Publishing and peer review

As you become more independent  as a researcher, you are likely to take the lead on writing many more of your own scientific articles. You will also be asked to review scientific papers for others as part of the peer-review process. To make sure you carry out these responsibilities well, it is important to be familiar with the ethics and standards of authorship and peer-review. 

A good place to learn more about this is the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

To communicate your ideas and research results in a clear and compelling way:

• Consider the logic of the information that you are presenting
• Consider your audience - they may be outside of your immediate field of study
• Make your argument clear throughout the paper
• Thoroughly explain your methods - further details can often be added in an appendix
• Consider pre-registering your study design and methods
• Choose an experienced senior colleague to be your main point of contact for help and advice
• Ensure you adhere to Standards and Guidelines for your study design and paper. For example:
  • For randomised trials, use the CONSORT guidelines 
  • For data generated from animals, use the NC3R’s ARRIVE guidelines
  • For systematic reviews, use the PRISMA guidelines