As a new or aspiring author of a scientific paper, you may have heard the term “impact factor.” The impact factor (IF) is an important but somewhat controversial concept in scientific publishing. Researchers should be acquainted with this term, what it is, how it is used, how it should be used, and what alternative metrics are available.
So, what is the impact factor?
The impact factor is a metric used to rank journals. The primary purpose, according to Thomson Reuters, which pu...
Publication in a peer-reviewed journal is an effective mode of communication through which a researcher can connect with colleagues within a field of study and to the wider scientific community. Every researcher is well aware of the need to ‘publish or perish’. A researcher’s quality and number of publications is often considered a measure of research productivity.
Although the entire publication process (from selecting the right journal for your article to getting your manuscript publishe...
Obtaining a scholarship position or grant in a top university or research institute is indeed very competitive and requires a strong application that must be submitted to the potential supervisor or professor at the appropriate time. Positions are typically offered directly by principal investigators (PIs) or by different funding agencies. Moreover, many grant opportunities are available every year for international students through various prestigious funding agencies in different countries....
When writing your scientific paper, it might be tempting to use phrases and terms that “sound good.” However, ultimately, some of this language ends up being unnecessary and, even worse, can obscure your meaning and lose your reader. William Zinsser, author of
On Writing Well,
defines “clutter” as any language that is unnecessary to convey meaning. One of the top rules for good English writing is to avoid clutter at all costs, and this is exactly what we want to look for in our own wor...
Most of us are familiar with social media. We constantly hear about the latest controversial tweet from a celebrity on the news or read about how teenagers spend a great deal of time connecting with each other online through social platforms. However, social media isn’t just useful for celebrities and teenagers. It’s also critical to your career as an academic and should be used as a marketing tool to promote your research. Below are five reasons why researchers should be active on social med...
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