The Most Important Tips and Tricks for Publishing a Research Paper
Oct 10, 202411 min read
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Table of contents
- Learning the Tricks on How To Publish Your Research Paper
- The Basics of How To Get a Research Paper Published
- A Detailed Look at Steps in Publishing a Research Paper
- Finding Where to Publish Research Paper Is the First Step
- Summing Up How To Publish a Research Paper for Students
- Frequently asked questions
Learning the Tricks on How To Publish Your Research Paper
Depending on your academic level, there may be different reasons why you need to publish a research paper.
Publishing a research paper as a high schooler enhances your chances of getting admitted to a college. At college or university, it solidifies your prospective academic career. It pretty much allows you to establish yourself as an expert in your field and provides you with many opportunities.
Besides, if you want to teach, certain institutions require you to have works published to obtain tenure. And if you are already teaching, a published work can increase your chances of getting promoted.
Say that you are not salivating over those opportunities. You do, don’t you? So, why not get one of your research papers published?
Oh, wait, there’s an obvious obstacle in your way. To get it published, you need to know how to do it. Well, we’ve got you covered. Here, you’re going to find the main tips on how to get research published.
However, the keyword is “main.” There is no skeleton key for getting your work published, but there are steps that you need to take to do it. And you’re going to learn those steps here.
The Basics of How To Get a Research Paper Published
Okay, before we get into the details for each case, we need to get into the basics of how to get your paper published. Things are going to be much easier for you after that. After learning the necessary steps for publication, all you need to do is mind the details linked to your academic status.
So, the basic steps are:
- Write a research paper you’ll be proud of
- Find a journal suitable for your research
- Prepare your paper for submission
- Submit and, if necessary, revise it
- Promote and share your published paper
You need to learn certain aspects of how to submit a research paper for publication. Unfortunately, there are no universal guidelines for submission, as each journal may have or has its own. That’s why checking out the submission guidelines of the journal of your choice is a must.
Then, you have to edit and format your paper according to the journal’s guidelines. Usually, the submission-call page has all the guidelines and tips. Mind that no matter how great the paper is, it will most likely be rejected if it doesn’t correspond to the guidelines.
Learning How To Publish a Research Paper in High School
As we’ve already said, having a research paper published as a high schooler enhances your chances of getting admitted to a college. But how to publish research in high school?
In high school, you are far less independent in terms of publishing your work. Besides, writing a research paper on your own can be quite difficult — not impossible, though — for a high schooler.
That’s why your first step here would be not looking for a journal for publication but finding the right mentor. But here, you need to understand exactly what you need. Do you require help, feedback, or co-authorship?
Once you decide on that, you can start looking for a mentor. It can be someone from your high school or a professor from the college you’re planning to enroll in.
Finding a mentor is even more beneficial than you might think. You see, your prospective mentor already has published work of their own and helped multiple students get their papers published.
Thus, they can help you by providing guidelines not only on how to write but also on how to publish a research paper as a high school student. Knowledge from this experience will make your next publication ventures easier.
Let’s Figure Out How To Publish Research as an Undergraduate
Now, let’s answer the question, “Can an undergraduate publish a research paper?” Just kidding. Not only can undergraduates publish a research paper, but they should also do that. It will definitely enhance your academic standing and give you something that you can put on your resume.
However, there is one limitation. As an undergraduate, your chances of getting published by a large journal are extremely low, so you should opt for smaller ones.
The process of getting published as an undergraduate follows traditional steps. Just find the topic you feel passionate about, write a paper, and pick the journal that will accept your work. Then, format the paper according to the journal guidelines and submit it.
Mind that it’s better to ask your peers and professor to review your paper before submitting it. It will increase the chances of your paper getting accepted and published.
A Detailed Look at Steps in Publishing a Research Paper
Okay, we’ve already told you about the five main steps of getting your research paper published. Yet, if we dig deeper, we’ll discover there are actually nine steps:
- Write a research paper
- Find the journal to publish it
- Format the paper according to the journal’s guidelines
- Write a cover letter to the journal
- Revise the paper to make sure it’s ready for submission
- Submit the manuscript
- Check out the notes on the manuscript from the journal
- Revise the paper based on the notes
- Get accepted for the publication
Doesn’t sound that fun anymore, right? Yes, writing your research paper is a lot of work, but getting it published may require more. That’s why it’s crucial to pick the topic you feel passionate about and remember the reason for the publication of your paper.
But all those steps beg the question: how long does it take to publish a research paper? And the answer may not satisfy you. Depending on the journal and your academic level, the publication of your paper may take anywhere from a few months to a year.
Some Important Side Tips for Getting Your Research Paper Published
Aside from the basic rules, there are also important side tips on how to publish a research paper for students.
First of all, a good story is a must. Not that your research paper should feature fictional characters doing the research, but there should be a narrative. You need to define the question you’re attempting to answer and progress logically from it.
And mind the language, as your paper should showcase that you know your field and be comprehensive for non-scientists.
One obvious thing that many students tend to forget is that you need to write first and edit later. Make a draft, then edit it till it becomes a full-fledged paper.
Writing bits and editing them on the go may seem time-saving, but this method often turns out to be more time-consuming.
Make sure that it’s crystal clear why your work is significant for the field of study. Mind that aside from putting this explanation in the necessary segment of your paper, you need to mention it in the cover letter.
Finally, make sure that you have all the necessary figures and images for your research paper, as, sometimes, a picture is worth thousands of words.
How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Research Paper?
We need to talk about another important aspect of publishing a research paper. How much publishing your paper may cost?
Often, journals charge authors for publications. There are various reasons why journals utilize those practices: to cover either publication expenses or lost subscriptions. Also, keep in mind that most scientific journals are subscription-based, i.e., not designed for average readers/buyers, hence having limited income.
So, what is the cost of publication? Depending on the journal’s status, the cost can range from $150 to $6,000.
Don’t let those prices scare you. It doesn’t mean that you will have to pay the full price. Journals often offer discounts. Besides, you can ask your educational institution to cover the cost, at least partially.
There are certain benefits to paying for the publication. For example, it can speed up the publication process.
Nowadays, the common practice is that the paid publication can appear on the digital version of the journal ahead of the physical issue. You read that right: paid publication, meaning that paying for getting your research paper published is inevitable.
There are ways to publish your work for free. How and where to do it? Continue reading to learn about that.
Finding Where to Publish Research Paper Is the First Step
The question “Where can I publish my research paper?” should occur together with the idea of your research paper.
When you’ve already made several publications, you pretty much have an idea of where your next paper is going to be published. But the idea of searching for the journal when you are about to publish your first paper can be quite taunting. Here’s what you need to do first.
You see, when you get an approximate concept of your research, you need to start looking for a journal that can publish it. Otherwise, you may end up with a research paper that no one is willing to publish.
Checking out journals can give you an idea of which direction your research should take. Where to find journals? Search online for them or ask your peers and professor for advice. Your search should emphasize journals with open calls for papers.
Then, you can start making a short list of periodicals that suit your work the best. You can ease your search with online suggesters. All you need to do is create an abstract for your research paper and paste it into the suggester, which will provide you with the list of publications that suit your work.
Figuring Out Where Can High School Students Publish Research Papers
If you were a bit frightened by the average prices for getting your paper published, we have some good news for high schoolers. Publication cost for a high school research paper ranges between $50 and $400. And periodicals like Stanford Intersect, Journal of High School Science, and Young Scientist Journal offer cost-free publications.
You can find what you need by doing research online, yet the best option is to consult with your mentor.
One important aspect to consider when picking the journal for publication is time. The research should be published in advance if you want your publication to benefit you during college admission. Hence, you need to make sure that you are submitting your work to a periodical that will publish it within four months.
Trying to Find Where to Publish Research Paper for Free
Wondering how to publish a research paper for free? Once again:
You can search for lists of periodicals that publish research papers for free online.
You can check different online communities, like ResearchGate, where you can find lists of journals that publish scientific works for free.
You can seek advice from your professor and on campus.
However, there are several things that you need to consider. Free publications may be less beneficial to your academic career. Paid publications make your work available to a wider audience.
As usual, you should consult with your professor before making a final decision whether you should publish your work for free or pay for the publication.
It’s also more welcome for high schoolers to get published for free. College and university students generally pay for the publication of their works. And the more prestigious the journal you choose, the higher the price. The higher the price, the more publicity you get.
Summing Up How To Publish a Research Paper for Students
As we’ve already said, writing a research paper is hard work, but getting it published can be even harder. Gladly, the processes start concurrently.
As soon as you get a concept of your research paper, you need to start looking for a prospective journal to publish it. It’s quite important to subscribe to several periodicals, which will ease your search. Main takeaways for getting your research published are these:
- Consider the time it takes for the research to get published;
- Make sure you have the money for the publication;
- Learn whether your institution can cover the publication cost;
- Having a mentor is crucial for high school research paper publication;
- Always seek advice from your peers and professors;
- Check out the guidelines of the journal;
- Paid publications have higher merit in academic circles.
Following tips and tricks from this article, hopefully, will make the process of getting your paper published easier. And you need to remember that there is always a chance that your first research paper will not get accepted for publication. But that doesn’t mean that you should give up. Ever tried, ever failed.
In any case, the journal will provide you with the feedback. Analyze it and get your next paper published.
Frequently asked questions
If you want to know how to publish your research paper, you need to consider several steps. The first step is coming up with the concept of your research. Then, you need to search for a journal that may accept your work for publication.
Study the guidelines of the periodical of your choice and write and format your paper according to them. Write a cover letter, submit your paper, and wait for it to get accepted.
Yes, it is possible to publish a research paper without being tied to any particular college or university. You need to conduct original research, write a cover letter, format the paper according to the guidelines of the journal of your choice, and submit your work.
Then, you will get feedback after the peer review, after which you may need to revise and resubmit your paper. Lastly, you need to wait for your paper to get accepted.
If you want to publish a research paper as a high schooler, the first step would be finding a mentor. Your mentor has already published works under their belt, so they can guide you through the process and advise you on the journals that you should check for prospective publication.
Then, you need to craft your research paper according to the guidelines of the periodical of your choice and submit your work.
Yes, there are periodicals that can publish your research for free. You may ask on campus for advice or consult with your professor.
Yet, you need to mind that research papers published for free have a lesser value than paid publications, especially when it comes to college and university students. The cost of paid publications varies. The price can be as low as $50 and as high as $6,000.