Strengthen Your Journal Article

Abstract

The Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) publishes peer-reviewed journal articles from a wide range of disciplines (Wigington, 2015). Regardless of the disciplinary perspective, there are basic ways to strengthen journal articles. The initial idea for a journal article can arise in a number of ways. Typically, authors are seeking to publish the results of an experimental study, modeling study, or a literature review. A critical first step in converting a journal article idea into a tangible manuscript is to define the objectives and scope of the paper. At this early stage, it is also essential to identify who will be authors of the paper and the role each author will play in the preparation of the manuscript. At a minimum, all authors are expected to make intellectual contributions to the content of the article and to read and approve the final version of the journal article before it is submitted to a journal. Another important step is to identify the journal that is the best outlet for your paper. Journal article manuscripts are commonly returned to the authors without review if the paper does not match the scope of the journal. Wigington (2015) describes the nature of multidisciplinary articles published in JAWRA. Other factors to consider when selecting a journal include the journal's readership, stature, efficiency of the peer-review process, timeliness of publication, and cost. An excellent practice is to begin planning journal articles concurrently with the development of research studies. Although the ultimate audience for a journal article is the readership of a given journal, the initial audience is comprised of a journal's editors and peer reviewers. A major focus of peer reviewers’ evaluation is the quality of the journal article. In general, they are looking to see if the work presented is new and novel and if the research approach, analyses, results, and conclusions are valid. They assess if the text, tables, and figures present the work described in a clear and concise fashion. In addition, reviewers evaluate whether or not literature is appropriately cited and discussed. Well-written, well-organized journal articles make the review process a pleasure for editors and reviewers. Below I offer several practical steps that will strengthen journal articles and improve the likelihood of successful peer review. Cargill and O'Conner (2013) provide a more thorough discussion of how to prepare high quality journal articles and how to navigate the peer review process.