What will you do when you are done with your PhD thesis? Are you afraid to report your ambiguous research findings?
Doctoral students spend years investigating a problem. The problem seems insignificant to public, but only the real field scientists realise how the issue threatens society’s culture and environment. So, do not underestimate the value of your research and public your findings with confidence.
So, if you have finally made up your mind to publish your PhD thesis in a peer-reviewed journal, this guide will help you convert your thesis into a journal article.
Steps To Turn A Phd Thesis Into A Journal Article:
The important practice in academic writing is to maintain the originality of the work. So, whatever writing you are up to, whether a thesis or journal article, you must avoid plagiarism at all costs. So, first, deal with the similarity issue and then devise a strategy to turn a thesis into a manuscript. Here are some ways you can do it:
Reduce The Length:
As we are all aware of the basic structure of PhD thesis, the same format is also utilised for a research article. But what makes them distinguishable? Yes, the length of content. Let’s revise the outline of a research article and see how you can reduce the length according to the section.
Abstract
This section of a manuscript consists of a summary of the topic, and the length is about 250-300 words, depending on the journal’s requirements. Keep the following things in mind while writing the abstract.
- Background of the topic.
- Hypothesis or problem statement.
- A concise description of the methodology.
- Highlight findings in a few lines.
- State future applications at last.
Introduction
The second section of a research paper comprises not more than 1.5 pages. Technically tackle this section by combining both the introduction and literature review of your PhD thesis. Elaborate the background of the topic, explain the gap identified through the literature, and briefly discuss why and how you will conduct the study.
Methodology
It may be the easiest section but avoid unnecessary explanations that increase complexities in the journal. Consider the following points to write this section:
- Discuss your sample collection strategy.
- Highlight the techniques/instrument/software.
- Add parameters and define the research type; is it qualitative or quantitative?
Results
The result section of the paper is also short and is written in parallel with a methodology to clearly explain the outcomes. Exclude redundant and irrelevant images that are not essential for the interpretation. Remember to make supplementary files to adjust additional images and showcase the worthiness of your research.
Discussion
Add the following points in the article to make it more meaningful:
- Briefly explain the results.
- Critical analysis of the outcome in corroboration with the hypothesis.
- Limitations and future recommendations of the findings.
Conclusion
This section of the PhD thesis is also short, but if you have written it into a lengthy paragraph, consider trimming it. Cut down excessive information and make it into a single paragraph only.
Create A Rough Draft For The Article:
Is it your first time publishing your article? The primary issue research students face these days is how they can cut down data from their thesis. Early career research students believe that every argument, claim, and data should be added to the research article that makes them unique, significant, and impressive. Creating a rough draft of the article in discussion with your colleagues and seniors is better. A research paper’s outline will help you add your content according to it. Various PhD thesis help services are available that can assist you in every possible way of writing a good and flawless journal article that guarantees to be publishable in peer-reviewed journals.
Select Relevant Journal:
Once you have created a rough draft of the journal article, decide the journal that is relevant to your title. Every journal has a long list of requirements. See the following general features that every journal has in common:
- The panel of reviewers/audience.
- Word count and page number limit.
- Recommended referencing style.
- Format of the manuscript (the format is the same, but the layout of headings can vary).
- Impact factor of a journal.
- Resolution requirement of images.
Decide The Author’s List:
If you intend to publish your PhD thesis in a journal, it is better to decide on the authorship list before submission to avoid conflicts among the contributors. Research is truly yours if you are the paper’s first author. Communicate with your advisor and decide the author’s list of the manuscript.
Enhance The Quality Of Images:
Graphical abstract matters a lot in the journal article, which precisely elaborates the phenomenon and main findings of your research. Attaching a bad-quality image in the article could be the biggest reason for the journal’s rejection. It is better to enhance the quality of images by increasing their resolution up to 300 dpi so that the text and diagrams of the image can be easily readable on the zooming.
Cut Down References:
References are important in academic writing. Innumerable references are added in a PhD thesis to justify every claim and argument. That also makes the content authentic. However, the references list of a research article is shorter and in less number. Add only relevant and suitable citations in the article that back up your material. Take help from software (Mendeley or Endnote) to manage your references.
Proofread Before Submission:
Reputable journals are handled by a team of qualified, expert, and professional reviewers. These reviewers can be terrifying for a newbie researcher. It is better to proofread and edit your manuscript by hiring a dissertation proofreading service. Omit any mistakes immediately to make them perfect. Submit into the journal and wait for their feedback. They will probably ask you to revise your article again. So, do not get upset and respond to them positively. Who knows, after revision, reviewers quickly accept your research article.
Conclusion:
The publication is not a matter of luck but a stair of hard work and consistency. Whether you are a master’s student or a doctoral student, the wish to turn a PhD thesis into a journal article is the same for everybody. Therefore, do not waste this opportunity to become renowned in the scientific world.
