5 Keys to Getting Your Article Published

How can I get my work published in a peer-reviewed journal?

By following a core set of principles, you will greatly increase your chances of getting published—whether you’re working in STEM, social sciences, or the humanities.

The five principles, adapted from Wendy Belcher’s book Writing your Journal Article in 12 Weeks, are the following: 1) Make an Argument; 2) Say Something New; 3) Select the Right Journal; 4) Carefully Edit your Work; and 5) Write a Compelling Abstract.

1) Make an Argument

No matter how fascinating your topic, your journal article should do more than introduce a subject or summarize existing research. It should also express a point of view with a strong argument clearly woven throughout the article. The purpose of an article is, ultimately, to persuade the reader of a particular claim by presenting evidence. Articles that lack an argument are more suitable for an encyclopedia than a peer-reviewed journal.

2) Say Something New about Something Old

A journal article does not need to be 100 percent original or groundbreaking in order to get published. In fact, most published articles are narrow in scope and rely heavily on existing scholarship

For an article to get published, however, it needs to contribute something new to the literature. According to Belcher, the easiest way to get published is to “say something new about something old.” In other words, address a familiar topic or problem in your field, but expand or reshape readers’ thinking in some way. This usually involves presenting new data, new evidence, or a new methodology that clarifies a preexisting question or problem.

For instance, a musicologist could challenge assumptions about a composer’s process by examining a previously unseen score. An education researcher might conduct a series of surveys, and based on that evidence, argue for a new approach to classroom engagement. A pharmacologist might review a series epidemiological studies and discover a new correlation between a particular illness and drug. And so on.

3) Select the Right Journal

Obviously, you’re only allowed to submit to one journal at a time. Because the review process can often take months, it’s critical to choose the right journal at the start. By selecting a journal that’s appropriate for the content and style of your paper, you will greatly increase your chances of success.

Before sending out your manuscript, consider which types of articles a journal typically publishes. Are they theoretical or data-driven? Qualitative or quantitative? Long or short? Has the journal recently published articles in your general subject area?

4) Edit Your Writing

If your writing is riddled with problems and mistakes, the article is unlikely to be accepted. Before sending an article you should fix any grammar problems, edit for clarity, refine the sentence structure, eliminate unnecessary words and clutter, and replace weak verbs with strong ones.

Ideally, articles should be edited on multiple levels. First, check the argument’s flow. Have you made your argument clearly and persuasively by directing the reader through each step of the argument (e.g., thesis, evidence, conclusion)? Second, review the document line-by-line to identify any problems with word choice, grammar, and sentence flow.

5) Write a Compelling Abstract

Finally, make sure you’ve written a strong abstract. A good abstract clearly states your argument and the significance of your findings, and is written in the present tense. Be sure to avoid these other common missteps when writing your abstract.

At Writer Wiz we’ve helped many academic writers achieve success publishing their work in academic journals (and we’ve also published numerous articles of our own). To learn more about our editing services, click here.