How to get Published?

[medical22]

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How can you get a scientific research paper published in a journal? Is there a journal for undergrad pre-meds? How difficult is it to have your paper published?

 

[kutastha]

You have to do research in a lab to get published. Usually to get authorship, you have to contribute some sort of work without which, the publication would not be worthwhile. There is no journal for undergrads. If you're looking to get published, you need to find a lab that interests you and ask the PI if there's a chance for you to get your name on a paper.

It can be difficult to get a paper published (if you're the one writing it that is) - depending on what journal you send it to. They often send it back, requesting more info (if you get a sense of what that is, you can have it done by the time they send it back). But if one rejects it, you can revise it and send it elsewhere if you feel the data is pertinent and worthy of a publication.

Good luck.

Andrew

 

[Wahoo]

Actually, there are some undergraduate journals. Many are specific to certain schools (eg Dartmouth has the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, which I think only publishes papers by Dartmouth students), but there are also several nationally published undergraduate journals. However, I'd imagine that getting published in an undergraduate journal is not as much of an accomplishment as getting published in Lancet or NEJM.

 

[toobsllik]

Originally posted by medical22:
•How can you get a scientific research paper published in a journal? Is there a journal for undergrad pre-meds? How difficult is it to have your paper published?•••

Honestly, it is about finding the right P.I. I work in two labs, and I published in the one in which I did very little work and (at the time) knew little about what we were doing.

 

[TechMan]

<a href="http://www.gtec.gatech.edu/juribe/juribe.html" target="_blank">http://www.gtec.gatech.edu/juribe/juribe.html</a>

 

[tBw]

The poster that said the PI is key to whether you publish or not is correct. Ask around to find students that have published, find out who they worked with, then go talk to that supervisor. Some PIs are generous with co-authorships, some are stingy. Publication in an undergraduate journal is nowhere near as significant as publication in a real journal. Well actually thats the PC version of my opinion on the value of undergrad journals...I'm 'pulling my punches' trying not to offend people that have published in these but I don't think that's really helpful...so my real opinion is - publication in such journals is a waste of time and generally regarded as a joke by academics...I'm sure I'll get shot down for saying that but oh well...

 

[kutastha]

If you really want to publish here's a tip: Check out Medline for profs on your campus. Look for something you're interested in. The PIs that publish most often are the ones on a roll, i.e. there will be more to come. Then, check out the names on those articles. A simple check on your school's directory will tell you if any of those names are undergrads at your school. If they are, you know that's a good prof to go to as they'll be more likely to credit an UG on the paper.

Andrew

 

[aldo16]

to get published you have tons of options mah man....

(1) find the cure for cancer
(2) invent a nuclear-powered artificial heart that'll outlive the owner by a couple millenia
(3) discover the grand-unifying theory

if none of these are really feasible though, then i totally agree with Andrew. Just like in any other field in life, some people are just more aggressive in their careers and will be seeking to churn out papers quicker than oprah eats cake. Look for researchers at your school that have a good track record and go with them. What I have found has worked for me is to be upfront about your intentions to publish and ask different labs where they are in their current research study. Again, if you ask the right type of people (who themselves are pretty hardcore) they'll jump at the chance to hire such an ambitious person like your bad self!

good luck.....

 

[Tweetie_bird]

ok, all these ideas are great, but I have one that might be most beneficial--ASK THEM!!!

Frankly, after working for 3 years at a clinic, being a part of procedures etc etc, I wanted to do something unique. I wanted to see what publishing is all about, and set forth to look for those profs that are willing to let undergrads work. AT EVERY INTERVIEW I WENT, I asked them if they would allow students to get their hands dirty, really get into the job, and hopefully get a publication out of it in the end. I was willing to bust my chops, as long as i got my name on my paper. It always worked! Asking them upfront always tells them what you hope to learn from them, and what you would like to have. We should not always be looked onto as lowly undergrads, but as scholarly people who are willing get their foot in the door, and work our asses off so we can have a head start on our career. What PI wouldn't like hearing that?? I think in situations such as these, we need to be aggressive and ask them, before we find out eventually that our work won't pay off as a co-author. The PI I work with was so impressed by what I said that he threw me into a project that I am now co-authoring. I hope this helps.

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