Getting Published in the Life Sciences

Dr. Richard Gladon, PhD (Ohio State University) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University. A former Fulbright scholar, Dr. Gladon has over 30 years of teaching and research experience, and holds several patents.Dr. J. Michael Kelley,?PhD (University of Tennessee) is a Professor and Dean of the College of Natural Resources at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. With over 100 published articles to his credit, Dr. Kelly has also served as a reviewer for various granting agencies, including the National Science Foundation.Dr. William Graves, PhD (Purdue University) is a Professor in the Department of Horticulture as well as the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Iowa State University. Dr. Graves has published dozens of articles in the biological sciences.

“The book covers each step throughout the submission process, from organizing and outlining the manuscript, presenting statistical data and results, to what happens during the in-house manuscript review process and what to do if an article is initially rejected.”  (Landtechnik, 20 February 2012)"Despite using the word ‘ensure' here and there, and allowing the jacket to carry a line containing ‘unique guide to...' I like this book and learned a lot from reading it." (Australasian Systematic Botany Society, 1 December 2011) "I highly recommend the very practical and results oriented book Getting Published in the Life Sciences by Richard J. Gladon, William R. Graves, and J. Michael Kelly to anyone in any life, natural, or biological science who seeks to write a clear and concise manuscript for publication in any peer reviewed journal. This book takes the guesswork out of the planning, writing, and publishing process and is certain to boost the publication success rate of any practicing scientist." (Blog Business World, 23 November 2011)

• Preface vii Acknowledgments ix PART I Preliminary Considerations 1 Chapter 1 The Importance of and Need for Publishing 3Chapter 2 Steps in Manuscript Preparation and Getting Started 11Chapter 3 Ethical Issues in Publishing 25Chapter 4 Choosing Your Coauthors 39 Chapter 5 Choosing Your Journal 51 Chapter 6 Principles and Characteristics of Good Scientific Writing 63 PART II Development of the Manuscript 73 Chapter 7 Developing the Take-home Messages and a Provisional Title 75 Chapter 8 Organizing and Outlining Your Manuscript 89 Chapter 9 Results I: Overview 113 Chapter 10 Results II: Presentation 121 Chapter 11 Results III: Options for Presenting Results 133 Chapter 12 Results IV: Guidelines for Preparing Written Text of Results 151 Chapter 13 Revising and Editing 155 Chapter 14 References 175 Chapter 15 Materials and Methods 197 Chapter 16 Introduction: Rationale, Review of Literature, and Statements of Objectives209Chapter 17 Discussion 223 Chapter 18 Abstract 229 Chapter 19 Title, By-line, Keywords, and Authorship Footnote Items 243 Chapter 20 Polishing Your Manuscript with Good Word Usage 259PART III Review, Submission, and Postsubmission Issues 277 Chapter 21 In-house Manuscript Review Process 279 Chapter 22 Cover Letter and Submission Form Preparation 293 Chapter 23 Final Checklist and Initial Manuscript Submission 303 Chapter 24 The Peer-Review Process of Your Initial Submission 309 Chapter 25 Response-letter Preparation and Manuscript Resubmission 315 Chapter 26 Proofs, Proofreading, and the Final Steps in the Publication Process 325 Index 347