Think publishing a journal is difficult? Discover this beginner-friendly guide to writing and publishing your first scientific paper—from topic selection to journal submission.
Who Says Publishing a Journal Is Hard? Here’s an Easy Guide for Beginners
Publishing a scientific journal is often seen as a complicated and exhausting process. But who says publishing a journal is hard?
The truth is, if you understand the flow and prepare yourself well, publishing a paper can be a fun and insightful journey.
Especially if you’re a beginner just stepping into the world of academic writing, this article will give you a complete and practical guide that’s easy to follow and apply.
1. Start with Clear Intentions and Choose a Relevant Topic
The first step before you start writing is setting your intention and motivation. Why do you want to publish a journal? Is it for academic purposes, graduation requirements, or simply to share knowledge?
Once you’re clear on that, choose a topic you’re interested in or familiar with. Make sure it’s relevant to your field of study and contributes something new to the field.
For example, if you’re majoring in Communications, you could write about digital communication strategies in the social media era or rhetorical analysis of public speeches.
2. Conduct a Literature Review
The next step is to do a thorough literature review.
Search for journals, books, or academic papers that discuss similar topics. This will help you ensure your research offers something new and doesn’t just repeat existing studies.
Use sources like Google Scholar, ResearchGate, or your university’s library database.
Be sure to take notes and save all sources—you’ll need them for your bibliography later.
3. Define Clear Research Objectives and Questions
After gathering enough background information, define your research objectives and formulate clear research questions.
Your objective should be specific, measurable, and achievable within your chosen method.
For instance:
The objective of this research is to analyze the effectiveness of brand X’s Instagram campaign during the 2024 election season.
A focused research question helps keep your writing organized and purposeful.
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4. Choose the Right Research Methodology
The method you choose will determine the validity of your research results.
Do you want to use qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods? Make sure it aligns with your research objectives and the type of data available.
If you’re a beginner, you might want to start with literature reviews or discourse analysis, which don’t require primary data collection.
5. Write According to the Scientific Structure
A journal article usually follows this structure:
- Title
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Methodology
- Results and Discussion
- Conclusion and Recommendations
- References
Each section should be clear and concise. Avoid overly long or informal sentences.
Use academic language that’s direct yet easy to understand.
6. Revise and Check for Plagiarism
Before submitting, make sure to revise your paper thoroughly.
Read it multiple times, and if possible, ask a friend, lecturer, or professional editor to review it for grammar and logic flow.
Most importantly, check for plagiarism using tools like Turnitin, Grammarly, or Plagiarism Checker.
Journals usually reject articles with more than 25% similarity.
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7. Choose the Right Journal
When your paper is ready, it’s time to find a suitable journal.
Look for national accredited journals (Sinta) or reputable international ones (Scopus or DOAJ). Make sure your topic fits the journal’s scope and focus.
Don’t rush this step. The right journal will give your work better exposure and a higher chance of acceptance.
8. Follow the Journal’s Guidelines and Template
Every journal has its own style guide and submission template.
Read the author guidelines carefully. These usually cover formatting, font size, citation styles, and layout.
Following the journal’s template can prevent automatic rejections due to technicalities.
9. Submit and Be Patient for Peer Review
Most journals use an online submission system like OJS (Open Journal System). Fill in all required details and upload your manuscript properly.
Once submitted, be patient. The peer-review process may take one to three months, depending on the journal.
While waiting, consider starting a new paper or preparing for revisions.
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10. Revise Based on Reviewer Feedback
If the reviewers ask for revisions, don’t take it personally.
Reviewer comments are meant to improve the quality of your paper. Respond clearly and revise your manuscript according to their suggestions.
Once revised, resubmit your paper and wait for the final decision.
At this point, you’re already one step away from getting published!
Still Confused? Don’t Worry—There’s an Event Just for You!
If you’re still unsure or want to learn more about how to write and publish scientific papers or essays, we’ve got good news!
Youth Break the Boundaries (YBB) will soon hold a special event through their program Youth Academic Forum (YAF), focusing on practical tips and tricks for academic writing.
So if you’re looking to publish your first journal, this is the perfect opportunity to level up your skills.
Stay tuned for more updates and don’t miss out!
