Publishing in Science: Outliers, Closers, & Leaders

1. Publishing in Science: Outliers, Closers, & Leaders Pamela J. Hines, Ph.D.Senior Editor SCIENCE, AAAS Washington DC

2. WHO publishes in and reads Science • WHERE are authors and readers • WHAT to publish in Science • WHEN is the research ready • HOW to publish in Science • WHY is it worth the effort

3. Content usually - but not always - invited by the editors Perspectives Review Articles Special Issues Editorials Book reviews WHO publishes in and reads Science Content from a variety of sources • Content welcome - from anyone, anywhere, of any age, without any previous agreement • Research papers • Research Articles • Reports • Brevia • Letters to the Editor • Technical Comments • Content usually written by staff The news pages .

4. WHERE are authors and readers Professional sectors: Readers: All AAAS members get Science • Academia • Non-profit • Industry • Teaching • Policy Crossover rate: 42% of non-industry readers are nonetheless involved with industry

5. WHERE are authors and readers Geographical locations:Readers: All AAAS members get Science ~ 20% non-US Of non-US subscribers, ~ 50% in Europe

6. WHERE are authors and readers Research papers are submitted from all around the worldAuthors need not be subscribers or AAAS members

7. WHAT to publish in Science Research papers are published in all topics

8. WHAT to publish in Science What helps • Work that represents a large step forward • Solution to long-standing problem • Broad implications • Overturns conventional wisdom • Clear presentation • Interesting to specialists • Accessible to non-specialists • Optimizes the use of Science formats

9. WHAT to publish in Science What doesn’t matter • The eminence of the authors • The age of the authors • The prestige of the institution • Whether you contacted Science before submitting • Whether you are from the USA • Whether you are a member of AAAS • The field of inquiry

10. WHAT to publish in Science What hurts • The LPU • Excessive or unfounded speculation • Repeat examples of a known phenomenon • Insufficient advance over previously published work Common reasons for manuscript rejection • Topic is not of broad interest • Result is too small of an advance • Conclusions are not convincing • Interpretations are poorly supported • Insufficient mechanistic insight • Insufficient evidence of relevance

11. Features of papers that might be similar Importance Impact Clarity Language Text length Format Supplements exist Features of papers that might be different Topic Technology Methods Domain Authors Locations Country Research sites WHAT to publish in Science Papers in Science are or are not like other papers in Science?

12. WHEN is the research ready Common reasons for acceptance How to define quality? Science looks for • Outliers • Closers • Leaders • Important question • Interesting or unexpected answer • Great science!

13. The importance If the interpretation is correct, would this paper be interesting enough? The data Robust data? Appropriate controls? Original approach? The presentation Well written text? Well organized argumentation? Thoughtful discussion? Formats suitable for the journal (length, figures, references, sections) ? HOW to publish in Science Think like reviewers and editors:

14. HOW to publish in Science “Learning the Ropes of Peer Reviewing” by E. Pain, in Science Careers web site, August 15, 2008 • Assess scientific rigor, significance, relevance, originality • Confirm that you - • Have the relevant technical knowledge • Can meet the time limit • Are free from conflicts of interest • Support your opinions with evidence and clear arguments • Offer advice for improvement • Clarify which improvements are necessary, and which are optional • Be kind and gracious to the author

15. HOW to publish in Science “What Editors Want”by L. Worsham,in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Sept. 8, 2008 • Only submit work appropriate for that journal. • Replicate the style and tone of work from that journal in your own article. • Follow the journal’s style guide and submission rules. • Submit content free of errors. • Place your work in the context of articles in the field. • Accept rejection: “Competition is fierce, so maintain a positive attitude.” L. Worsham is a professor of English.

16. HOW to publish in Science Submitting a manuscript to Science • Should you enquire before? (“presub inquiry”) • Submit the manuscript • Through Science’s web site • Instructions to Authors, length limits, & SOM • If manuscript is rejected, should you appeal? • If manuscript is viewed favorably, should you revise?

17. HOW to publish in Science Over 200 manuscripts submitted each week What happens to your manuscript? Editorial and BoRE analysis 25% 75% Advice from reviewers Editorial analysis, revisions, re-review, & editing 7% 93% Manuscript rejected Publication in Science

18. WHY is it worth the effort? About Science and AAAS • AAAS, founded in 1848 in Philadelphia with about 400 initial members. AAAS: American Association for the Advancement of Science • Science, founded in 1880 by Thomas Edison, became the official journal of AAAS in 1900. • Science retains editorial independence. • AAAS is a non-profit organization (www.aaas.org). • AAAS goals are to advance science and serve society through initiatives in: • science policy • international programs • science education

19. WHY is it worth the effort? The rejection rate is tough: ~3% ~4% 18% 75%

20. WHY is it worth the effort? But the visibility is great: • Science is in over 1400 libraries and universities around the world • Site licenses make the journal broadly available online • Over a hundred thousand individuals have personal subscriptions • And they usually pass their copy on to on average 7 other people Total readership, print plus on-line, ~1 million people every week • Rapid targeted international growth • About 28,000 subscriptions outside the US • Subscriptions doubled in the past ten years • Fastest growth in Asia and South America

21. WHY is it worth the effort? Access to Science papers • Original research is freely available with registration 1 year after publication • Self-archiving: If an author’s grant agency or institution requires deposition after 6 months in a public repository (such as PubMedCentral) the accepted version can be posted with a link to the final version of the paper in Science • Authors can link to the final version from their website for free access

22. WHAT to publish in Science et al. The Science family includes: • Science Signaling • Science Translational Medicine • Science Careers New

23. The editors at Science

24. The American Association for the Advancement of Science Future meetings • Washington, D.C. 17-21 February 2011 • Vancouver, Canada 16-20 February 2012 • Boston, MA 14-18 February 2013 AAAS seeks to advance science and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people. http://www.aaas.org/