Category Archives: Publishing your work
How to read a scientific paper
Do you remember when you read your first scientific paper? For me it was hard. Some parts I did not understand. Other parts were interesting. The structure seemed odd, with a narrative that did not flow. I read it from … Continue reading
What happens when you don’t publish promptly?
If science is a relay race, when you don’t publish, the baton goes to someone else. If science is a quilt, when you don’t publish, someone else’s square will go in the place saved for yours. If science is a … Continue reading
PNAS is now tracking Online Impact. How do you fare?
The Cozzarelli Prize was just awarded to some excellent researchers who published last year in PNAS. The first was on the timeline for the Permian mass extinction. I turned to that paper and saw at the bottom of the page … Continue reading
Why this editor won’t be sending your paper out for further review at PNAS
As of 15 March 2015, I’m taking a 3 year stint on the editorial board of PNAS. Right now there are ten of us in the evolution section, so I’m likely to handle a lot of papers. What we do … Continue reading
No, you can’t acknowledge me in your paper without asking!
Most scientific papers have a brief acknowledgements section where people who helped in some small way with the study are mentioned. It used to be the place where the technicians, often female, who might have done all the work were … Continue reading
Do you celebrate a paper submission with cognac?
There are celebrations for milestones of various kinds. In Japan I hear turning 60 is a big deal. Birthdays, graduations, even publishing can be celebrated. But why not celebrate something that is under your control? How about cheering when you … Continue reading
Two figures every paper should include
When you read a scientific study, you want to understand what the authors did to get to their conclusions and you want to understand it quickly. After all, the interesting stuff is about the hypotheses and the authors’ discoveries. Yet … Continue reading
The problem with describing author contribution
Did you ever read the author contribution box on a paper you have contributed to with horror? Did you not realize you were hardly a part of the study, that someone else is claiming the idea, the analysis, or all … Continue reading
Consider a temporary stint as ecology and evolution editor at Nature
Patrick Goymer is taking a half year paternity leave at Nature and so they are looking for a replacement. Here is the announcement. I bet there are few positions that are as likely to help you learn about your field … Continue reading
Help your writing with this clear rubric
What goes in the introduction? Why did she tell me to write the methods first? Why should anyone care about my results? How can I convince them? Why did I do this project anyway? An excellent rubric can help. In … Continue reading
Sociobiology 