Academic journals are widely regarded as the primary sources of scholarly knowledge, upholding rigorous research standards in publication. However, after all the research is completed, one crucial yet sometimes overlooked aspect of the publication process is the thorough application of journal style guides and the journal’s technical checks. While these things may seem like bureaucratic hurdles, they serve an essential purpose: ensuring clarity, credibility, and reproducibility.
Style Guides
Standardisation and Readability
Estimating the exact number of academic journals worldwide is challenging due to the dynamic nature of academic publishing, with new journals emerging and others ceasing publication regularly. However, based on available data and growth trends, the following helps us understand why style standardisation is essential:
- As of 2020, there were approximately 46,736 active academic journals globally. [1]
- Between 2010 and 2020, the number of academic journals increased by approximately 28.7%, averaging an annual growth rate of 2.56%. [1]
- Applying the average annual growth rate of 2.56% to the 2020 figure, the estimated number of academic journals in 2025 would be approximately 52,900.
These figures are inevitably estimates, and the actual numbers may vary greatly due to changes in publishing practices, the rise of open-access journals, and the impact of global events on academic research and publishing. It’s important to note that while these projections provide a general sense of growth in scholarly publishing, the exact number of active academic journals at any given time is fluid and subject to change.
So, imagine if every journal article had its own way of structuring content, citing sources, or formatting references. Chaos would ensue. As such, this is why style guides like APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), OSCOLA ( Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities), and Chicago Manual of Style exist – to maintain uniformity across publications.
The Impact of Style Consistency
Standardised formatting makes articles easier to read, compare, and navigate. Researchers often scan papers for key information, and a familiar structure helps them locate essential sections like methodology, results, and conclusions without unnecessary cognitive strain.
Interestingly, the APA style was originally developed in 1929 by a group of psychologists frustrated by inconsistent scientific writing [2]. They wanted to streamline the communication of research findings, and their efforts evolved into one of the most widely used citation styles today.
The Citation Bias Effect
A study by Moher et al. (2018) found that papers with correctly formatted references tend to be cited more frequently, as citation errors can reduce trust in the work and make it harder to locate the primary sources [3].
Which Style for Which Field?
Knowing which referencing style guide to use, if it isn’t on the journal’s author guidelines website, can be confusing at times, so we’ve compiled a general list below.
Humanities & Social Sciences
- MLA (Modern Language Association) – Literature, Arts, Humanities.
- APA (American Psychological Association) – Psychology, Social Sciences, Education.
- Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) – History, Philosophy, General Humanities.
- Turabian (A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations) – A simplified version of Chicago, used in various disciplines.
Sciences & Medicine
- AMA (American Medical Association) – Medicine, Health Sciences.
- Vancouver (ICMJE – International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) – Medical and Biomedical Sciences.
- CSE (Council of Science Editors) – Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences.
- ACS (American Chemical Society) – Chemistry.
- IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) – Engineering, Computer Science.
Business & Law
- Bluebook – Legal Studies, Law Journals
- Harvard Referencing Style – Business, Management, Economics
- OSCOLA (Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities) – Law, UK Legal Citations
Mathematics & Technology
- AMS (American Mathematical Society) – Mathematics
- ISO 690 – International Standard for citing sources in Technical and Scientific documents
- ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) – Computer Science
Professionalism and Prestige
A well-formatted research paper signals credibility and professionalism. Journals enforce style consistency to uphold their reputations. Some of the most prestigious journals have notoriously rigorous formatting guidelines, rejecting papers outright if they don’t meet their standards – even before evaluating content.
Technical Checks
Reproducibility and Accuracy
One of the most crucial roles of technical checks is to ensure that research is reproducible. If an experiment cannot be replicated in science, its findings are considered unreliable. Journals enforce strict rules to prevent such issues.
Preventing Sloppy Science
A study by Vines et al. (2014) found that over 50% of datasets in published papers were inaccessible within 20 years, mainly due to poor documentation and formatting errors. For this reason, many journals now require authors to submit raw data alongside their papers to ensure transparency [4].
Technical checks help identify:
- Misreported data (incorrect numbers or statistical errors)
- Formatting inconsistencies in tables, figures, and citations
- Plagiarism or self-plagiarism
- Errors in equations or references
Ethical and Legal Compliance
Academic publishing has strict ethical guidelines to prevent misconduct. Style guides ensure that researchers follow ethical best practices, including proper attribution of sources, conflict of interest disclosures, and authorship rules.
Preventing Plagiarism and Misconduct
Technical checks often flag duplicate content or missing citations. With the rise of AI tools and paraphrasing software, journals have become increasingly vigilant against unethical writing practices. Plagiarism detection tools like Turnitin, iThenticate, and Crossref Similarity Check help catch these issues before publication.
A famous case involved Jon Sudbø, a Norwegian scientist who fabricated data in multiple papers, leading to their retraction in high-impact journals like The Lancet (Horton, 2006) [5]. His deception might have gone unnoticed if not for meticulous editorial scrutiny.
Indexing and Discoverability
Have you ever wondered why some research papers get widely cited while others disappear into obscurity? One reason is indexing – the process by which journals format articles for inclusion in academic databases like PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science.
Proper indexing ensures that research papers are accessible to the global academic community, increasing their chances of being cited and recognised. This process includes:
- Ensuring that metadata fields are correctly filled out
- Adhering to the formatting rules of each database
- Updating metadata as required to reflect changes in the paper’s content or status
Metadata Matters
Metadata, the structured information about the data in academic papers, is pivotal in enhancing the discoverability and citation of research articles. Adequately formatted metadata ensures that research papers are accessible and easily searchable within academic databases, significantly influencing their impact and visibility.
One of the primary functions of metadata is to improve the searchability of academic papers. Structured abstracts, keywords, and citations are crucial elements that journals enforce strictly to optimise search engine performance. For instance:
- Keywords to ensure maximum search engine optimisation (SEO)
- Abstracts to highlight the most relevant findings succinctly
- DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) for permanent linking
Impact on Citation Rates
A study by Jamali and Nikzad (2011) found that papers with well-formatted metadata are cited 28% more often than those with poor indexing. Small formatting details can significantly impact academic visibility [6]. This finding underscores the importance of small formatting details in determining a paper’s academic visibility and impact.
Editorial Practices and Ethical Considerations
Technical checks and meticulous editorial scrutiny play crucial roles in maintaining the integrity of academic publishing. Journals use plagiarism detection tools like Turnitin, iThenticate, and Crossref Similarity Check to catch issues of duplicate content or missing citations before publication.
Article Structure
The importance and relevance of understanding the standard structure used in academic journals cannot be overstated. These structures serve as a blueprint for researchers, guiding them in organising their thoughts and presenting their findings coherently and systematically. By adhering to the standard structure, scholars can effectively communicate their research, ensuring their work is comprehensible and accessible to peer reviewers and the global academic community. Observing the prevailing structure is crucial for gaining recognition and citations, which are indicators of the impact and quality of the research.
Moreover, the standard structure helps maintain consistency and uniformity across publications, facilitating easier indexing and discoverability. When articles follow a recognisable format, databases like PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science can more efficiently catalogue and categorise them, enhancing the visibility and reach of the research. In turn, this increases the likelihood of the work being referenced and cited by other researchers, further contributing to the academic discourse and advancing knowledge within the field.
Understanding and utilising these structures is also essential for academic credibility. Well-structured articles reflect meticulous diligence and adherence to scholarly conventions, bolstering the professional appearance and reliability of the research. This is especially pertinent given the competitive nature of academic publishing, where the presentation quality can significantly influence the perceived value and acceptance of the work.
Humanities & Social Sciences
Standard Structure:
- Title
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Main Argument/Discussion
- Conclusion
- References
Sciences & Medicine
Standard Structure:
- Title
- Abstract
- Introduction Methods (or Materials and Methods)
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- References
- Supplementary Data (if applicable)
Engineering & Technology
Standard Structure:
- Title
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Problem Statement/Background
- Methods and Materials
- Results & Analysis
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- References
Business, Economics, & Law
Standard Structure:
- Title
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Literature
- Review
- Methodology (Quantitative or Qualitative Analysis)
- Results & Discussion
- Conclusion
- References
Mathematics & Theoretical Sciences
Standard Structure:
- Title
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Definitions & Theorems
- Proofs & Derivations
- Results & Implications
- Conclusion
- References
Each genre has slight variations, but the IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) format is the most frequently used in scientific and technical fields.
Final thought…
While formatting and technical checks may seem monotonous, they play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity, clarity, and credibility of academic publishing. They ensure that research is readable, reproducible, ethically sound, and discoverable. So, the next time you prepare a manuscript, remember – those seemingly small formatting details can determine whether your research reaches the global stage or gets lost in the submission pile. And if you find them too tedious, we have a team that gets a bit geeky about these things and can do them for you.
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PA EDitorial provides a specialised copyediting service tailored for scholarly papers, ensuring that manuscripts meet the stringent requirements of academic journals before being submitted for peer review.
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PA EDitorial helps eliminate linguistic barriers, enhancing the overall readability and professionalism of the manuscript. Our meticulous attention to grammar, style, and formatting ensures that the paper adheres to the specific guidelines of the target journal, thereby increasing the likelihood of acceptance and facilitating a smoother review process.
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Sources
[1] https://wordsrated.com/number-of-academic-papers-published-per-year
[3] Moher, D., et al. (2018). Reproducibility issues in research. PLOS Biology, 16(9), e2005203
[4] Vines, T. H., et al. (2014). The availability of research data declines rapidly with article age. Current Biology, 24(1), 94-97.
[5] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1352077/
[6] Jamali, H. R., & Nikzad, M. (2011). Article title type and its relation with number of downloads and citations. Scientometrics, 88(2), 653–661.