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To a student, recent graduate, or novice researcher in the health sciences, the publishing process can appear daunting and overwhelming. However, publishing is an essential skill that every researcher must develop. This guide is meant to serve as a support and entry point into the world of publishing for health sciences research.
Start by reviewing the pre-publishing topics on this page:
Find more details about specific stages by following the steps below. Consider looking into how AI tools can assist you select or submit to a journal, and for additional resources, be sure to check out UML workshops and videos.
The process of publishing work becomes less intimidating to navigate once simplified into a small number of steps:
For every type of researcher, pursuing original research is critical for creating a contribution of significance to existing knowledge in health sciences, and is also key to publication. However, originality is not to be confused with revolutionary; most original research builds on existing work. There are a number of ways that research can be considered original (Edwards, 2014):
1. Undertaking empirical research that has not been done before
2. Undertaking an original synthesis
3. Interpreting existing material through a new perspective
4. Applying something in a local setting that has only been
undertaken abroad
5. Using a particular technique in a novel manner
6. Producing new evidence about an old issue
7. Being cross-disciplinary and using alternative
methodologies
8. Researching unexplored areas in a discipline
9. Providing knowledge in an original way
It is important to have clear communication around authorship before you begin work on your project. Record the responsibilities for each author and discuss the list of authors early in the research process. If new authors join in later stages of research, make sure to discuss authorship with everyone to avoid any surprises.
These discussions should also include consideration for the order in which each author is listed. There is no set rule; some groups will list authors alphabetically while others will decide on an order that works for them; the key is to communicate!
At the University of Manitoba, you must obtain permission before you engage in any research involving humans. According to University policy, "any undertaking in which a university affiliated faculty, staff or student investigates or collects data on human participants for research purposes must be approved by a University of Manitoba Research Ethics Board (REB) prior to implementation. This includes research carried out on university premises or conducted elsewhere" (2024).
Be sure to read the ethics policy to any potential journal you are submitting to, as they may have additional forms or criteria to meet.
Citation justice is the act of citing authors based on their identity to diversify research and raise marginalized voices. Citation justice comes in response to evidence demonstrating that, across disciplines, authors who are women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC), gender diverse, or LGBTQIA+ are cited less often than authors who are white, cis, heterosexual, and male.
This power imbalance not only affects the professional impacts and advancement of marginalized scholars, but it also affects knowledge by limiting the variety of narratives presented in literature (Mott & Cockayne, 2017). If the same group of people is receiving tenure, influence, research grants, etc., then the cycle of marginalization and restricted scholarly discourse only deepens.
Intentionally seeking out diverse authors will give you the opportunity to infuse your own research with new perspectives, while disseminating the work of marginalized authors in your field. Here are some sources to help you start out:
If your source doesn't come from a curated list or database of verified diverse authors, try checking yourself by searching their academic, researcher, online, or social media profiles. If you use citation management software, make a note or use this GoogleSheet for Tracking Citations from the University of Maryland Libraries LibGuide on citation justice.
Consider including a positionality statement in your work. A positionality statement is an act of internal reflection and provides a sense of transparency in your work by informing your reader about your lived experience any potential bias in your work that from your lived experience. This list from the Queen's University webpage on equity, diversity, and inclusivity provides elements that you may want to contemplate:
You only need to supply details if they apply to you, and you are free to include additional elements that are not listed here. Usually a positionality statement appears in the "Methods" section of your work.
For more details on positionality statements and some helpful examples, see this document published by Wiley Online Library.
As a scholar, it is ideal to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of copyright and what rights you have as an author.
When you publish your work in a journal, you can expect to transfer some extent of these rights to the publisher. There are a wide variety of agreements. For instance, if the article is being published as an open access article, some publishers will give the author control over which Creative Commons license they choose, which will impact the permissions needed by users who engage with the article. Some journal publishers may offer less flexibility in copyright license, but generally allow authors to retain a number of rights, such as to be credited as the author, share the article, include the article in your thesis or dissertation, and present the article at a conference. And for other journals, authors may only be required to sign a publishing license.
Creating a data management plan (DMP) is the first step to ensuring proper data-sharing and storage. This is especially important to consider if you have received funding from a Tri-Agency grant, which necessitates adhesion to the Research Data Management Policy.
According to the Digital Research Alliance (Portage Network, 2020), a DMP helps you:
If you are conducting a study, trial, systematic review, or scoping review, it is recommended that you register your protocol.
Edwards, M. (2014). What does originality in research mean? A student’s perspective. Nurse Researcher, 21(6), 8-11.
https://doi.org/10.7748/nr.21.6.8.e1254
Liu, F., Rahwan, T., & AlShebli, B. (2023). Non-white scientists appear on fewer editorial boards, spend more time under review, and
receive fewer citations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(13). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2215324120
Mott, C., & Cockayne, D. (2017). Citation matters: Mobilizing the politics of citation toward a practice of ‘conscientious
engagement’. Gender, Place & Culture, 24(7), 954-973. DOI: 10.1080/0966369X.2017.1339022
Portage Network. (2020, August 25). Primer—Data management plan. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4495631
Rubin, H. (2022). Structural causes of citation gaps. Philosophical Studies, 179(7), 2323–2345. https://doi-org.uml.idm.oclc.
org/10.1007/s11098-021-01765-3
University of Manitoba. (2024). Human ethics at Bannatyne Campus. https://umanitoba.ca/research/opportunities-support/ethics-
compliance/ethics/bannatyne#research-requiring-review