Getting Published: Where to Start

• Communicate research findings to improve patient care
• Advance biomedical knowledge to benefit society
• Establish yourself as knowledgeable in chosen topics

When starting to think about publishing some research you have conducted, use these tips to plan your publishing journey. You can also start looking at journals that publish the subject matter and type of research you are writing about.

Select a topic

1. Ask a simple question 
   • Select a topic that has high impact in a time frame you can complete
2. Find a mentor who has published in your field
3. Get used to writing. Practice as much as you can
4. If you need funds, check with your department to see what they have to offer
5. Create your own tables and figures and make them perfect. Sometimes that is the first part editors look at
6. Keep your references together and check for the correct format. Citation management software can help

From manuscript completion to publication it can take from 6 months for review and then 6 months for the publication to be available. This does vary from publisher to publisher.

• Select a journal for submission
• Prepare your manuscript according to the author instructions
• Understand open access publishing models
• Submit to one journal at a time. Wait to find out if your manuscript will be accepted before you submit again
• Editor will decide to send the manuscript for peer-review

Librarians:

• Available to work with you
• Make appointments to go over search strategies
• Manage references
• Research & Instruction Librarians available to teach your students
  • Searching
  • Citation formating
  • Avoiding plagiarism
  • More!

Illinois

Arizona

Covidence is a web-based tool that will help you through the process of screening your references, data extraction, and keeping track of you work when conducting a systematic review, meta-analysis or clinical guideline. 

To register for Covidence:

1. Click the link above.
2. Enter you name and Midwestern email address and click Request Invitation
3. Accept invitation sent to your email
4. Register for an account

For more detailed instructions, go to the Covidence support page.

Once you have an account you can login to Covidence using the link below

If you need additional assistance with Covidence or with your systematic review, meta-analysis, or clinical guideline, please email librarian@midwestern.edu