How to Prepare Your Paper for Submission
 

It All Starts with a Clear and Relevant Idea and Intriguing, Exciting Findings

The backbone of any good scientific manuscript, whether considered to be a Research Article, High Priority Research Communication, Research Report, or Brevia, is a clearly defined and relevant concept combined with interesting and meaningful results.

Start with a well-defined hypothesis or research question that addresses a gap in the current understanding of your field. It should spark curiosity and drive your study forward. Your findings should answer this question and stimulate further exploration, leading to more extensive investigations. Discuss your results within the broader context of your field to highlight their significance, attracting interest and setting the stage for future research. Within our journals, Genomic Press publishes many different forms of "thought" type categories, each with their own submission requirements and focus. These various thought categories capture the full breadth of scientific discussion and discovery. Please see below for a complete list of our thought types, complete with submission guidelines; alternatively, visit our full Author Instructions page.

The sections in our journal include but are not limited to: Thought Leaders Invited Reviews, Systematic Reviews, Perspectives, Emerging Topics, Bench to Bedside, Viewpoints, Insights, Hypotheses, Commentaries, News & Views, Innovators & Ideas, Meeting Reports, Correspondence (including Replies), Book Reviews, and Obituaries. Each of these categories plays a unique role in fostering scientific communication and advancing the field.

Carefully Choose the Size, Format, Style, and Research Manuscript Type

Choosing the correct manuscript format for your research is essential to guarantee that your findings are communicated precisely and thoroughly. Genomic Press provides four unique formats for research manuscripts to facilitate this process. 

For extended research projects in which even the details have significance, a Research Article provides a platform for the complete narrative. Word counts are liberal, allowing you to fully discuss your research, including all the components of your scientific journey (up to 8,000 words, 8 display items (tables/figures), and 200 references).

We introduce a new article category, High Priority Research Communications (HPRCs): Abstract maximum of 250 words, body of the paper (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion) under 6,000 words, no more than 6 display items (tables/figures), and a maximum of 150 references. HPRCs disseminate seminal, groundbreaking research characterized by extraordinary innovation and far-reaching implications.

Articles in this category are intended for fast-tracking and represent significant breakthroughs that dramatically challenge prevailing dogmas. For this category, the mode of operation is speedy but intensively peer-reviewed, while its program is decidedly oriented toward fast-track publication.

If your research offers a compelling set of observations but does not tell a complete story, consider submitting a Research Report. Reports can be up to 3,500 words long, include an abstract, 4 display items (figures or tables), and reference up to 100 other works. This format allows authors to share their noteworthy findings swiftly, driving the scientific discourse forward.

Brevia are the perfect format for you if you have undertaken a short but meaningful study. Brevia are capped at 800 words with a small, non-structured abstract of no more than one paragraph. They can contain one display item (table or figure) and up to 8 references. Materials and methods should be included in Supporting Online Material (up to 500 words, one figure/table, and 8 additional references). 

Whichever format you choose, comply with the word count, display items, and reference guidelines to ensure your manuscript can be processed smoothly and efficiently.

Ensure Clarity and Relevance

Whether the manuscript is a Research Article, HPRC, Research Report, or Brevia, the research should be presented transparently and clearly, in a relevant fashion. Whenever possible, writing should be lucid and concise, avoiding an excessively technical tone; the argument should also follow from a logical framework. This means that your research needs to be placed within the current scientific debate in your field, for the reader to understand the relevance of this research.

Give emphasis to the novelty and significance of your findings and indicate what constitutes their contribution in particular. Of utmost importance, provide sufficient background so your readers understand how your research fits into the broader context of your discipline.

If relevant, discuss how your study represents an advance in knowledge or the opening of new areas of investigation. State the implications of your study, theoretical and/or practical, highlighting the larger relevance of your work to the scientific community and society.

The reason is that, by carefully crafting your manuscript with attention to detail and establishing a compelling narrative, you will ensure it stands out from the tidal wave of submissions and makes an impact on both the reviewers and the readers.

Submit directly to our submission websites

Brain Medicine: From Neurons to Behavior and Better Health. To submit a paper, go to the Brain Medicine submission website. 

Genomic Psychiatry: Advancing Science from Genes to Society. To submit a paper, go to the Genomic Psychiatry submission website.

Psychedelics: The Journal of Psychedelic Pharmacology. To submit a paper, go to the Psychedelics submission website.