Sharing of Research

Results

Group members
Aasma, Ghina, Naima, Saima, Tahira, Zahra

Research Results

Results are the summary of the experimental outcome of the study.
They include a concise verbal description of the outcome as well as
tables and figures, showing statistical results and experimental error.
Results indicate the reliability of the research.
A key component of scientific research is presenting research
results to the scientific community
How it can be shared??
Presentations-Seminars, conference talks
Social conventions play an important role in
establishing the reliability of scientific knowledge
Publications -in peer reviewed journals
Thesis









Why Publish?

A paper is an organized description of hypotheses, data and
conclusions, intended to instruct the reader. If your research
does not generate papers, it might not have been done(G. Whitesides,
Adv. Mater., 2004, 16, 1375)
If it wasnt published, it wasnt done- E.H. Miller 1993
Importance of publication
publications are expected to provide a detailed and permanent record of
research.
They Exposes research methods and findings to the scrutiny of the larger
scientific community.
It also documents who is first with new ideas or discoveries.
To avoid repetition of already done work.
Published work is protected by Copyright Law.
Importance of publication accounts for the fact that the first to publish a view or
finding not the first to discover it tends to get most of the credit.

Cont
Because publications form the basis for both new research and the
application of findings, they can affect not only the research community
but also, indirectly, society at large.
Researchers therefore have a responsibility to ensure that their
publications are honest, clear, accurate, complete and balanced, and should
avoid misleading, selective or ambiguous reporting

What is publishable?

Journals like to publish papers that are going to be widely read
and useful to the readers.
Papers that report original and significant findings that are
likely to be of interest to a broad spectrum of its readers.
Papers that are well organized and well written, with clear
statements regarding how the findings relate to and advance the
understanding/development of the subject.
Papers that are concise and yet complete in their presentation of
the findings.
What is not acceptable

Papers that are routine extensions of previous reports
Incremental / fragmentary reports of research results
Verbose, poorly organized with unnecessary or poor quality
illustrations.
Violations of ethical guidelines, including plagiarism of any
type or degree.
Case study-publication practices
Andre, a young assistant professor, and two graduate students have been working on a series
of related experiments for the past several years. Now it is time to write up the
experiments for publication, but the students and Andre must first make an important
decision. They could write a single paper with one first author that would describe the
experiments in a comprehensive manner, or they could write two shorter, less-complete
papers so that each student could be a first author.

Andre favors the first option, arguing that a single publication in a more visible journal
would better suit all of their purposes. This alternative also would help Andre, who faces
a tenure decision in two years. Andres students, on the other hand, strongly suggest that
two papers be prepared. They argue that one paper encompassing all the results would be
too long and complex. They also say that a single paper might damage their career
opportunities because they would not be able to point to a paper on which they were first
authors.
Peer review


It is the evaluation by colleagues
with similar knowledge
and experience is an essential
component of research
and the self-regulation
of professions.


Peer review
Unbiased, independent, critical assessment is an main part of all scholarly
work, including the scientific process.
Peer review is the critical assessment of manuscripts submitted to journals
by experts who are not part of the editorial staff.
Peer review can therefore be viewed as an important extension of the
scientific process.
Peer review helps editors decide which manuscripts are suitable for their
journals and helps authors and editors to improve the quality of reporting.
Ethics of peer review
For peer review to work, it must be:

Timely
Thorough (appropriate? important? flawed?)
Constructive
Free from personal bias
Respectful of the need for confidentiality.