if necessary. Having a writing team helps to respond to the reviewer’s comments.
5. Publication and dissemination. The journal will email to let you know when the paper is being published, now done as ‘online first’. Develop a plan to share the journal, eg comms teams and stakeholders.  

There is always a cost in submitting a journal, so this must be considered. It’s usually around £2,000, but this can vary depending on the journal. If you’re affiliated to King’s College London, it’s worth asking about any agreements it may have with journals and publishing houses.

Lessons learned

• Time – writing papers can be a lengthy process, with lots of people involved. Often papers may not be written during the life of the project too which can be especially hard.
• Knowledge loss – delays in writing and publication can be risky, as those who were involved may no longer be available to support with the writing process. Tip – have a crib sheet for each project and a working group of co-authors to help with the writing development beyond the project.
• Paper relevance and impact – your paper will always be interesting, but the longer you wait to publish the more you risk the chance of your findings being outdated. Keeping informed about what new literature is coming through that might supersede your findings is important.
• Dissemination is as important as publication – getting the paper published is only the start, continuing to go beyond the paper by attending conferences, and sharing within your systems is equally as useful to support the use and transfer of knowledge from your work. 

Useful resources

How to write and publish a paper, Aldcroft 2018, BMJ Open

Writing a research paper: advice for beginners Perneger and Hudelson 2004

Course – Writing for Health Professionals, Wednesday 12 March, 9:30am – 5pm. A one-day course for staff across King’s Health Partners who are conducting individual research or working in a research team. Register for the webinar here.