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Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU): Scholarly Publishing

Chemistry majors and other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) majors interested in the interface between materials chemistry and data science apply to participate in a 9-week undergraduate research program hosted by Clark Atlanta University

The importance of sharing research

So you are presented with a research problem. Like with any research problem, you must conduct the necessary activities, like employ the apparatus, collect the data, obtain review board approvals (very necessary when you are studying human subjects), read up on what might have been done before, and secure funding (if/when needed), though not necessarily in that order, to get to the answer or the solution.

What happens then? You write about it! Why do you have to write about your research? Because, many reasons. Here are some:

  • It is a requirement in many cases.
  • It is a written record, a documented account, proof, or your research activities.
  • It is a tangible contribution to the field.
  • Other scientists would have an interest in your research.
  • Other scientists may want to replicate your research.
  • There are some who believe that research should be shared.

Scholarly Publishing

Publishing is a multi-step process. For example, a successful research paper would have had to meet a checklist of requirements before finally getting the green light to go to press. Now depending on the journal you choose to publish in, the checklist could either be long or short. Regardless, all requirements have to be met. Here are some of the most common procedural items you will run into:

  • Draft the manuscript in accordance with publisher rules and guidelines. Examples: Publication Manual of the American Psychology Association, American Chemical Society Guide to Scholarly Communication.
  • Write a cover letter for your manuscript submission.
  • Allow time for the manuscript to undergo peer review.

Here are things to keep in mind about scholarly publishing:

  • Rewrites are common.
  • An accepted paper might not go to press as soon as you would like it to.
  • Acceptance rates: The lower the rate, the highly selective the publication. Because not all publishers give the manuscripts they receive the green light so easily!
  • Some publishers may confer open access to your paper or give you the option to do so. For more information on open access publishing, see our research guide on the topic.
  • Be mindful of publisher policies on sharing restrictions.
  • Beware of predatory publishers!

Research Data

Collecting, naming, analyzing, storing, and sharing of data are integrated into the research project's life cycle. The operative word here is sharing. Why is sharing data so significant? Here are some reasons:

  • Because data may be subject to the same sharing requirements as the research.
  • Even after your research is complete, there may be other scientists who may later on want to replicate your research.
  • Other researchers might want to validate your research.
  • Other researchers might want to build upon your research.

Few things to keep in mind about sharing research data:

  • Be mindful of and follow policies on sharing sensitive data; think about and employ access restrictions.
  • Employ the proper metadata standards to make your data discoverable for other researchers.
  • Make your data make sense to others. Supply a readme.txt file or a data dictionary with your submitted data.
  • Back up your data.
  • For more information on research data, particularly on research data management, visit the Library's guide on the topic.

Try This/These Out

Though all activities are optional, you are encouraged to at least give yourself some hands-on experience.

  • Check out the AUC Woodruff Library's Research Data Management Guide. Explore the contents, especially the sections on Planning and the DMPTool.
    ACTIVITY: Think about the research project, particularly the data, your are or will be working with in the REU. Now imagine that you are applying for a grant from [fill-in-the-blank agency], which requires submission of a data management plan (DMP). Draft a DMP that is based on the chosen funding agency's requirements and share it with the class facilitator for feedback.
  • Grant funding agencies are requiring researchers to submit data sets with their manuscripts. Unless they contain confidential information, are subject to sharing restrictions, or are strictly proprietary, those data sets should be available, with the published paper, for download. In some cases the papers' authors may opt to not publish their data, but instead allow readers to request them.
    ACTIVITY: Explore the database called ScienceDirect and browse anywhere in there for articles that interest you. In the user interface, and this applies to accessible or open access papers, there should be an interactive outline for clicking and navigating to any section of the paper. Look for 'Data availability' (or something similarly phrased) and go to that section to find out whether data is available for download. If you are one of the fortunate ones who landed an article with a downloadable data set, that's great!
         Now, download that data set and examine it. Do you understand the content? Is there any documentation to help you make heads or tails of the variables presented? If not, what would you have provided if you were the researcher?

Report broken or outdated links to Bryan Briones at bbriones@auctr.edu.