On small things that save space in a paper and other details to attend to when submitting a paper (or you need to make one final push!)
Submitting a paper to a journal can be painful.
Often, you have to comply with a Byzantine array of requirements - fonts, figures, margins, tables, and so on.
Sometimes, you have to craft an abstract that conforms not only to the requirements of your field but also to the specialized preferences of what feels like a malicious copyeditor.
Always, you don’t want to deal with the many requirements - having reached the end of what is often a multi-month or year marathon to complete a paper.
But you have to.
While I do not have a magical set of tips for how to navigate the fatigue, I do have a process and set of things I do to make sure the paper is formatted properly and to minimize mistakes in the writing.
First, I use some kind of citation software.
I grew up using Endnotes - my students use other tools - it doesn’t matter as long as we all agree on the software.
If the lead author wants something out of my comfort zone, I put references in comments in the margin so that we don’t have to spend time looking for them - the lead then enters them in the next version of the paper.
This prevents a lot of aggravation.
Second, I use grammarly or another plugin on each iteration of the paper.
This makes me less fatigued on the final read through - bc I can focus on the story - not fixing full stops.
Third, I compare docs.
Often, someone will accept or turn off track changes between iterations.
In that last iteration, I want to be sure that I know what has been updated.
This is particularly important if new analysis has been added - bc it makes it easier to check that the numbers in the text, tables & figures match.
Fourth, I pay special attention to the titles and figures.
They need to match the language in the text.
More often than not I will find a mismatch & fix it.
This is important.
Reviewers reject papers that use inconsistent language.
Spell check ignores titles & figures.
Fifth, I look for errors in syntax.
I sat on a panel where a UK editor told authors to use American English.
I disagree.
I think you have to use consistent syntax, be it American or UK English.
If you flip back and forth, the paper reads as a cacophony of voices.
This leads to rejection.
Sixth, I check numbers.
Sounds dumb. I make all numbers two or three decimal places.
Small inconsistencies make it harder to read the paper.
This leads to rejection.
Seventh, I do a final pass through in grammarly & for consistency in word choice.
Sometimes, in doing so, you catch logical inconsistencies or errors that undermine your paper.
This evokes another iteration, which while it brings pain, results in a better paper.
Finally, I reread the abstract to make sure it still maps to the paper’s story & turns of phrase.
Yes, it’s tedious, but needed, if you want your paper to earn a revision.
Best of luck!
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