Update Letter -- Publication question

[Oranges2]

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So, during undergrad, I worked in a lab for three years (i'm now 1-2 years out of college). My lab submitted our findings for the first time last year (Feb 2015) which was rejected quickly. Our lab submitted again Fall-Winter 2015 which included revisions from the previous submission and the status recently changed to "revisions being processed." This I take to mean they are currently going back and forth for final revisions before being accepted for publication -- correct me if I'm wrong. (I read through the reviewer's comments and they're generally straightforward changes with the exception of one...)

Basically, I am on a few waitlists and I would really like to update my schools with this, but I don't necessarily want to wait until it's officially accepted because we all know the revision process can take a few more months to finalize...😕

My questions are:
1. Does this warrant an update?
2. If I choose to update them, what is the correct verbiage for describing a manuscript at this stage.. is it "currently submitted and revisions ongoing"?
3. what do you guys usually say when you update schools with publications? Do you just sort of list it and leave it at that or do you try to elaborate on it, try to tie it to med school, etc. (my basic science research cannot be tied to humans at this point...)

Thanks all!!!

 

[Moko]

So, during undergrad, I worked in a lab for three years (i'm now 1-2 years out of college). My lab submitted our findings for the first time last year (Feb 2015) which was rejected quickly. Our lab submitted again Fall-Winter 2015 which included revisions from the previous submission and the status recently changed to "revisions being processed." This I take to mean they are currently going back and forth for final revisions before being accepted for publication -- correct me if I'm wrong. (I read through the reviewer's comments and they're generally straightforward changes with the exception of one...). Basically, I am on a few waitlists and I would really like to update my schools with this, but I don't necessarily want to wait until it's officially accepted because we all know the revision process can take a few more months to finalize...😕

My questions are:
1. Does this warrant an update?
2. If I choose to update them, what is the correct verbiage for describing a manuscript at this stage.. is it "currently submitted and revisions ongoing"?
3. what do you guys usually say when you update schools with publications? Do you just sort of list it and leave it at that or do you try to elaborate on it, try to tie it to med school, etc. (my basic science research cannot be tied to humans at this point...)

Thanks all!!!

This could be briefly mentioned as part of a larger update. But I don't think that a "most likely accepted" manuscript would warrant an update on its own. Seems premature and may scream of desperation, though I'm sure adcoms have seen much worse offenders. If you do find a way to incorporate this though, I'd keep it short and sweet. JMT.

 

[piii]

No this is not an update until it's officially accepted.

 

[Goro]

No
1. Does this warrant an update?

See above, update only when the MS is "in Press"

2. If I choose to update them, what is the correct verbiage for describing a manuscript at this stage.. is it "currently submitted and revisions ongoing"?

 

[ridethecliche]

No
1. Does this warrant an update?

See above, update only when the MS is "in Press"

2. If I choose to update them, what is the correct verbiage for describing a manuscript at this stage.. is it "currently submitted and revisions ongoing"?

I'd say you should update when it has been accepted. In press is just a formality at that point.

 

[Amba]

I'd say you should update when it has been accepted. In press is just a formality at that point.

It is standard to list accepted manuscripts as "in press" regardless of whether or not they are actually in press with the current issue of the journal. As soon as I have a manuscript formally accepted, it gets updated to "in press" on my CV until it is officially published and/or on Pubmed.

 

[Goro]

Accept and in press to me are the same thing.

I'd say you should update when it has been accepted. In press is just a formality at that point.

 

[22031 Alum]

Accepted and in press are basically the same thing. Revisions being processed is neither.

Slower than Goro.

 

[ridethecliche]

I should have known this by now. Womp.

 

[Oranges2]

haha thanks everyone for your advice!

 

[bearintraining]

The manuscript status hierarchy is kinda like this:

PubMed > accepted >>> under revision at same journal >>> submitted >>>>> in preparation

 

[Oranges2]

just curious...anyone know the impact factor for PlosBiology?

 

[Goro]

Google is your friend: "Impact factor [journal name]"

http://www.bioxbio.com/if/html/PLOS-BIOL.html

For 2015 it was ~9.3!!!

just curious...anyone know the impact factor for PlosBiology?

 

[bearintraining]

Google is your friend: "Impact factor [journal name]"

http://www.bioxbio.com/if/html/PLOS-BIOL.html

For 2015 it was ~9.3!!!

Another good site is the Thompson Reuters database journal citation reports, if you have institutional access to it. I think it's webofknowledge.com or isiknowledge.com.

 

[trini818]

Google is your friend: "Impact factor [journal name]"

http://www.bioxbio.com/if/html/PLOS-BIOL.html

For 2015 it was ~9.3!!!

I was shocked it was that high, but I do see a downward trend. I was just having a conversation with an assistant professor in my lab about how the PLOS journals (mainly PLOS One) are not what they use to be. Also, journals like Oncotarget, which I thought was not that great, have increasing impact factors. I guess I just thought it was sketchy that they asked someone in my old lab to reference more articles from their journal, but this was 2010. Anywho, 9.3 is a really good number.

 

[Oranges2]

Google is your friend: "Impact factor [journal name]"

http://www.bioxbio.com/if/html/PLOS-BIOL.html

For 2015 it was ~9.3!!!

Haha thanks Goro! I guess my question is how good is that score relatively speaking? I searched Nature for example, and that is more around ~42 which is a lot higher! Plos One, on the other hand is a 3.2. The huge range throws me off when trying to gauge relative IFs.

Edit: didn't see @trini818's post!!!

 

[trini818]

Haha thanks Goro! I guess my question is how good is that score relatively speaking? I searched Nature for example, and that is more around ~42 which is a lot higher! Plos One, on the other hand is a 3.2. The huge range throws me off when trying to gauge relative IFs.

Edit: didn't see @trini818's post!!!

Definitely cannot compare to Nature, Cell, Science because those are crazy high impact factor journals (my ultimate goal is to get a Cell paper at some point in my career). 9.3 is very good and is exactly the same to the best impact factor I have for a publication, Cancer Research. Good job being part of solid research! 🙂

 

[Oranges2]

Definitely cannot compare to Nature, Cell, Science because those are crazy high impact factor journals (my ultimate goal is to get a Cell paper at some point in my career). 9.3 is very good and is exactly the same to the best impact factor I have for a publication, Cancer Research. Good job being part of solid research! 🙂

Woot!! Thanks for clarifying!

 

[bearintraining]

Woot!! Thanks for clarifying!

Each field is also very different. Sometimes the lower impact factor journals are very specific and still great to have published in, because it is read by the right target audience. Impact factor isn't everything.

 

[Oranges2]

Okay ... I definitely hear you guys. I think I will probably combine this with some larger update just to say hey, btw, this is what's happening with that research...

Questions, though...
Q1. What do you call it when a paper has been submitted and then rejected with major revision comments. Now paper has been resubmitted and status is "revisions being processed - with editor" what does this mean and how should I label this? "re-submitted -- under review"?
Q2. Also, would it be a bad idea to mention the journal that the manuscript was submitted to at this point? I would obviously make it very clear that it hasn't been accepted yet so to avoid any ethical concerns?

 

[trini818]

Okay ... I definitely hear you guys. I think I will probably combine this with some larger update just to say hey, btw, this is what's happening with that research...

Questions, though...
Q1. What do you call it when a paper has been submitted and then rejected with major revision comments. Now paper has been resubmitted and status is "revisions being processed - with editor" what does this mean and how should I label this? "re-submitted -- under review"?
Q2. Also, would it be a bad idea to mention the journal that the manuscript was submitted to at this point? I would obviously make it very clear that it hasn't been accepted yet so to avoid any ethical concerns?

1. Just put under review
2. In my opinion, I would not put the journal until it has been accepted.

 

[Oranges2]

1. Just put under review
2. In my opinion, I would not put the journal until it has been accepted.

Omg, my paper was accepted! (Pending minor revisions of course - acceptance email formally said that paper cannot be listed as in press until these minor revisions were made) would you recommend listing a citation at this point? If so is there a recommended format?


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[trini818]

Author, Author, Author. Title of manuscript. Journal in which it was accepted. Accpeted
Trini818, collaborator, PI's name. The role of neuroticism in medical school admissions forums. Science. Accepted

When it is in press, you can change the "Accepted" to "In press". If you want to, you can also bold your name in the author list, so that if there are more than a few authors, your name can be easily visualized.

 

[Oranges2]

Author, Author, Author. Title of manuscript. Journal in which it was accepted. Accpeted
Trini818, collaborator, PI's name. The role of neuroticism in medical school admissions forums. Science. Accepted

When it is in press, you can change the "Accepted" to "In press". If you want to, you can also bold your name in the author list, so that if there are more than a few authors, your name can be easily visualized.

HAHA thank you.
Should I bold my name even though its second to last in a list of 7 authors? (Hahah... I'll take it!)


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[trini818]

HAHA thank you.
Should I bold my name even though its second to last in a list of 7 authors? (Hahah... I'll take it!)


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That is definitely your call. It is probably not necessary to bold your name. Many people don't even have publications, so don't feel ashamed for not having first or second author status.