Researchers want to publish their dissertation immediately after defending it. Publication in credible journals archived by PubMed is a dream come true for any researcher. Published articles hosted by PubMed act as a measurable standard of your research success. However, being published in a journal immediately after writing a dissertation is not an easy task. Everything from determining what should be published, how many articles can be derived from a dissertation to where it should be published needs careful planning.
Differences Between a Dissertation and a Manuscript
One of the first things to understand is that a dissertation cannot be directly transformed into an article. That’s why it has to be rewritten over and over again. A dissertation is drafted based on academic requirements. It includes chapters that have no limit on the number of words. Authors should present all their results, including raw data, with a full description of the experimental designs, methods, and protocols. However, authors should write their article/manuscript according to the journal guidelines with full observance of style and format. Each section should be concise, and coherent. Moreover, they should only present selectively and fully relevant findings to make the article more effective.
How to Turn a Dissertation into a Manuscript?
1. If your dissertation focuses on diverse research objectives, limit your focus to a single question.
2. Choose the right target journal based on your research topic. Match your goals with the goals and scope of the journal.
3. Pay attention to your writing style. Make sure to review the guidelines provided by the journal, including the proposed structure and style of citation.
4. Journal articles are much shorter (4000-7000 words). Therefore, you should shorten the length of the article and make it more concise. Instead of just cutting and copying pieces from your dissertation, it is always better to rewrite each chapter. While focusing on the main findings that you intend to convey, change the purpose of the selected sections of your dissertation.
5. Use the introduction of your dissertation to write an abstract. Clearly state the purpose of your research, what your research is about, the used research method, the main findings, and a brief statement of whether your goals have been met.
6. In your introduction, the logical reasons and the content of your research should be presented considering the scope of the target journal. Cite recent and important articles that focus directly on the research findings you intend to present. Combine your literature and cite similar research with a common explanation.
7. When writing a research methods section, keep in mind that editors and reviewers do not need all the details for methods that have been used and approved in previously published articles. Keep this section brief and make sure that sufficient explanations are provided for the new methods. This will help you address related concerns about research reproducibility. Try to provide the most relevant information. For example, sampling method, inclusion or exclusion criteria of participants, data analysis methods, etc.
8. Only include the results that are specific to your research problem. In the introduction, only discuss and present findings that are completely relevant to your research objectives. Use tables and figures to show your results more effectively. Incorporate the work of others into your article based on whether they reject or support your findings or claims.
9. Summarize your key findings and any research limitations. Emphasize the meaning of your study in line with the goals of the journal.
10. Cite the more relevant and recent sources in the right format. Reference managers are useful if you want to quickly reformat your resources based on journal guidelines. Be careful of inconsistencies when editing.