Conducting Research

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The question ‘Is a thesis considered a publication?’ admits of no simple answer. However, to begin with, I assume here that typically, in the context of higher education in the United States, a ‘thesis’ – as opposed to a ‘dissertation’ –implies an argument based on existing research and is usually a requirement for a master’s degree whereas a dissertation requires its author to undertake original research and discuss its implications and is usually a requirement for a doctorate (PhD). Note that in the UK, it is often the other way around.     Next, take ‘considered’: considered by whom? The author of the thesis and the educational institution to which the thesis is submitted will certainly consider the thesis a publication, but if we assume ‘publication’ to be synonymous with ‘making public’, the matter becomes less clear-cut. (According to the Oxford dictionaries, a publication is ‘a book or journal issued for public sale’.) If the thesis is available to anyone, whether gratis or on payment, it can be considered a publication; if access to a thesis is restricted irrespective of payment, it would be inappropriate to designate it as a publication.    To sum up, the question can be answered only...

That’s a good question! Literature review vs. systematic review – Let’s unravel the differences.  LITERATURE REVIEW  A literature review serves mostly as a broad overview of existing studies on a particular topic, often commenced without a stringent, well-defined methodology. This type of review, also known as a traditional (narrative) review, aims to provide a contextual or theoretical understanding of the subject matter. Consider it a stepping stone, laying the groundwork for subsequent research endeavors.  A literature review can be either a section of a larger research paper or an entire paper in its own right. Almost all papers and theses based on observational or experimental research begin with a literature review, however brief or detailed, to set context for the study performed. When a literature review is published as a stand-alone article, it’s not part of an original research paper; its sole objective is to provide a comprehensive overview existing literature on a topic.  SYSTEMATIC REVIEW  A systematic review, on the other hand, is a highly focused, rigorously defined, inquiry into existing research, characterized by its strict adherence to transparency and reproducibility standards. There are usually five stages to this:  1. Formulating the Question: This is the foundational stage where...

Thank you for your query!  Your concerns are understandable. Many early career researchers may experience their mentor placing themselves as the first author, which can be disheartening if you have worked hard on the research. However, it’s important to first consider a few things, then act appropriately according to your circumstances.  Account for your contribution  Is your work the most crucial part of the paper? If your research is not the main contribution to the paper and your mentor has contributed more, they may be right to designate themselves as the first author.  In this case, discuss your opportunities for taking on a leading role in future publications. Collaborate with your mentor and other researchers on projects where you can make significant contributions and be listed as the first author.  Think about career impact  How will the authorship order affect your career goals? While first authorship is valued, having publications with your mentor can be beneficial if they are well known in your field. Having your name as the second after an esteemed researcher can look great on your CV!  Communicate with your mentor  If you feel you deserve a first or co-first authorship role, express your concerns and discuss...

Thank you for your query!  Your concerns are understandable. Many early career researchers may experience their mentor placing themselves as the first author, which can be disheartening if you have worked hard on the research. However, it’s important to first consider a few things, then act appropriately according to your circumstances.  Account for your contribution  Is your work the most crucial part of the paper? If your research is not the main contribution to the paper and your mentor has contributed more, they may be right to designate themselves as the first author.  In this case, discuss your opportunities for taking on a leading role in future publications. Collaborate with your mentor and other researchers on projects where you can make significant contributions and be listed as the first author.  Think about career impact  How will the authorship order affect your career goals? While first authorship is valued, having publications with your mentor can be beneficial if they are well known in your field. Having your name as the second after an esteemed researcher can look great on your CV!  Communicate with your mentor  If you feel you deserve a first or co-first authorship role, express your concerns and discuss...

Citing retracted papers can affect your reputation as a researcher and compromise the integrity of your research. However, if your topic necessitates discussing retractions to support your argument, you may need to cite them. Here are the important guidelines for you to follow in such cases:  Ensure that the retracted paper is relevant to the discussion in your article (say you’re discussing general research on a topic, or you want to highlight gaps or flaws in prior “knowledge” based on faulty research).  In the text of your manuscript, clearly indicate that the cited paper has been retracted.  In the reference list, clearly indicate the retracted status of the cited paper(s). You can list a retracted paper as “Author AA, et al. RETRACTED: Title of article. Journal name [year], vol, pp” to inform readers of its retraction. The exact way to note the retraction varies based on the citation style (e.g., APA, MLA), but the basic convention is to note the retraction in parentheses as an additional part of the original reference.   Be sure to check and follow the guidelines provided by your target journal regarding the identification and treatment of retracted papers.  Some papers are retracted due to honest errors,...

Citing retracted papers can affect your reputation as a researcher and compromise the integrity of your research. However, if your topic necessitates discussing retractions to support your argument, you may need to cite them. Here are the important guidelines for you to follow in such cases:  Ensure that the retracted paper is relevant to the discussion in your article (say you’re discussing general research on a topic, or you want to highlight gaps or flaws in prior “knowledge” based on faulty research).  In the text of your manuscript, clearly indicate that the cited paper has been retracted.  In the reference list, clearly indicate the retracted status of the cited paper(s). You can list a retracted paper as “Author AA, et al. RETRACTED: Title of article. Journal name [year], vol, pp” to inform readers of its retraction. The exact way to note the retraction varies based on the citation style (e.g., APA, MLA), but the basic convention is to note the retraction in parentheses as an additional part of the original reference.   Be sure to check and follow the guidelines provided by your target journal regarding the identification and treatment of retracted papers.  Some papers are retracted due to honest errors,...

SD reflects sample variability, while SE is an estimate of how close your mean is to the true population mean. Both are useful measures, but your readers will need to know how much your data is dispersed from the mean. High variability suggests that individual data points deviate widely from the mean, indicating potential heterogeneity in the sample. This information helps readers gauge the reliability and generalizability of study findings. If a sample has low variability, the mean is a more robust descriptive statistic of the dataset. On the other hand, high variability may signal that the mean might not be as reliable, and that tests using means (e.g., t-tests) may not be appropriate. Hence, it is necessary to report SD along with means in your paper.Barde and Barde (2012) have explained the use of SD vs SE in detail. The SAMPL (Statistical Analyses and Methods in the Published Literature) guidelines explicitly recommend against using SE to indicate variability in a dataset. Would you like personalized guidance when using descriptive or inferential statistics? Talk to an experienced biostatistician under Editage’s Statistical Analysis & Review Services.

Welcome to the Editage Insights Q&A Forum! Thank you for your question on writing a problem statement.  We have quite a few resources on writing the problem statement on our website. We have linked a few of these below. For more help, you may look up using the relevant keywords. How to write a problem statement for my research? The basics of writing a statement of the problem for your research proposal How to write a statement of the problem Hope that helps. All the best for your study! 

Welcome to the Editage Insights Q&A Forum! Thank you for your question on writing a problem statement.  We have quite a few resources on writing the problem statement on our website. We have linked a few of these below. For more help, you may look up using the relevant keywords. How to write a problem statement for my research? The basics of writing a statement of the problem for your research proposal How to write a statement of the problem Hope that helps. All the best for your study!