How to Write a Journal Article: 4 Helpful Tips

Writing articles for journals requires scholars to possess exceptional writing skills and awareness of their subject matter. They need to write such that their manuscript relays its central idea explicitly to the readers. In addition, they need to abide by strict writing conventions and best practices to befit the parameters of journal articles. It is not uncommon for research initiates and, at times, even experts to struggle with the article writing process. This article aims to mitigate some apprehension associated with writing journal articles by enlisting and expounding upon some essential writing tips.

20.03.2022

How to Write a Journal Article: 4 Helpful Tips

Publishing articles in reputed journals is no less than a career highlight for research scholars. Not only does it work as a testament to their academic prowess, but it also garners respect and admiration from fellow academics. As such, it becomes a core necessity for any research scholar, regardless of years spent in academia, to know the process of writing a journal article. However, writing articles for journals requires scholars to possess exceptional writing skills and awareness of their subject matter. They need to write such that their manuscript relays its central idea explicitly to the readers. In addition, they need to abide by strict writing conventions and best practices to befit the parameters of journal articles.

It is not uncommon for research initiates and, at times, even experts to struggle with the article writing process. This article aims to mitigate some apprehension associated with writing journal articles by enlisting and expounding upon some essential writing tips. Readers should take note of these tips and employ them suitably to write journal articles that are worth publishing.

Four tips for writing a journal article

The tips mentioned below, though not exhaustive, provide insights into the ideal modus operandi of journal article writing.

1. Specify the Journal

Before initiating the writing process, writers should determine to which journal they are aiming to submit their work. Scholars can contour their articles according to the specific guidelines offered by the journal. However, due to the sheer number of research journals available today, pinpointing one can be a monumental task. Thus, scholars should consider the following factors when specifying their target journals:

  • A journal's scope

  • Peer-review process

  • Rejection rate

  • Indexing in major journal databases

  • Guidelines for authors.

2. Determine the layout

It will not be an understatement to say that the layout of a journal article is its backbone. A well-designed layout works toward helping the readers traverse through the body of the article seamlessly. In addition, with a well-defined article format, authors can concentrate equally on the individual and holistic level of their manuscript. Thus, scholars should first set aside an appropriate layout for their article. Typically, research articles follow the generic IMRaD structure. However, one should thoroughly examine the requisites of the journal to which they are submitting their work.

3. Put together credible research literature

Precise language is a must when writing a research article. However, one more element that equally maintains its legibility is its bibliography. Referring to credible research literature enables authors to develop and fortify their academic arguments considerably well.

Furthermore, reputable research sources highlight an author's knowledge of research works pertaining to their subject matter. They act as a hallmark of the author's awareness of relevant research works in their field of study. Thus, every scholar should put great effort into putting together a research library to fuel the plausibility of their works.

4. Do not ignore the importance of editing and proofreading

Editing and proofreading are two elements of the writing process that can make or break a manuscript's publishing prospects. It is not just rectifying the grammatical mistakes but also the tonal and contextual errors in a text that make editing and proofreading pivotal. Correctly editing and proofreading a manuscript also removes inconsistencies such as academic taboo words, weak arguments, and intricate structure. Thus, authors should allot significant time editing and proofreading their articles and not liken these processes to last-minute formalities.

Editing and proofreading are resource-intensive processes that require an exceptional understanding of language and grammar. Hence, it is understandable that editing their works themselves might prove difficult for some authors. In such cases, recruiting professional editing and proofreading services might be a promising alternative.

Writing a journal article: Synopsis

Journal articles are some of the most veritably researched and scrutinized academic texts. And rightfully so, since such articles do the noble job of contributing valuable content to the academic community. Hence, the skills and efforts that go into writing these articles should also be of a higher degree.

Writing a journal article, though seemingly laborious, boils down to creating a text that carries the stigmas of rich knowledge and clarity. As such, research scholars should make it a point to absorb all the aforementioned writing tips and exercise them appropriately in their writings.

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Writing a journal article

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Writing a journal article

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Writing a journal article

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This article aims to mitigate some apprehension associated with writing journal articles by enlisting and expounding upon some essential writing tips. To give you an opportunity to practice proofreading, we have left a few spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors in the text. See if you can spot them! If you spot the errors correctly, you will be entitled to a 10% discount.

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