Speakers

Martin Pumera is the Director of the Center for the Advanced Functional Nanorobots and a
Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague,
and Chief Investigator of Future Energy & Innovation Lab at CEITEC, Brno, Czech Republic.
In 2010 Martin joined Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he worked as a
tenured associate professor for almost a decade.
Stewart Bland involves developing the Materials Today family of titles as a comprehensive
home for materials science publications, as well as overseeing the Materials Today website
and the constituent content. Prior to joining Elsevier, Stewart completed a PhD in materials
physics at the University of Durham.

Daniel Staemmler works in Elsevier’s Berlin office in Germany managing a portfolio of

materials engineering journals, which includes the Acta Materialia journals, a number of other
well-established materials engineering journals and HardwareX. After finishing his Ph.D.
researching cognitive styles and interactive online learning environments at the University of
Hamburg, Daniel moved to San Francisco.

| 2
Agenda
Part 1: Featured Talks (1600 – 1715 hrs)

• An introduction to Scholarly Publishing

• How to prepare a good manuscript
• How to choose the right journal for your manuscript

Part 2: Q&A Panel Discussion (1715 – 1800 hrs)

Panelists:
• Martin Pumera
• Stewart Bland
• Daniel Staemmler

| 3
Housekeeping Rules

Welcome to the Research Writing and Publication Workshop Series

Announcement:
1. Ask questions using the Q&A feature in Zoom
2. If you would like to frame the questions in Thai or Bahasa
Indonesia, please do so
3. Questions will be addressed after the presentation
4. Materials and e-Certificates will be provided after the
webinar
5. If you are having problem with audio, you can try
refreshing, or logging off and on again

| 4
Elsevier SE Asia
Publishing Workshop
An Introduction to Scholarly Publishing

Dr. Stewart Bland, Executive Publisher, Materials Science, Elsevier | Materials Today
Dr. Daniel Staemmler, Executive Publisher Materials Engineering Elsevier | Materials Today
A little bit about Daniel…
• Living in Berlin, Germany
since 2010
• Diploma in Public Health &
Dr. phil. in Educational
Science
• With Elsevier since Jan. 2015
• Managing Publisher of broad
Materials Engineering &
Science journals
A little bit about Stewart…
• Living in Oxford, UK since
2010
• PhD in materials physics
• With Elsevier since October.
2010
• Publisher of broad scope
materials science journals Oxford
Scholarly Publishing Today
• Scientific, technical and medical (STM) publishing
5,000 STM
publishers

3.0 million 22,000

peer-reviewed peer-reviewed
articles journals

Johnson R., Watkinson A. & Mabe M. 2018. The STM Report. An Overview of Scientific and Scholarly Publishing. 1968–2018.
Association of Scientific, Technical and medical Publishers, The Hague; page
Academic Publishing
The Publishing Cycle Solicit &
manage
submissions

Publish & Manage

Disseminate Peer Review

Edit &
Production
prepare
The Publisher‘s Role
• Registration
The timestamp to officially note who submitted scientific results first

• Certification
Perform peer-review to ensure the validity and integrity of submissions

• Dissemination
Provide a medium for discoveries and findings to be shared

• Preservation
Preserving the minutes and record of science for posterity

• Use
Enrich articles with multimedia tools, and connecting to other resources
Elsevier‘s Evolution Reflects Strategic Vision

1880 1947 1972 1991 1992 1997 2001 2004 2005 2006 2010 2013 2016 2017 2018
Materials Today – launched 1998
Materials Today is the flagship journal of the Materials Today family and is dedicated to
covering the most innovative, cutting edge and influential work of broad interest to the
materials science community.
The editors welcome comprehensive articles and short communications reporting
breakthrough discoveries and major technical achievements as well as review
articles from established leaders in engaging and rapidly developing fields within
materials science and related disciplines.
Materials Today – expanding
Starting 2014 - A new collection of journals, spanning the field of
materials.

1700+ articles published in 2020 (exc. proceedings).

Materials Today – expanding
Starting 2014 - A new collection of journals, spanning the field of
materials.

1700+ articles published in 2020 (exc. proceedings).

Applied Materials Today

Launched 2015
Impact Factor 8.352
Editor-in-Chief: Prof Martin Pumera
~300 Editors
~35000 articles/year
Materials Today family
Materials Today journals provide authors and readers with
comprehensive coverage across materials science,
spanning ground breaking discoveries to highly specialized
research; offering exceptional diversity, high quality peer review,
rapid publication, maximum visibility and the widest choice.
Beyond the journals
Book series
 Materials Today Agents of Change Award Materials Today Rising Star Awards
Offers two $10,000 grants to support diversity initiatives The 2019 Materials Today 'Rising Star Awards' were
within the materials science community open to nominations in the fields of: Energy Storage
Materials, Materials for Sustainability, Quantum, Soft
and Intelligent Materials, and Energy Conversion.

Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, Alke Fink

Lanell Williams, Harvard University,
The Women+ of Color Project (WOCP).
and Dr Sofía Martín Caba at Université de
Fribourg, Switzerland and making
professional role confidence a key part of
educating the next generation of
materials scientists.
Materials Today – working together
• Shared policies, eg pre-prints, data sharing
• Shared platforms, eg, submission,
ScienceDirect
• Linked Editorial teams
• Linked awards
• Linked conferences
• Cross-journal special issues
• Article transfer
Article Transfer Service (“ATS”)
• Reduce time to publication
• Reduce referee fatigue
• Reduce editorial workload
Article
Transfer Desk – launched ~2016
Transfer

• Transfer pre-review
• An article is offered transfer before peer review. The offer contains no guarantee
for how the article will be treated at the receiver.

• Transfer post-review
• An article is offered transfer before post review. The offer contains no guarantee
for how the article will be treated at the receiver.

• Transfer recommended accept

• A special type of post-review transfer whereby acceptance is “guaranteed”
following transfer. [Also known as “Transferred Acceptance” and “Direct Accept”]
The field

Materials Science Articles, by year

300000
250000
200000
150000
100000
50000
0
2002 2007 2012 2017 2022
A look at the publishing landscape
In 2019 there were an estimated 2.2 million subscription
and 0.6 million gold open access articles published
worldwide.

Subscription content
• 80% share of total articles in 2019

Open access content

• Gold open access articles published in full gold open access
journals and hybrid journals made up 20% of the total
articles in 2019

www.elsevier.com/about/open-science
6-10-2020
Publishing models
There are two main routes for publishers to recoup the costs of publishing: Pay to Read and Pay to Publish

Pay to Read (the subscription model)

Under the pay-to-read model, the cost of publication is Pay to Read

covered by readers, typically in the form of subscriptions.

This way, the cost of publishing articles is spread across

typically thousands of institutional and individual
subscribers, who pay to receive access.
Publishing models
There are two main routes for publishers to recoup the costs of publishing: Pay to Read and Pay to Publish

Pay to Publish (the gold open access model) Pay to Publish

In the case of Pay to Publish, individuals or institutions

pay an Article Publication Charge (APC) upfront to
cover the cost of publishing. These articles are made
immediately and permanently available to the rest of the open access
articles
world on publication. Readers do not pay a subscription
to access these articles.
Elsevier open access trends in 2019
In 2019 we launched 100 brand new gold open access journals, bringing
the total to over 370 Elsevier-published fully OA titles. These sit
alongside more than 1900 hybrid journals that already offer the option
to publish open access.

We work closely with funders and institutions

around the world, supporting researchers
through agreements such as in Qatar, Sweden,
Ireland, the US and others to make articles open
access.

Title (change with Header & footer button) www.elsevier.com/about/open-science

6-10-2020
Open access journals
Now
Open
access
!

New to
Elsevie
r
 ➢ …contain articles that are citable so authors get the
Open access – beyond articles credit for more of their work.
➢ …include articles that can be linked to an associated
Helping authors make their work original research article in another journal on
discoverable, citable, comprehensible and
reproducible ScienceDirect so both the original research article
and research elements article gain visibility
Research elements journals:

➢ …allow authors to share more of their and research

output such as data, methods, hardware and
software.
➢ …are a response to authors’ desire to enhance the Data in Brief MethodsX Hardware
X
reproducibility of their work
➢ …are multidisciplinary allowing work to be
discoverable across research fields
SoftwareX Software Impacts

www.elsevier.com/about/open-science
What is green open access?
Some authors wish to make their research published papers openly available but do not have funds for Article Publication Charges
(APCs).

For them, an alternative to publishing open access is publishing under the subscription (pay-to-read) model and typically sharing the
accepted manuscript (or sometimes other versions of the article) in a repository, usually after an embargo period. This type of access
to a version of the article is known as green open access.

Green open access provides a way for anyone to access peer reviewed articles which would otherwise be only available to paying
subscribers.

Across all Elsevier journals this option is available to authors, to support them to showcase their research through their institution’s or
funder’s repository.

6-10-2020 www.elsevier.com/about/open-science
Our sharing guidelines
We support authors to share their work at every stage of the publication process.

Title (change with Header & footer button)

6-10-2020 www.elsevier.com/about/open-science
The journal publishing cycle

Solicit and
manage
submissions

Archive and Manage

promote use peer review

Publish and Edit and

disseminate prepare

Production
What makes a good paper?
Many resources available online…
Source: https://www.elsevier.com/connect/six-things-to-do-before-writing-your-manuscript
If possible, take a „Scientific Writing“ course at your

Institution where you can ask questions,

get answers and apply what you learn.

First and very important question…
Are you ready to publish?
Planning your article
Are you ready to publish?

New & Original

GO Refine results
Review subject

Outdated
Duplicated STOP
Incorrect
 Some questions

• Have you done something new and interesting?

• Have you provided solutions to difficult problems?
• Have you checked the latest results?
• Have you verified the findings?
• Did you perform the appropriate controls?
• Do your results fit - is the story complete?
What type of manuscript are you planning?
Types of manuscripts

Full articles
• Substantial, complete and comprehensive pieces of research
Is my message sufficient for a full article?

Letters or short communications

• Quick and early communications
Are my results so thrilling that they should be shown as soon as possible?

Review papers
• Summaries of recent developments on a specific topic
• Often submitted by invitation

Your supervisor or colleagues are also good sources for advice

on manuscript types.
Visit the journal homepage
• Aims
• Scope
• Types of articles
• Readership
• Current hot topics
• Editors and Board

https://www.journals.elsevier.com/applied-materials-today
Scientific Language – Overview
Write with clarity, objectivity, accuracy, and brevity.

Key to successful scientific writing is to be alert for common

errors:
• Sentence construction
• Incorrect tenses
• Inaccurate grammar
• Not using English

Check the Guide for Authors of the target journal for language specifications
Publishers do not correct
the language of the
manuscript.
Planning Your Article
What makes a strong manuscript?

▪ Clear and useful message

▪ A logical manner
▪ Readers grasp the research

Editors, reviewers and readers all want to receive well

presented manuscripts that fit within the aims and
scope of their journal.
 January 2015

Structure of a Research Article

Introduction
Methods
Title Results and Discussion
Abstract
Conclusion
Keywords
Acknowledgements
References
Supporting materials
Buliding an Article

Title, Abstract, Keywords

Conclusion Introduction

Methods Results Discussion

Figures/Tables (your data)

Methods
Describe how the problem was
studied

Identify equipment and

materials used

Include detailed information,

reproducible

Do not describe previously

published procedures
Results
Include illustrations
and figures

Include only data

of primary importance

Highlight the
main findings

Should be clear and

easy to understand
Discussion

Interpretation of
Results

The discussion should

correspond to the results

Compare published results with

your own
Conclusion

Provide justification
for the work

Explain how your work

advances the field

Suggest future
Experiments
References

Ensure you’ve absorbed the

material you reference

Do not use too many references

Avoid excessive Conform to the style in the

self citations journal’s Guide for Authors
Introduction

Provide a brief context Address the

to the readers Problem

Identify the solutions Identify what the work is trying

and limitations to achieve
The Title

A scalable crosslinked fiberglass-aerogel

thermal insulation composite
Lu An | Jieyu Wang | Donald Petit | Jason N. Armstrong | Changning Li | Yong Hu |
Yulong Huang | Zefan Shao | Shenqiang Ren

No technical jargon or unfamiliar Identify the main

abbreviations Issue of the article

Concise, specific and Attract a reader’s

Informative Attention
The Abstract

As brief as possible,
one paragraph

Summarize the problem,

methods, results, etc.

Clearly written and

Easy to understand

Accurate, specific
and catchy
The Keywords

A scalable crosslinked fiberglass-aerogel thermal

insulation composite
Lu An | Jieyu Wang | Donald Petit | Jason N. Armstrong | Changning Li | Yong Hu |
Yulong Huang | Zefan Shao | Shenqiang Ren

Manufacturing, Self-assembly, Aerogel composite, Thermal insulation, Mechanical

flexibility

Should be Should use only

Specific established abbreviations
Recap – Building your article properly (I)

Title Abstract

Main text
Keywords (IMRAD)
Recap – Building your article properly (II)

Conclusion Acknowledgements

Supporting
References
materials
Your paper - ready for submission
Your submission - The cover letter

Final approval from all

• Your chance to speak to the editor directly authors

• Submitted along with your manuscript

• Mention what would make your manuscript special to the journal

• Note special requirements (suggest reviewers, conflicts of interest)

Explanation of
importance of research

Suggested reviewers
Choosing the right journal
Best practices

▪ Aim to reach the intended audience for your work

▪ Choose only one journal, as simultaneous submissions
are prohibited
▪ Supervisor and colleagues can provide good suggestions
▪ Shortlist a handful of candidate journals, and investigate
them:
• Aims
• Scope
• Accepted types of articles
• Readership
• Current hot topics
Articles in your reference list will usually lead you directly to the right journals.
Bibliometric indicators

Impact
Factor Eigenfactor SJR SNIP CiteScore
Impact Factor 2019

Citations (year 3)
2 yrs
Citable Items (years 1-2)

Materials Today: 26.416

How does a journal get (and keep) an Impact factor

▪ Basic Standards.
▪ Timely publication (as publicly
stated)
▪ full titles and bibliographic data
▪ corresponding author information,
▪ be peer-reviewed.
▪ Editorial Value.
▪ Diversity.
▪ Good citation record.
CiteScore 2019

Citations (years 1-4)

4 yrs
Citable Items (years 1-4)

Materials Today: 31.1

H-Index

Citations
= career
Papers

Martin Pumera: 88
Alternative metrics
What happen after the submission?

Author submits

Submission complete

???
Elsevier SE Asia
Publishing Workshop
The Editorial Process

Prof. Dr. Martin Pumnera

University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Praha, Czech Republic
Editorial Structures
• Editor
• Editor in Chief
There are many, many different Editorial • Executive Editor
structures - and many different titles used. • Section Editor
• Regional Editor
• Handling Editor
• Titles include…. • Managing Editor
• Associate Editor
• Assistant Editor
• Guest Editor
• Deputy Editor

• Editorial Board
• Advisory Board
• Executive Board

• Publisher
Editorial Structures
There are many, many different Editorial
structures - and many different titles used.

The most common structure and titles, as

used on most Elsevier journals is….
Editorial Structures
Authors

Editor in Chief

Editor in Chief Associate Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor

Referees Referees Referees Referees

Authors Authors Authors Authors

Editorial Structures
There are many variations, such as:
• Managing Editors that filter/reject papers
• Editors in Chief that don’t handle peer review
• Automated assignment to Associate Editors
• Editors in Chief with final accept/reject authority
• Decisions that are made by advisory board members
• Mixing of internal and external roles

Any combination/workflow you can imagine, probably exists

somewhere!
 What do Editors do?
Submission HINT: Read the
author guidelines!
Sometimes Editors
ask for specific
Technical checks (eg, plagiarism) information.

Check suitability of language

HINT: Editors, reviewers and
readers all want to receive well
presented manuscripts that fit within
the aims and scope of their journal. Assess for scope
Article type
Article topic
Impact/Interest
“Desk” Reject Search for Reviewers
What do Editors do?
Search for Reviewers

Can’t find Reviewers Find Reviewers

Reject Start/Complete Review

What do Editors do?
Start/Complete Review

Interpret

Accept Major/Minor Revision Recommend Transfer Reject

What do Editors ALSO do?

➢ Commission papers
➢ Promotes the journal
➢ Handles publication ethics
➢ Responds to queries about ongoing submissions
➢ Works with Publisher on journal strategy
How do Editors find referees?
• Their networks/knowledge (inc. Editorial Board)
• References within the paper
• Recommendations within the cover letter
• Search tools within the editorial platform
How do Editors find referees?
• Their networks/knowledge (inc. Editorial Board)
• References within the paper
• Recommendations within the cover letter There is a good chance a
• Search tools within the editorial platform nominated referee will be
used: so long as they are
not affiliated with the
authors. Choose wisely!

HINT: Editors can see on the peer review system if

you’ve collaborated with, or are at the same institute as
your reviewer suggestions.
How do Editors find referees?
• Their networks/knowledge (inc. Editorial Board)
• References within the paper
• Recommendations within the cover letter Make sure your title,
• Search tools within the editorial platform abstract and keywords are
highly suitable – these will
help identify referees.
Don’t use unnecessary
‘buzzwords’ because they
are popular: this will delay
the process and may
ultimately be removed.
Thank you :-)

Questions? Get in touch!

Dr. Stewart Bland
Email: s.bland@Elsevier.com
Dr. Daniel Staemmler
Email: d.staemmler@elsevier.com
A list of informative articles / resources online:

• https://www.elsevier.com/connect/reviewers-update/want-to-
become-a-certified-peer-reviewer

• Certified Peer Review Course @ Elsevier’s Researcher

Academy https://researcheracademy.elsevier.com/

• http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2016/09/how-review-
paper

• Moher D and Jadad AR. “How to peer review a manuscript”

http://www.bmj.com/sites/default/files/attachments/resources/2
011/07/moher.pdf
 researcheracademy.com
Further reading at elsevier.com/authors
elsevier.com/reviewers
elsevier.com/editors

Understanding the Publishing Process with Elsevier – complete guide

Publishing Ethics brochure – top reasons to publish ethically

Get Published – top tips on writing, reviewing and grant writing etc.

Get Noticed – new ways to promote your article and research

Open access – definitions and options

Career Planning Guide – download in 12 languages

Part 2: Q&A Panel
Discussion
Martin Pumera
Stewart Bland
Daniel Staemmler
Q&A
▪ What situation is transfer recommended and is there a security feature during the
transfer of article
▪ Can you discuss factors that may be considered by the authors in deciding pay per
read and OA publication. Does OA access and subscription apply to special issues
▪ What is the criteria to be considered for article transfer as pre-review, or post-
review, or the third mode of article transfer?
▪ What are the factors to be considered by authors in deciding between pay to read
and open access publications?
▪ The biggest problem faced by researchers belonging to developing countries is the
very high APC. There is a limited provision for the waiver but the process is long
and tedious and time consuming. The high APCs has created a divide between the
Have and Have nots in the academic world. How can this be resolved?
Q&A
▪ Sometimes, one out of multiple reviewers will not agree with your study design and
will recommend the rejection of the paper. Rebuttal or explanation letter from the
author usually don't get entertained. What do you think of this? Should authors be
given more chance to explain or be reconsidered, given evidences of their study
design?
▪ What are the red flags to be considered to determine if such journal is predatory?
And why researchers from developing countries are the targets of the predatory
journals? Thank you in advance for answering.
▪ With regard to MethodsX, when the research article is accepted by the journal,
there will be an approach to publish the method in the MethodsX journal. The new
peer review will commence before the final acceptance. If this appears on
MethodX, on top of the original article, it will share a duplication in content. Will this
be considered as plagiarism?
Thank You
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