Publication of research in peer-reviewed journals is the final activity for most research projects: it is our most common public product. Peer reviewed publication is the mechanism by which the scientific community vets its activities and transfers technology. It is also the basis upon which members of the scientific community are judged, indicates to potential funding agencies our ability to complete research projects, and is commonly the single most important indicator of productivity in institutions of higher learning. Simply stated: research that is not published was never completed!
Research may not achieve publication for two reasons: either it is not incomplete, not publishable, or it is publishable but not submitted for publication. Research that is not publishable either was not justifiable, was not conducted in a manner sufficient to achieve critical evaluation by peers, or was not complete. Graduate students should plan and conduct their research activities such that the years they toil on a MS or PhD degree will ultimately result in peer-reviewed publications.
Thesis-option MS students are generally expected to prepare and submit a manuscript of their research results for publication in a refereed professional journal. PhD students are expected to prepare and submit at least two manuscripts of their research results for publication in referred professional journals. Graduate students should obtain assistance from the major professor (and often from Advisory Committee members) in planning, reviewing, revising, and submitting the manuscript. In cases where students do not submit manuscripts within 3 months of graduation, the major professor may choose to write a manuscript for publication based on the thesis or dissertation, and chose to list him/herself as first author on the manuscript. To facilitate publication of graduate student research, at the advisory committee’s discretion, the thesis or dissertation may essentially consist of one or more manuscripts formatted to meet the requirements of The Graduate School.
Normally, a graduate student who prepares a manuscript resulting from his/her thesis research will have senior authorship, with the major professor listed as second author. However, first authorship should lie with the individual who made the greatest intellectual contribution to a particular manuscript. Thus, in cases where the graduate student played a lesser role in the development of the research questions, or in intellectual development of the manuscript as a whole, the major professor may justifiably be listed as first author..
When publishing thesis or dissertation research, in order to be included as an author a person should meet the following criteria (based on the American Medical Association’s Guidelines for Authors):
All authors must have:
- Given final approval of the submitted manuscript.
- Participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for part or all of the content.
- Made substantial contributions to the intellectual content of the paper, as follows:
At least one of the following three:
- Conception and design
- Acquisition of data
- Analysis and interpretation of data
AND
At least one of the following two:
- Drafting of the manuscript
- Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content