Journal Article
Submission
What are journals for?
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To create a peer-review process to evaluate new
research before publication.
To increase the prestige of the authors, and
disseminate their ideas.
An important step in academic careers.
 “Publish or perish”
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Peer Review Process
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Step 1: An article is submitted
In the US, submissions are usually unsolicited.
 Journal policy dictates the criteria for consideration.
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Ph.D.s?
 Graduate students?
 Members of a particular organization?
 Open to anyone?
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Step 2: The article is considered by an editor.
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The editor can reject the article outright for:
Failure to adhere to the journal requirements.
 Inappropriate subject matter.
 Any reason the editor chooses.
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The editor can reject the article but suggest changes
and resubmission.
 The editor can pass the article to the referees.
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Step 3: Referees evaluate the article.
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Referees are typically anonymous.
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Referees should have credentials in the field.
Referees may :
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Sometimes authors are anonymous to the referees as well.
Accept the article as-is
Accept the article pending recommended changes
Reject the article but invite changes and resubmission
Reject the article outright
When multiple referees disagree, either journal policy or
editorial decision determines whether to publish.
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Step 4: Final editing process.
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Depending on Journal Policy, any changes made to
the article after the peer review may require
resubmission to the referees.
Referees
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Referees are not paid.
Referees are typically authors themselves.
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Particularly, they’re often authors who have been
published by the journal in question.
Note to writers: read the journal in question, especially
articles related to your field.
 These articles may well be written by your referees.
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Criticisms of peer review process
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Process can be slow
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Unpopular ideas can be suppressed
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Can take months to years for a paper to finally be
deemed worthy of publication
Journals can have a natural bias against ideas that
contradict their previously published articles
Subject to control by elitism in a field
Subject to personal and professional jealousy
Sokal Affair
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“Transgressing the Boundaries: Toward a
Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity.”
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This article claims:
Quantum theory has progressive political implications
 The New Age theory of the morphogenetic field could
advance the theory of quantum gravity
 “physical ‘reality’ … is at bottom a social and linguistic
construct.”
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Authored by NYU physicist Alan Sokal, published
by humanities journal Social Text in 1996.
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On the day of publication, Sokal announced the
article was a hoax.
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“A pastiche of left wing cant, fawning references,
grandiose quotations, and outright nonsense…
structured around the silliest quotations I could find
about mathematics and physics.” – Alan Sokal
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Sokal claimed the journal “felt comfortable publishing
an article on quantum physics without bothering to
consult anyone knowledgeable in the subject.”
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Social Text accused Sokal of unethical behavior.
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Said they only published the article as submitted because
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1) Sokal refused to make suggested changes.
2) It was directly relevant to their issue, which was dedicated to the
social implications of quantum physics.
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Sokal’s response:
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Social Text didn’t publish on the basis of an article’s
correctness or coherence, but because of who wrote them
and how they sounded.
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"My goal isn't to defend science from the barbarian hordes
of lit crit (we'll survive just fine, thank you), but to defend the
Left from a trendy segment of itself. ... There are hundreds
of important political and economic issues surrounding
science and technology. Sociology of science, at its best, has
done much to clarify these issues. But sloppy sociology, like
sloppy science, is useless or even counterproductive."
Types of Articles
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Articles – Cover original, current research.
Typically 5-20 pages, but are frequently much
longer.
Supplemental Articles – Large amounts of raw
research data, typically without much direct
discussion.
Can be much longer than the articles themselves
 Many journals now prefer to put this data online
rather than in print.
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Types of Articles
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Review Articles
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Discuss findings of multiple articles on a single
subject.
Can synthesize multiple views on the same subject
 Can support or critique other authors’ work
 Can discuss the state of the art in a given field
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Letters
Not letters to the editor. (Those are for magazines.)
 Short descriptions of current research.
 Published without in-depth review.
 Usually reserved for urgent or timely discoveries.
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Research notes
Also short descriptions of current research.
 Not quite as urgent as Letters.
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Typical journal requirements
(Taken from ASEE Journal of
Engineering Education)
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Articles are expected to report a significant body
of research
Unusually significant commentaries or focused
research with important results may be
published as Research Briefs.
Both quantitative and qualitative research is
encouraged.
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Submitted manuscripts must include the
following elements:
The manuscript title, authors and their affiliations,
and a 50-150 word abstract
 An introduction section following the abstract and
preceding the main body of the manuscript;
 The main body of the manuscript, appropriately
divided into sections
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Brief biographical sketches for each author.
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Black and white figures and tables, if any, either
embedded at appropriate locations within the
manuscript or collected together and appended
at the end of the manuscript.
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Manuscripts may also include appendices, a
glossary of symbols, and acknowledgments, as
deemed appropriate by the authors.
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A comprehensive reference for considerations
of composition and presentation may be found
in the Chicago Manual of Style, 14th edition;
A more concise source is The Elements of Style,
4th edition, by Strunk and White.
Authors are strongly encouraged to carefully
proofread their manuscripts before submission.
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The journal does not use endnotes, and
footnotes are discouraged.
If the material is important enough for a reader to
seek it out, then it is important enough to be
included in the body of the text.
 Footnotes are to be used only if they are deemed
essential.
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The journal generally discourages the publication of a
body of research in a series of dependent parts.
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Authors should either identify components of the research
suitable for publication as independent articles or prepare a
condensed manuscript and encourage interested readers to
contact the authors for additional information supporting the
research reported.
If the presentation of the research in a series of dependent
parts is deemed essential, authors should first contact the
Editor to discuss their approach before submitting their
manuscripts
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Manuscripts submitted must not have been
published as copyrighted material nor be
submitted for consideration for publication as
copyrighted material while in review by the
journal, whether in print or electronic form.
Review Criteria
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1) appeal to a broad readership interested in
engineering education
2) address important questions or propositions
of lasting value.
3) build upon relevant references and bodies of
knowledge.
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4) employ appropriate educational or scientific
principles and methodologies.
5) present original ideas or results supported by
compelling evidence.
6) exhibit clear, concise, and accurate exposition.
7) demonstrate thoughtful layout and
presentation.
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8) show careful attention to details .
9) present meaningful illustrations, as needed .
10) adhere to accepted standards of style, usage,
and composition.
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Any questions?