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Collection  12 March 2023

Journal Top 100 - 2022

This collection highlights our most downloaded* research papers published in 2022. Featuring authors from around the world, these papers highlight valuable research from an international community.

You can also check out the Top 100 across various subject areas here .

*Data obtained from SN Insights, which is based on Digital Science’s Dimensions.

image of abstract blue network

mRNA vaccine-induced antibodies more effective than natural immunity in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 and its high affinity variants

  • Dominic Esposito

best published research paper

Cats learn the names of their friend cats in their daily lives

  • Saho Takagi
  • Atsuko Saito
  • Hika Kuroshima

best published research paper

Metformin administration is associated with enhanced response to transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma in type 2 diabetes patients

  • Woo Jin Jung
  • Sangmi Jang
  • Jin-Wook Kim

best published research paper

The impact of digital media on children’s intelligence while controlling for genetic differences in cognition and socioeconomic background

  • Bruno Sauce
  • Magnus Liebherr
  • Torkel Klingberg

best published research paper

Life tables of annual life expectancy and mortality for companion dogs in the United Kingdom

  • Kendy Tzu-yun Teng
  • Dave C. Brodbelt
  • Dan G. O’Neill

best published research paper

Bioarchaeological and palaeogenomic portrait of two Pompeians that died during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD

  • Gabriele Scorrano
  • Serena Viva
  • Fabio Macciardi

best published research paper

Reading on a smartphone affects sigh generation, brain activity, and comprehension

  • Motoyasu Honma
  • Yuri Masaoka
  • Masahiko Izumizaki

best published research paper

Principal Component Analyses (PCA)-based findings in population genetic studies are highly biased and must be reevaluated

  • Eran Elhaik

best published research paper

The determinants of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality across countries

  • Dianna Chang
  • Kelvin Jui Keng Tan

best published research paper

Birdsongs alleviate anxiety and paranoia in healthy participants

  • J. Sundermann

best published research paper

Identification of ADS024, a newly characterized strain of Bacillus velezensis with direct Clostridiodes difficile killing and toxin degradation bio-activities

  • Michelle M. O’Donnell
  • James W. Hegarty
  • Laurent Chesnel

best published research paper

Multiple sclerosis genetic and non-genetic factors interact through the transient transcriptome

  • Renato Umeton
  • Gianmarco Bellucci
  • Giovanni Ristori

best published research paper

The effect of metformin on the survival of colorectal cancer patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

  • Zeinab Tarhini
  • Kamelia Manceur
  • Niki Christou

best published research paper

Chemical characterisation of the vapour emitted by an e-cigarette using a ceramic wick-based technology

  • M. Isabel Pinto

best published research paper

Large-magnitude (VEI ≥ 7) ‘wet’ explosive silicic eruption preserved a Lower Miocene habitat at the Ipolytarnóc Fossil Site, North Hungary

  • Dávid Karátson
  • Imre Szarvas

best published research paper

Far-UVC (222 nm) efficiently inactivates an airborne pathogen in a room-sized chamber

  • Waseem Hiwar
  • Kenneth Wood

best published research paper

Low dose aspirin associated with greater bone mineral density in older adults

  • Hongzhan Liu
  • Xungang Xiao

best published research paper

First direct evidence of adult European eels migrating to their breeding place in the Sargasso Sea

  • Rosalind M. Wright
  • Adam T. Piper
  • David Righton

best published research paper

Infections with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant exhibit fourfold increased viral loads in the upper airways compared to Alpha or non-variants of concern

  • Christian J. H. von Wintersdorff
  • Jozef Dingemans
  • Paul H. M. Savelkoul

best published research paper

Inappropriate sinus tachycardia in post-COVID-19 syndrome

  • Júlia Aranyó
  • Victor Bazan
  • Roger Villuendas

best published research paper

The microstructure and the origin of the Venus from Willendorf

  • Gerhard W. Weber
  • Alexander Lukeneder

best published research paper

COVID-19 reinfections among naturally infected and vaccinated individuals

  • Sezanur Rahman
  • M. Mahfuzur Rahman
  • Mustafizur Rahman

best published research paper

Lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic strongly impacted the circulation of respiratory pathogens in Southern China

  • Heping Wang
  • Yuejie Zheng
  • Wenjian Wang

best published research paper

Alzheimer’s disease large-scale gene expression portrait identifies exercise as the top theoretical treatment

  • Mason A. Hill
  • Stephen C. Gammie

best published research paper

COVID-19 symptoms are reduced by targeted hydration of the nose, larynx and trachea

  • Carolin Elizabeth George
  • Gerhard Scheuch
  • David A. Edwards

best published research paper

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induces cognitive deficit and anxiety-like behavior in mouse via non-cell autonomous hippocampal neuronal death

  • Junyoung Oh
  • Woo-Hyun Cho
  • Sung Joong Lee

best published research paper

Abdominal pain patterns during COVID-19: an observational study

  • Alexandre Balaphas
  • Kyriaki Gkoufa
  • Christian Toso

best published research paper

Detection of human pathogenic bacteria in rectal DNA samples from Zalophus californianus in the Gulf of California, Mexico

  • Francesco Cicala
  • David Ramírez-Delgado
  • Alexei F. Licea-Navarro

best published research paper

Industrialised fishing nations largely contribute to floating plastic pollution in the North Pacific subtropical gyre

  • Laurent Lebreton
  • Sarah-Jeanne Royer
  • Matthias Egger

best published research paper

Hypertension and diabetes including their earlier stage are associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest

  • Seung Young Roh
  • Young-Hoon Kim

best published research paper

Utility of an artificial intelligence system for classification of esophageal lesions when simulating its clinical use

  • Ayaka Tajiri
  • Ryu Ishihara
  • Tomohiro Tada

best published research paper

Prevalence, age of decision, and interpersonal warmth judgements of childfree adults

  • Zachary P. Neal
  • Jennifer Watling Neal

best published research paper

Acute and protracted abstinence from methamphetamine bidirectionally changes intrinsic excitability of indirect pathway spiny projection neurons in the dorsomedial striatum

  • Sanghoon Choi
  • Steven M. Graves

best published research paper

Indeterminacy of cannabis impairment and ∆ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (∆ 9 -THC) levels in blood and breath

  • Gregory T. Wurz
  • Michael W. DeGregorio

best published research paper

High rates of plasmid cotransformation in E. coli overturn the clonality myth and reveal colony development

  • Delia Tomoiaga
  • Jaclyn Bubnell
  • Paul Feinstein

best published research paper

Metformin sensitizes leukemic cells to cytotoxic lymphocytes by increasing expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1)

  • Nerea Allende-Vega
  • Joaquin Marco Brualla
  • Martin Villalba

best published research paper

Incorporation of machine learning and deep neural network approaches into a remote sensing-integrated crop model for the simulation of rice growth

  • Seungtaek Jeong
  • Jong-min Yeom

best published research paper

Perceiving societal pressure to be happy is linked to poor well-being, especially in happy nations

  • Egon Dejonckheere
  • Joshua J. Rhee
  • Brock Bastian

best published research paper

The earliest Pleistocene record of a large-bodied hominin from the Levant supports two out-of-Africa dispersal events

  • Alon Barash
  • Miriam Belmaker

best published research paper

Generation mechanism and prediction of an observed extreme rogue wave

  • Johannes Gemmrich

best published research paper

Fitness tracking reveals task-specific associations between memory, mental health, and physical activity

  • Jeremy R. Manning
  • Gina M. Notaro
  • Paxton C. Fitzpatrick

Domestic dogs ( Canis familiaris ) grieve over the loss of a conspecific

  • Stefania Uccheddu
  • Lucia Ronconi
  • Federica Pirrone

best published research paper

Human transgenerational observations of regular smoking before puberty on fat mass in grandchildren and great-grandchildren

  • Jean Golding
  • Steve Gregory
  • Matthew Suderman

best published research paper

Chlamydia pneumoniae can infect the central nervous system via the olfactory and trigeminal nerves and contributes to Alzheimer’s disease risk

  • Jenny A. K. Ekberg

best published research paper

Oxycodone/naloxone versus tapentadol in real-world chronic non-cancer pain management: an observational and pharmacogenetic study

  • Jordi Barrachina
  • Cesar Margarit
  • Ana M. Peiró

Cooking methods are associated with inflammatory factors, renal function, and other hormones and nutritional biomarkers in older adults

  • Montserrat Rodríguez-Ayala
  • José Ramón Banegas
  • Pilar Guallar-Castillón

best published research paper

Classification of pig calls produced from birth to slaughter according to their emotional valence and context of production

  • Elodie F. Briefer
  • Ciara C.-R. Sypherd
  • Céline Tallet

best published research paper

Higher emotional awareness is associated with greater domain-general reflective tendencies

  • Michelle Persich
  • William D. S. Killgore

best published research paper

A large Megaraptoridae (Theropoda: Coelurosauria) from Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Patagonia, Argentina

  • Alexis M. Aranciaga Rolando
  • Matias J. Motta
  • Fernando E. Novas

best published research paper

Long COVID occurrence in COVID-19 survivors

  • Aya Sugiyama
  • Junko Tanaka

best published research paper

Water activated disposable paper battery

  • Alexandre Poulin
  • Xavier Aeby
  • Gustav Nyström

best published research paper

Intestinal preservation in a birdlike dinosaur supports conservatism in digestive canal evolution among theropods

  • Yichuan Liu

best published research paper

Antiviral effect of cetylpyridinium chloride in mouthwash on SARS-CoV-2

  • Hirofumi Sawa

best published research paper

Evidence of an oceanic impact and megatsunami sedimentation in Chryse Planitia, Mars

  • J. Alexis P. Rodriguez
  • Darrel K. Robertson
  • Mario Zarroca

best published research paper

Curcumin and metformin synergistically modulate peripheral and central immune mechanisms of pain

  • Peththa Wadu Dasuni Wasana
  • Pasarapa Towiwat

best published research paper

The first occurrence of an avian-style respiratory infection in a non-avian dinosaur

  • D. Cary Woodruff
  • Ewan D. S. Wolff
  • Lawrence M. Witmer

best published research paper

Optimal linear estimation models predict 1400–2900 years of overlap between Homo sapiens and Neandertals prior to their disappearance from France and northern Spain

  • Igor Djakovic
  • Alastair Key
  • Marie Soressi

best published research paper

The influence of time on the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 serological testing

  • Arturo Torres Ortiz
  • Fernanda Fenn Torrente
  • Louis Grandjean

best published research paper

Online misinformation is linked to early COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and refusal

  • Francesco Pierri
  • Brea L. Perry
  • John Bryden

best published research paper

A distinct symptom pattern emerges for COVID-19 long-haul: a nationwide study

  • Melissa D. Pinto
  • Charles A. Downs
  • Natalie Lambert

best published research paper

SARS-CoV-2-reactive IFN-γ-producing CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in blood do not correlate with clinical severity in unvaccinated critically ill COVID-19 patients

  • Beatriz Olea
  • Eliseo Albert
  • David Navarro

best published research paper

Classification of 74 facial emoji’s emotional states on the valence-arousal axes

  • Gaku Kutsuzawa
  • Hiroyuki Umemura
  • Yoshiyuki Kobayashi

best published research paper

The emergence of a new sex-system (XX/XY 1 Y 2 ) suggests a species complex in the “monotypic” rodent Oecomys auyantepui (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae)

  • Willam Oliveira da Silva
  • Celina Coelho Rosa
  • Cleusa Yoshiko Nagamachi

best published research paper

Detection of COVID-19 using multimodal data from a wearable device: results from the first TemPredict Study

  • Ashley E. Mason
  • Frederick M. Hecht
  • Benjamin L. Smarr

best published research paper

Spinal degeneration is associated with lumbar multifidus morphology in secondary care patients with low back or leg pain

  • Jeffrey R. Cooley
  • Tue S. Jensen
  • Jeffrey J. Hebert

best published research paper

Phenomenology and content of the inhaled N , N -dimethyltryptamine ( N , N -DMT) experience

  • David Wyndham Lawrence
  • Robin Carhart-Harris
  • Christopher Timmermann

best published research paper

A gigantic bizarre marine turtle (Testudines: Chelonioidea) from the Middle Campanian (Late Cretaceous) of South-western Europe

  • Oscar Castillo-Visa
  • Àngel H. Luján
  • Albert Sellés

best published research paper

The first experience with fully endoscopic posterior cervical foraminotomy and discectomy for radiculopathy performed in Viet Duc University Hospital

  • Son Ngoc Dinh
  • Hung The Dinh

best published research paper

Mapping the “catscape” formed by a population of pet cats with outdoor access

  • Richard Bischof
  • Nina Rosita Hansen
  • Torbjørn Haugaasen

best published research paper

Investigation of humans individual differences as predictors of their animal interaction styles, focused on the domestic cat

  • Lauren R. Finka
  • Lucia Ripari
  • Marnie L. Brennan

best published research paper

Genesis of fecal floatation is causally linked to gut microbial colonization in mice

  • Syed Mohammed Musheer Aalam
  • Daphne Norma Crasta
  • Nagarajan Kannan

best published research paper

Young children’s screen time during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 12 countries

  • Christina Bergmann
  • Nevena Dimitrova
  • Nivedita Mani

best published research paper

Cichlids and stingrays can add and subtract ‘one’ in the number space from one to five

  • V. Schluessel

best published research paper

Elevated estradiol levels in frozen embryo transfer have different effects on pregnancy outcomes depending on the stage of transferred embryos

  • Liming Ruan

best published research paper

Group VR experiences can produce ego attenuation and connectedness comparable to psychedelics

  • David R. Glowacki
  • Rhoslyn Roebuck Williams
  • Mike Chatziapostolou

best published research paper

New therizinosaurid dinosaur from the marine Osoushinai Formation (Upper Cretaceous, Japan) provides insight for function and evolution of therizinosaur claws

  • Yoshitsugu Kobayashi
  • Ryuji Takasaki
  • Yoshinori Hikida

best published research paper

Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment reveals mental health benefits of birdlife

  • Ryan Hammoud
  • Stefania Tognin
  • Andrea Mechelli

best published research paper

Long-term outcomes of cataract surgery with toric intraocular lens implantation by the type of preoperative astigmatism

  • Tetsuro Oshika
  • Shinichiro Nakano
  • Tsutomu Kaneko

best published research paper

Forest fire detection system using wireless sensor networks and machine learning

  • Udaya Dampage
  • Lumini Bandaranayake
  • Bathiya Jayasanka

best published research paper

Misinformation of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine hesitancy

  • Sun Kyong Lee
  • Juhyung Sun
  • Shane Connelly

best published research paper

Deep language algorithms predict semantic comprehension from brain activity

  • Charlotte Caucheteux
  • Alexandre Gramfort
  • Jean-Rémi King

best published research paper

Children with autism spectrum disorder show atypical electroencephalographic response to processing contextual incongruencies

  • Amparo V. Márquez-García
  • Vasily A. Vakorin
  • Sam M. Doesburg

best published research paper

A generalizable one health framework for the control of zoonotic diseases

  • Ria R. Ghai
  • Ryan M. Wallace
  • Casey Barton Behravesh

best published research paper

HS3ST2 expression induces the cell autonomous aggregation of tau

  • M. B. Huynh
  • N. Rebergue
  • D. Papy-Garcia

best published research paper

Exceptional warming over the Barents area

  • Ketil Isaksen
  • Øyvind Nordli
  • Tatiana Karandasheva

best published research paper

A new Early Cretaceous lizard in Myanmar amber with exceptionally preserved integument

  • Andrej Čerňanský
  • Edward L. Stanley
  • Susan E. Evans

best published research paper

Coffee consumption and diabetic retinopathy in adults with diabetes mellitus

  • Hak Jun Lee
  • Daniel Duck-Jin Hwang

best published research paper

Shifts in the foraging tactics of crocodiles following invasion by toxic prey

  • Abhilasha Aiyer
  • Richard Shine
  • Georgia Ward-Fear

best published research paper

Production of high loading insulin nanoparticles suitable for oral delivery by spray drying and freeze drying techniques

  • Alberto Baldelli
  • Anubhav Pratap-Singh

best published research paper

Cable news and COVID-19 vaccine uptake

  • Matteo Pinna
  • Christoph Goessmann

best published research paper

Estimating the time of last drinking from blood ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulphate concentrations

  • Zhongyuan Guo

best published research paper

COVID-19 infections in infants

  • Małgorzata Sobolewska-Pilarczyk
  • Maria Pokorska-Śpiewak
  • Małgorzata Pawłowska

best published research paper

COVID-19 increases the risk for the onset of atrial fibrillation in hospitalized patients

  • Jakob Wollborn
  • Sergey Karamnov
  • Jochen D. Muehlschlegel

best published research paper

Childhood temperament and adulthood personality differentially predict life outcomes

  • Amanda J. Wright
  • Joshua J. Jackson

best published research paper

Antivirus applied to JAR malware detection based on runtime behaviors

  • Ricardo P. Pinheiro
  • Sidney M. L. Lima
  • Wellington P. dos Santos

best published research paper

Therapeutic enzyme engineering using a generative neural network

  • Andrew Giessel
  • Athanasios Dousis
  • Stuart Licht

best published research paper

Identification of genes associated with human-canine communication in canine evolution

  • Akiko Tonoike
  • Ken-ichi Otaki
  • Miho Nagasawa

best published research paper

Breath chemical markers of sexual arousal in humans

  • G. Pugliese
  • J. Williams

best published research paper

A 5-km-thick reservoir with > 380,000 km 3 of magma within the ancient Earth's crust

  • Rais Latypov
  • Sofya Chistyakova
  • Mauritz van der Merwe

best published research paper

Return of large fin whale feeding aggregations to historical whaling grounds in the Southern Ocean

  • Helena Herr
  • Sacha Viquerat
  • Bettina Meyer

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How to Write and Publish a Research Paper for a Peer-Reviewed Journal

  • Open access
  • Published: 30 April 2020
  • Volume 36 , pages 909–913, ( 2021 )

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You have full access to this open access article

  • Clara Busse   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0178-1000 1 &
  • Ella August   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5151-1036 1 , 2  

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Communicating research findings is an essential step in the research process. Often, peer-reviewed journals are the forum for such communication, yet many researchers are never taught how to write a publishable scientific paper. In this article, we explain the basic structure of a scientific paper and describe the information that should be included in each section. We also identify common pitfalls for each section and recommend strategies to avoid them. Further, we give advice about target journal selection and authorship. In the online resource 1 , we provide an example of a high-quality scientific paper, with annotations identifying the elements we describe in this article.

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Some Opinions on the Review Process of Research Papers Destined for Publication

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Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

Writing a scientific paper is an important component of the research process, yet researchers often receive little formal training in scientific writing. This is especially true in low-resource settings. In this article, we explain why choosing a target journal is important, give advice about authorship, provide a basic structure for writing each section of a scientific paper, and describe common pitfalls and recommendations for each section. In the online resource 1 , we also include an annotated journal article that identifies the key elements and writing approaches that we detail here. Before you begin your research, make sure you have ethical clearance from all relevant ethical review boards.

Select a Target Journal Early in the Writing Process

We recommend that you select a “target journal” early in the writing process; a “target journal” is the journal to which you plan to submit your paper. Each journal has a set of core readers and you should tailor your writing to this readership. For example, if you plan to submit a manuscript about vaping during pregnancy to a pregnancy-focused journal, you will need to explain what vaping is because readers of this journal may not have a background in this topic. However, if you were to submit that same article to a tobacco journal, you would not need to provide as much background information about vaping.

Information about a journal’s core readership can be found on its website, usually in a section called “About this journal” or something similar. For example, the Journal of Cancer Education presents such information on the “Aims and Scope” page of its website, which can be found here: https://www.springer.com/journal/13187/aims-and-scope .

Peer reviewer guidelines from your target journal are an additional resource that can help you tailor your writing to the journal and provide additional advice about crafting an effective article [ 1 ]. These are not always available, but it is worth a quick web search to find out.

Identify Author Roles Early in the Process

Early in the writing process, identify authors, determine the order of authors, and discuss the responsibilities of each author. Standard author responsibilities have been identified by The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) [ 2 ]. To set clear expectations about each team member’s responsibilities and prevent errors in communication, we also suggest outlining more detailed roles, such as who will draft each section of the manuscript, write the abstract, submit the paper electronically, serve as corresponding author, and write the cover letter. It is best to formalize this agreement in writing after discussing it, circulating the document to the author team for approval. We suggest creating a title page on which all authors are listed in the agreed-upon order. It may be necessary to adjust authorship roles and order during the development of the paper. If a new author order is agreed upon, be sure to update the title page in the manuscript draft.

In the case where multiple papers will result from a single study, authors should discuss who will author each paper. Additionally, authors should agree on a deadline for each paper and the lead author should take responsibility for producing an initial draft by this deadline.

Structure of the Introduction Section

The introduction section should be approximately three to five paragraphs in length. Look at examples from your target journal to decide the appropriate length. This section should include the elements shown in Fig.  1 . Begin with a general context, narrowing to the specific focus of the paper. Include five main elements: why your research is important, what is already known about the topic, the “gap” or what is not yet known about the topic, why it is important to learn the new information that your research adds, and the specific research aim(s) that your paper addresses. Your research aim should address the gap you identified. Be sure to add enough background information to enable readers to understand your study. Table 1 provides common introduction section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

figure 1

The main elements of the introduction section of an original research article. Often, the elements overlap

Methods Section

The purpose of the methods section is twofold: to explain how the study was done in enough detail to enable its replication and to provide enough contextual detail to enable readers to understand and interpret the results. In general, the essential elements of a methods section are the following: a description of the setting and participants, the study design and timing, the recruitment and sampling, the data collection process, the dataset, the dependent and independent variables, the covariates, the analytic approach for each research objective, and the ethical approval. The hallmark of an exemplary methods section is the justification of why each method was used. Table 2 provides common methods section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

Results Section

The focus of the results section should be associations, or lack thereof, rather than statistical tests. Two considerations should guide your writing here. First, the results should present answers to each part of the research aim. Second, return to the methods section to ensure that the analysis and variables for each result have been explained.

Begin the results section by describing the number of participants in the final sample and details such as the number who were approached to participate, the proportion who were eligible and who enrolled, and the number of participants who dropped out. The next part of the results should describe the participant characteristics. After that, you may organize your results by the aim or by putting the most exciting results first. Do not forget to report your non-significant associations. These are still findings.

Tables and figures capture the reader’s attention and efficiently communicate your main findings [ 3 ]. Each table and figure should have a clear message and should complement, rather than repeat, the text. Tables and figures should communicate all salient details necessary for a reader to understand the findings without consulting the text. Include information on comparisons and tests, as well as information about the sample and timing of the study in the title, legend, or in a footnote. Note that figures are often more visually interesting than tables, so if it is feasible to make a figure, make a figure. To avoid confusing the reader, either avoid abbreviations in tables and figures, or define them in a footnote. Note that there should not be citations in the results section and you should not interpret results here. Table 3 provides common results section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

Discussion Section

Opposite the introduction section, the discussion should take the form of a right-side-up triangle beginning with interpretation of your results and moving to general implications (Fig.  2 ). This section typically begins with a restatement of the main findings, which can usually be accomplished with a few carefully-crafted sentences.

figure 2

Major elements of the discussion section of an original research article. Often, the elements overlap

Next, interpret the meaning or explain the significance of your results, lifting the reader’s gaze from the study’s specific findings to more general applications. Then, compare these study findings with other research. Are these findings in agreement or disagreement with those from other studies? Does this study impart additional nuance to well-accepted theories? Situate your findings within the broader context of scientific literature, then explain the pathways or mechanisms that might give rise to, or explain, the results.

Journals vary in their approach to strengths and limitations sections: some are embedded paragraphs within the discussion section, while some mandate separate section headings. Keep in mind that every study has strengths and limitations. Candidly reporting yours helps readers to correctly interpret your research findings.

The next element of the discussion is a summary of the potential impacts and applications of the research. Should these results be used to optimally design an intervention? Does the work have implications for clinical protocols or public policy? These considerations will help the reader to further grasp the possible impacts of the presented work.

Finally, the discussion should conclude with specific suggestions for future work. Here, you have an opportunity to illuminate specific gaps in the literature that compel further study. Avoid the phrase “future research is necessary” because the recommendation is too general to be helpful to readers. Instead, provide substantive and specific recommendations for future studies. Table 4 provides common discussion section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

Follow the Journal’s Author Guidelines

After you select a target journal, identify the journal’s author guidelines to guide the formatting of your manuscript and references. Author guidelines will often (but not always) include instructions for titles, cover letters, and other components of a manuscript submission. Read the guidelines carefully. If you do not follow the guidelines, your article will be sent back to you.

Finally, do not submit your paper to more than one journal at a time. Even if this is not explicitly stated in the author guidelines of your target journal, it is considered inappropriate and unprofessional.

Your title should invite readers to continue reading beyond the first page [ 4 , 5 ]. It should be informative and interesting. Consider describing the independent and dependent variables, the population and setting, the study design, the timing, and even the main result in your title. Because the focus of the paper can change as you write and revise, we recommend you wait until you have finished writing your paper before composing the title.

Be sure that the title is useful for potential readers searching for your topic. The keywords you select should complement those in your title to maximize the likelihood that a researcher will find your paper through a database search. Avoid using abbreviations in your title unless they are very well known, such as SNP, because it is more likely that someone will use a complete word rather than an abbreviation as a search term to help readers find your paper.

After you have written a complete draft, use the checklist (Fig. 3 ) below to guide your revisions and editing. Additional resources are available on writing the abstract and citing references [ 5 ]. When you feel that your work is ready, ask a trusted colleague or two to read the work and provide informal feedback. The box below provides a checklist that summarizes the key points offered in this article.

figure 3

Checklist for manuscript quality

Data Availability

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Acknowledgments

Ella August is grateful to the Sustainable Sciences Institute for mentoring her in training researchers on writing and publishing their research.

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Busse, C., August, E. How to Write and Publish a Research Paper for a Peer-Reviewed Journal. J Canc Educ 36 , 909–913 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01751-z

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