7 Stages in Research Paper Publishing: A Step-by-Step Guide for New Researchers 

7 key steps in the research publishing process 

1. Research preparation & Manuscript writing: Collect data, analyze findings, report conclusions 

2. Selecting a journal: Choose the best journal for your work considering factors like target audience and impact factor 

3. Research paper submission: Submit your paper along with other required documents as per journal guidelines 

4. Editorial screening: Journal editors perform initial technical checks 

5. Peer review: Research paper is assessed for novelty and originality by experts in the field 

6. Revisions & resubmission: Authors make revisions based on feedback and resubmit 

7. Final decision and publishing: Journal editors take the final decision and initiate the publishing process 

Introduction 

Researchers know that publishing is a major part of their career. As a graduate student, working on theses and dissertations is essentially training to write research articles, review papers, case reports, case studies, and other types of submissions in the future. But when you step into the actual research landscape, it’s easy to feel lost and confused when you’re bombarded with various elements involved in the publishing process. This blog breaks it down to give you a smooth entry into the publishing world. 

What is the Publishing Process? 

Publishing process is a multi-stage journey that starts with a rough draft, also called your manuscript, and culminates with your work being published for the world to consume. There are different types of materials you can publish: research papers, books, podcasts… the list goes on. Knowledge sharing and dissemination in academia is no longer limited to a single format; and AI is expected to highly influence the future of the publishing process [1]. Regardless, the stages involved in the publishing process remain the same. As for researchers, it’s crucial to know what matters in each of these stages to ensure a successful publication. 

7 Stages in Research Paper Publishing 

The steps to publish a research paper can be broadly divided into seven stages. 

Step 1: Research preparation & Manuscript writing 

It begins with you conducting your research, which goes hand in hand with preparing your manuscript: 

• Identify a research problem, frame your research question, determine research objectives
• Start collecting data and analyze them using suitable methodologies
• Record the findings, both positive and negative, and validate the results against the problem statement   

Your research manuscript slowly comes together as you perform these tasks. The Abstract and Discussion sections can be written at the end as you reach the finishing stages of your research. Identify the study implications, recognize limitations, and highlight future research directions in your paper. 

Step 2: Selecting a journal 

Journal selection is the process of determining the best journal for publishing a research paper considering factors like 

• Journal scope
• Subject area match
• Impact factor
• Target audience
• Article processing charges (APCs)
• Peer review type (e.g., single blind, double blind, open peer review, collaborative peer review etc.)
• Time to publish       

It’s completely alright if, at the beginning of your research, you had a different journal in mind but that changed as you finished your research work. It is best to have two or three target journals on your list before beginning your research and then finalize one journal after completing the research and preparing the manuscript. Here’s a video highlighting the most important features to look for when selecting a journal. 

Step 3: Research paper submission 

Next comes paper submission. Journals specify submission guidelines on their website, and typically, the submission package includes 

• a well-formatted research paper,
• a cover letter,
• supplemental materials (if any),
• disclosure statements,
• table and figure files (if not included in the manuscript), and
• any other document deemed necessary for initial submission by the journal.      

Preparing the submission package requires great attention to detail. Watch this video to learn what makes an effective submission package. 

Step 4: Editorial screening 

When journals receive your submission, it first undergoes initial checks at the editorial desk. The journal editor decides whether the manuscript should be 

• returned without review, 
• transferred to a different journal, or 
• sent for peer review 

after this initial screening. This editorial decision-making is often assisted by AI tools, typically in-house, to accelerate the process. This is the stage where desk rejections are highly likely to occur because of journal misfit, poor paper formatting, improper grammar and language, inaccurate methodologies, or lack of novelty and originality in the research. As authors, always take care to address all critical submission requirements to avoid desk rejections. 

Step 5: Peer review 

Once your paper clears the editorial desk checks, it’ll be sent for deeper assessment by experts in the subject area. There are different types of peer review processes, and the journal clearly discloses what they follow to give authors clarity on this evaluation process.  

Peer reviewers evaluate the overall quality of your research and provide a detailed feedback report highlighting whether the paper 

• is ready to be accepted,
•  can be accepted with minor revisions, 
• can be accepted with major revisions, or 
• should be rejected.

For each of these decisions, the peer reviewer needs to justify their reasoning and the journal editor shares the decision letter. The authors review this feedback and work on revising the manuscript. Here’s short video on what journal decisions mean and the best way forward for authors.

Step 6: Revisions & resubmission 

The feedback from peer reviewers forms the foundation for improving your paper to make it submission ready. Along with the revised manuscript, you need to submit a response letter or a rebuttal letter, wherein each reviewer’s comments should be acknowledged and addressed.  

Step 7: Final decision and publishing 

After resubmission, the editor further evaluates the changes in the manuscript and determines its readiness. It’s completely normal to have multiple rounds of revisions before a research paper is finalized for publication. So, be patient and work on making it journal ready.  

Why Research Paper Publishing Matters? 

Publishing research papers has multiple benefits for authors. Here are our top five picks: 

• Career advancement: Publishing a research paper is sort of a requirement in your early-career stages. It’s a chance for you to establish yourself as an expert in the field and gain recognition, which in turn could lead to new opportunities as you try and build your reputation in the research community. 

• Increased opportunities for collaboration: One of those opportunities is collaboration and networking. Publishing a research paper in a reputable journal gets you recognized in academic circles, helping expand your connections with your peers in the research community. 

• Enhanced credibility and trust: The more research papers you publish, the more the opportunities to build trust and develop a credible academic profile. When your research papers are increasingly cited in reputable journals, it boosts your value as a researcher and encourages others to invest in your work, be it through co-authoring or funding offers. 

• Development of skills: Research publishing process is cumbersome. And the best way to acquire critical skills like writing, performing literature searches, conducting data analyses, and extracting the right insights is to simply do it again and again! Once you find the rhythm, the entire publishing process becomes easy to manage. 

• Contribution to knowledge advancement: Publishing a research paper is a chance for you to set the future directions for research in your field. As a researcher, your aim should be to become an authoritative voice in driving scientific knowledge in the right direction, and paper publishing helps you get there! 

Reference 

1. The Future of Knowledge: AI as a Living Publication and the Evolution of Research Dissemination https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.26653.22244 

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