How to write a journal article

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What are the rules you should be following when writing a research journal article?
Read some of the best advice for constructing your paper given by Taylor & Francis journal
editors – follow these top tips to write a compelling journal article.

Watch the video above for more information.

Find out everything you need to know to prepare and write an effective research paper.
Download your Writing your paper eBook.

Get to know the journal you want to submit to

It’s a good idea to choose your target journal before you start writing your paper.
Then you can tailor your writing to the journal’s requirements and readership and increase
your chances of acceptance.

Read our guide to choosing a journal for your paper.

Once you’ve chosen your target journal, take the time to read a selection of articles already
published, particularly those that are relevant to your own research. This can help you get
an understanding of what the editors may be looking for and guide your writing efforts.

The journal’s aims and scope is also an important resource to refer back to as you write your
paper – use it to make sure your article aligns with what the journal is trying to accomplish.

Stick to the point

The strongest papers usually have one point to make. They make that point powerfully, back
it up with evidence, and position it within the field.

Create a logical framework

The structure of your journal paper is just as important as the content itself, and helps to
guide the reader through in a clear way.

How do I format a journal article?

Individual journals will have their own specific formatting requirements, which you can find
in the instructions for authors.

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We have a library of templates available which are accepted by many of our journals. Save
time on formatting by downloading a template to apply to your article text.

A large number of our journals now offer format-free submission, which allows you to
submit your paper without formatting your manuscript to meet that journal’s specific
requirements.

General structure for writing an academic journal article

Title
The title of your article is one of the first indicators readers will get of your research and
concepts. It should be concise, accurate, and informative. You should include your most
relevant keywords in your title, but avoid including abbreviations and formulae.

Keywords
Keywords are an essential part of producing a journal article; when writing a journal article
you must select keywords that you would like your article to rank for. Keywords help
potential readers to discover your article when conducting research using search engines.

Abstract
The purpose of your abstract is to express the key points of your research, clearly and
concisely. An abstract must always be well considered, as it is the primary element of your
work that readers will come across. An abstract should be a short paragraph (around 300
words) that summarizes the findings of your journal article. Ordinarily an abstract will be
comprised of:

What your research is about

What methods have been used
What your main findings are

Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements can appear to be a small aspect of your journal article, however it is still
important. This is where you acknowledge the individuals who do not qualify for co-
authorship, but contributed to your article intellectually, financially, or in some other
manner. When you acknowledge someone in your academic texts, it gives you more
integrity as a writer as it shows that you are not claiming other academic’s ideas as your own
intellectual property. It can also aid your readers in their own research journeys.

Introduction
An introduction is a pivotal part of the article writing process. An introduction not only
introduces your topic and your stance on the topic, but it also (situates/contextualizes) your
argument in the broader academic field.

Main Body

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The main body is where your main arguments and your evidence are located. Each
paragraph will encapsulate a different notion and there will be clear linking between each
paragraph.

Conclusion
Your conclusion should be an interpretation of your results, where you summarise all of the
concepts that you introduced in the main body of the text in order of most to least
important. No new concepts are to be introduced in this section.

References and Citations

References and Citations should be well balanced, current and relevant. Although every field
is different, you should aim to cite references that are not more than 10 years old if possible.
The studies you cite should be strongly related to your research question.

Don’t be afraid to explain

Write your journal article with confidence, to give your reader certainty in your research.
Make sure that you’ve described your methodology and approach; whilst it may seem
obvious to you, it may not to your reader. And don’t forget to explain acronyms when they
first appear.

Clarity is key
Make your writing accessible by using clear language. Writing that is easy to read, is easier
to understand too.

Go back to thinking about your audience; are they experts in your field who will easily follow
technical language, or are they a lay audience who need the ideas presenting in a simpler
way?

Be aware of the other literature in your field (and reference it)

Make sure to tell your reader how your article relates to key work that’s already published.
This doesn’t mean you have to review every piece of previous relevant literature, but make
sure to show how you are building on previous work.

Make your references current and relevant

Your literature review should take into consideration the current state of the literature. So,
don’t talk about “recent research” if you’re giving citations from the 1990s. It is important to
include recent references to highlight awareness of all the current developments in the
literature that you are building on. This doesn’t mean you can’t include older references,
just make sure it is clear why you’ve chosen it.

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When you reference something, ensure you fully understand its relevance to your research
so you can make it clear for your reader.

Be original
Make sure to communicate your unique point of view to stand out. You may be building on a
concept already in existence, but you still need to have something new to say. Make sure you
say it convincingly, and fully understand and reference what has gone before.

Editor’s View

“It’s important that authors try to connect their ideas, their issue, and their topic to something
that is existing in the insights or interpretations available in the journal. It may be to challenge
that, or it may be to confirm it. It may be to re-examine it, or to indicate why, after careful
examination of some of the issues in the journal, the topic they’re interested in is
underdeveloped, even neglected, certainly not considered in the way they want to argue.
Whichever way they want to engage with it, it’s crucial that people take that time and thought
to do that.”

Professor Len Barton, Founding Editor of Disability and Society

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 Get familiar with Instructions for Authors

Be prepared, speed up your submission, and make sure nothing is forgotten by

understanding a journal’s individual requirements

Find out more

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