There are many benefits to peer reviewing articles for journals. Reading cutting-edge research can inform your own research, help you keep up to date with current trends in your field, improve your writing skills, and expose you to new ways of presenting your work to the scientific community. Peer reviewing is also a great way […]
How long should you wait before sending an enquiry to the editor?
In short, 3 months. From reviewing academic forums (see Journal Response Time, When to Nudge a Journal, and Delayed Editorial Decision and Unanswered Reminders), the general consensus among researchers appears to be 3 months (but see Asking About Manuscript Review Status and Following Up After Revised Submission). It is not clear where this figure came […]
Affect or effect?
The basics ‘Affect’ is a verb. It means to influence something, e.g. Diet affects a person’s risk of cancer. Diet actively influences a person’s risk of cancer. ‘Effect’ is a noun. It means an outcome, i.e., the result of an action: An effect of global warming is poorer air quality. We are describing the result […]
Can I cite a preprint?
Preprints are drafts of academic articles that have not been formally published, i.e., they have not been peer reviewed. Instead, they undergo a basic screening and are usually available on preprint servers within 48 hours of submission. Authors typically upload their papers as preprints to date-stamp any new discoveries and to receive feedback before formally […]
How to use ‘respectively’ correctly
The adverb ‘respectively’ is often used incorrectly by non-native English speakers. In this short post, we discuss the correct way to use ‘respectively’, focusing on its use in scientific manuscripts. ‘Respectively’ means ‘separately and in the order already mentioned‘. It is used when describing two or more items that refer back to a previous statement. […]
