PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS EDITORIAL POLICIES and PRACTICES (Revised July 2005) Mission of the Journal

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS EDITORIAL POLICIES and PRACTICES (Revised July 2005) Mission of the Journal PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS EDITORIAL POLICIES AND PRACTICES (Revised July 2005) Mission of the Journal Physical Review Letters, published by the American Physical Society, is charged with providing rapid publication of short reports of important fundamental research in all fields of physics. The journal should provide its diverse readership with coverage of major advances in all aspects of physics and of developments with significant consequences across subdisciplines. Letters should therefore be of broad interest. Acceptance Criteria Physical Review Letters publishes Letters of not more than four of a specific Letter. The opening paragraph should clearly in- journal pages and Comments of not more than one journal page. dicate both the Letter to which the Comment is directed and A Letter must meet specific standards for substance and presen- the criticism. Any submitted Comment or Reply must be cast tation, as judged by rigorous refereeing and editorial review. in a collegial tone, free of polemics. The editors will not ac- cept a Comment on a Letter by any of the authors of the Letter; Substance: The paper must satisfy criteria of validity, impor- the Comment format is not a vehicle for addenda. Neither are tance, and broad interest. The work must be sound, free of de- Comments intended as a means to establish priorities or to rec- tectable error, and presented in reasonable detail. The results tify bibliographic oversights. Papers which clarify or expand must be new and not simply a marginal extension of previously on a Letter without criticism or correction, or which present a published work. Papers of broad interest are those that report general discussion of the topic, are also unsuitable. A correc- a substantial advance in a field of physics or have significant tive Comment will be deemed unnecessary if an Erratum would implications across subfield boundaries. In summary, Physi- suffice. Comments and Replies are subject to the refereeing cal Review Letters publishes papers that keep broadly interested process, and acceptance of a Comment does not guarantee pub- physicists well informed on vital current research. lication of an author's Reply. Papers advancing new theoretical views on fundamental princi- Letters, Comments, and Replies must provide proper citations ples or theories must contain convincing arguments that the new to pertinent earlier work and credit significant contributions by predictions and interpretations are distinguishable from existing nonauthors. Submission to Physical Review Letters is a repre- knowledge, at least in principle, and do not contradict estab- sentation that the paper is not under consideration for publica- lished experimental results. Mathematical and computational tion elsewhere. papers that do not have application to physics are generally not suitable for Physical Review Letters. When a manuscript has several authors, one of them, the cor- Papers that describe proposed experiments fall into a special responding author, should be designated to receive and respond category. For such papers to be acceptable, the experiments to correspondence from the editors. This designation can be must be demonstrated to be novel and feasible. It is the authors' changed upon notification of the editors. It is the responsibil- responsibility to show that their proposal is likely to stimulate ity of the corresponding author to represent all those involved research that might not otherwise be undertaken. with the work reported and to ensure that the content of the manuscript and the list of authors meet with their approval, both Presentation: The diversity of the readership of Physical Re- initially and through any subsequent changes. view Letters places special demands on style. Each article must begin with one or more introductory paragraphs that state, in Authors may not present data and other results obtained by oth- language understandable to the journal's broad readership, the ers as if they were their own. Nor may authors incorporate with- issues it addresses and its primary achievements. out attribution text from the works of another author, even when Each paper should present as complete a discussion as possi- summarizing past results or background material. If a direct ble within the constraints of a short communication. When ap- quotation is appropriate, the quotation should be clearly indi- propriate, a Letter should be followed by a more extensive re- cated as such and the original source should be properly cited. port elsewhere. Papers must be clearly written, with symbols Papers that have been found to be in violation of this rule will defined, figures well drawn, and tables and figures thoroughly be rejected. In such cases, resubmission of the manuscript, even captioned. with the plagiarized text removed, is not ordinarily allowed. However, the Editors may allow exceptions to this policy if war- A comment must correct or criticize an important, central aspect ranted by special circumstances. i Importance of Introductory Paragraphs Physical Review Letters is unique in its commitment to keep sential that these paragraphs be clearly written and comprehen- broadly interested readers well informed on vital current re- sible to nonexperts. To assure compliance, the referees are in- search in all fields of physics. This is achieved with in- structed to pay particular attention to the introductory section. troductory paragraphs that state, for each article, the is- In addition, the editors will make an independent evaluation of sues addressed and the primary achievements. It is es- the adequacy and clarity of the introduction. Submittal of Manuscripts Authors are advised to familiarize themselves with journal crite- should be prepared in one of the acceptable formats; REVTEX ria and standards before preparing a manuscript for submission. (preferred), LATEX, Harvmac, plain TeX, MS Word; PostScript In particular, consultation of the journal's Advice to Referees figures. If the paper is accepted for publication, the file may be and Manuscript Referral form is likely to be of assistance. In converted to XML and used to produce the text of the journal. most cases, the manuscript itself, particularly its introduction, Manuscripts and figures are not routinely returned to authors should make clear why the paper might meet the journal's spe- cial criteria of importance and broad interest; however, in some with correspondence. Authors may request return of the manuscript and/or figures. For any resubmission, please state cases it may be helpful for authors to supplement this with a note directed at the editors and included with the initial submis- whether or not the figures have been modified, and supply new sion. photoreproducible journal-quality figures if there have been such changes. Manuscripts may be submitted by conventional mail or by elec- tronic channels. Submission of manuscripts by facsimile (fax) The Author Status Inquiry System (ASIS) provides informa- is not appropriate; in general, manuscript copies or replacement tion to authors regarding the status of their manuscripts via the World Wide Web at the URL pages from our fax machines are not suitable for use in the com- http://authors.aps. position process. org/STATUS/. Telephone inquiries regarding status are dis- couraged, since the interruption of normal office procedures can A conventional paper manuscript must be double spaced to al- cause delays. In those cases when clarification of the informa- low space for copyediting in the event of publication, of reason- tion from the ASIS is needed, send an electronic-mail message able type size to allow fast yet accurate viewing by keyboarders, to [email protected] (with subject line, for example, Status LM1234 and submitted in quadruplicate with good quality figures. See Jones). “Information for Contributors” at http://prl.aps.org/ Supplementary material associated with an article (e.g., data ta- info/infoL.html or at the beginning of the volume for bles, color image files, multimedia files) may be submitted elec- more details. tronically for joint review. If the article is published this mate- For information about submission via e-print servers or di- rial will be deposited in the electronic Physics Auxiliary Pub- rect Web upload, consult the Web URL http://authors. lication Service (EPAPS) of the American Institute of Physics. aps.org/ESUB/. Electronic-mail submissions should be Information about EPAPS is available via the Authors subpage sent to the Internet address [email protected]. The computer file of prl.aps.org, in the Manuscript Preparation section. Editorial Procedures The following descriptions of ordinary editorial practices are referees for the paper. (The editors divide responsibility among not meant as an exposition of rigid rules - there are few rigid themselves for the different areas of physics.) If the paper is rules - but as an outline of usual practices, presented with the estimated to exceed 4 printed pages by more than 12% (an in- view that some understanding of these procedures may help au- dication that necessary revisions might seriously alter the con- thors and referees deal with the editors. tent), the paper is not sent for review, and a length estimate is sent to the authors. The authors may make suitable changes and resubmit the manuscript. Manuscripts which are too long by Upon receipt of a manuscript, the staff makes an estimate of less than 12% are sent for review, but the authors are advised the length required for publication. If the length is not ex- that a shorter version will be required if the paper is accepted cessive, the paper is given to the appropriate editor who chooses for publication. ii Letters.— Usually the editors send papers to referees, selected the editors attempt to avoid such conflicts in their choice of ref- as representatives of the informed readership which the paper erees, they cannot always be aware of such problems. An au- addresses, for their counsel. Most papers are initially sent to two thor who believes that conflicts are possible may submit a list referees (sometimes one or three).
Recommended publications
  • Physical Review Journals Catalog 2021
    2021 PHYSICAL REVIEW JOURNALS CATALOG PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Physical Review Journals 2021 1 © 2020 American Physical Society 2 Physical Review Journals 2021 Table of Contents Founded in 1899, the American Physical Society (APS) strives to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics. In support of this objective, APS publishes primary research and review journals, five of which are open access. Physical Review Letters..............................................................................................................2 Physical Review X .......................................................................................................................3 PRX Quantum .............................................................................................................................4 Reviews of Modern Physics ......................................................................................................5 Physical Review A .......................................................................................................................6 Physical Review B ......................................................................................................................7 Physical Review C.......................................................................................................................8 Physical Review D ......................................................................................................................9 Physical Review E ...................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Citation Statistics from 110 Years of Physical Review
    Citation Statistics from 110 Years of Physical Review Publicly available data reveal long-term systematic features about citation statistics and how papers are referenced. The data also tell fascinating citation histories of individual articles. Sidney Redner he first article published in the Physical Review was Treceived in 1893; the journal’s first volume included 6 issues and 24 articles. In the 20th century, the Phys- ical Review branched into topical sections and spawned new journals (see figure 1). Today, all arti- cles in the Physical Review family of journals (PR) are available online and, as a useful byproduct, all cita- tions in PR articles are electronically available. The citation data provide a treasure trove of quantitative information. As individuals who write sci- entific papers, most of us are keenly interested in how often our own work is cited. As dispassionate observers, we Figure 1. The Physical Review can use the citation data to identify influential research, was the first member of a family new trends in research, unanticipated connections across of journals that now includes two series of Physical fields, and downturns in subfields that are exhausted. A Review, the topical journals Physical Review A–E, certain pleasure can also be gleaned from the data when Physical Review Letters (PRL), Reviews of Modern Physics, they reveal the idiosyncratic features in the citation his- and Physical Review Special Topics: Accelerators and tories of individual articles. Beams. The first issue of Physical Review bears a publica- The investigation of citation statistics has a long his- tion date a year later than the receipt of its first article.
    [Show full text]
  • Writing Physics Papers
    Physics 2151W Lab Manual | Page 45 WID Handbook for Intermediate Laboratory - Physics 2151W Writing Physics Papers Dr. Igor Strakovsky Department of Physics, GWU Publish or Perish - Presentation of Scientific Results Intermediate Laboratory – Physics 2151W is focused on significantly improving the students' writing skills with respect to producing scientific papers, to do peer reviews, and presentations at the Physics Department Mini-Workshop. Third Edition, 2013 Physics 2151W Lab Manual | Page 46 OUTLINE Why are we Writing Papers? What Physics Journals are there? Structure of a Physics Article. Style of Technical Papers. Hints for Effective Writing. Submit and Fight. Why are We Writing Papers? To communicate our original, interesting, and useful research. To let others know what we are working on (and that we are working at all.) To organize our thoughts. To formulate our research in a comprehensible way. To secure further funding. To further our careers. To make our publication lists look more impressive. To make our Citation Index very impressive. To have fun? Because we believe someone is going to read it!!! Physics 2151W Lab Manual | Page 47 What Physics Journals are there? Hard Science Journals Physical Review Series: Physical Review A Physical Review E http://pra.aps.org/ http://pre.aps.org/ Atomic, Molecular, and Optical physics. Stat, Non-Linear, & Soft Material Phys. Physical Review B Physical Review Letters http://prb.aps.org/ http://prl.aps.org/ Condensed matter and Materials physics. Moving physics forward. Physical Review C Review of Modern Physics http://prc.aps.org/ http://rmp.aps.org/ Nuclear physics. Reviews in all areas. Physical Review D http://prd.aps.org/ Particles, Fields, Gravitation, and Cosmology.
    [Show full text]
  • An Entangling Quantum-Logic Gate Operated with an Ultrabright Single Photon-Source
    An entangling quantum-logic gate operated with an ultrabright single photon-source O. Gazzano1, M. P. Almeida2;3, A. K. Nowak 1, S. L. Portalupi1, A. Lema^ıtre1, I. Sagnes1, A. G. White2;3 and P. Senellart1 1Laboratoire de Photonique et de Nanostructures, CNRS, UPR20, Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis, France 2Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems & 3Centre for Quantum Computer and Communication Technology, School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia We demonstrate unambiguous entangling operation of a photonic quantum-logic gate driven by an ultrabright solid-state single-photon source. Indistinguishable single photons emitted by a single semiconductor quantum dot in a micropillar optical cavity are used as target and control qubits. For a source brightness of 0.56 collected photons-per-pulse, the measured truth table has an overlap with the ideal case of 68:4±0:5%, increasing to 73:0±0:6% for a source brightness of 0.17 photons- per-pulse. The gate is entangling: at a source brightness of 0.48, the Bell-state fidelity is above the entangling threshold of 50%, and reaches 71:0±3:6% for a source brightness of 0.15. The heart of quantum information processing is en- measured [24]; and in bulk polarisation-optics [25], where tangling separate qubits using multi-qubit gates: the the gate process fidelity was bounded by measurements in canonical entangling gate is the controlled-not (cnot) two orthogonal bases [26]. These are necessary, but not gate, which flips the state of a target qubit depending sufficient measurements for unambiguously establishing on the state of the control.
    [Show full text]
  • PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS EDITORIAL POLICIES and PRACTICES (Revised January 2006)
    PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS EDITORIAL POLICIES AND PRACTICES (Revised January 2006) Mission of the Journal Physical Review Letters, published by the American Physical Society, is charged with providing rapid publication of short reports of important fundamental research in all fields of physics. The journal should provide its diverse readership with coverage of major advances in all aspects of physics and of developments with significant consequences across subdisciplines. Letters should therefore be of broad interest. Acceptance Criteria Physical Review Letters publishes Letters of not more than four Each paper should present as complete a discussion as possi- journal pages and Comments of not more than one journal page. ble within the constraints of a short communication. When ap- Both must meet specific standards for substance and presenta- propriate, a Letter should be followed by a more extensive re- tion, as judged by rigorous refereeing and editorial review. The port elsewhere. Papers must be clearly written, with symbols Physical Review and Physical Review Letters publish new re- defined, figures well drawn, and tables and figures thoroughly sults. Thus, prior publication of the same results will generally captioned. preclude consideration of a later paper. “Publication” in this Comments.— A comment must correct or criticize an impor- context most commonly means “appearance in a peer-reviewed journal.” In some areas of physics, however, e-prints are thought tant, central aspect of a specific Letter. The opening paragraph should clearly indicate both the Letter to which the Comment to be “published” in this sense. In general, though, any publi- cation of equivalent results after a paper is submitted will not is directed and the criticism.
    [Show full text]
  • RMP Style Manual
    Reviews of Modern Physics Style Guide Contents D. Use of the colon 15 E. Use of the apostrophe 15 I. Introduction 3 F. Use of exclamation points and italics 16 A. Note on LATEX 3 B. Note on REVTEX 3 XIV. Abbreviations and Acronyms 16 II. Preliminary Matter 3 XV. Units 16 A. Document header 3 B. Begin Document 4 XVI. Mathematical Material 17 C. Title 4 A. Characters 17 D. Author(s) and Affiliation(s) 4 1. Character fonts 17 E. Abstract 4 2. Diacritical signs 17 F. \maketitle 4 3. Subscripts and superscripts 17 G. Table of Contents 4 B. Abbreviations in math 18 1. Abbreviations designating mathematical III. Section Headings 5 functions 18 A. First subheading 5 2. Abbreviations in subscripts and superscripts 18 1. Second subheading 5 C. Mathematical expressions 18 1. When to display 18 IV. Numbering of Figures, Tables, and Equations 5 2. Punctuation 19 A. Figure numbering 5 3. Equation breaking (multilinear equations) 19 B. Table numbering 5 4. Equation numbering, special situations 19 C. Equation numbering 6 D. Bracketing 19 1. Grouping sequence 19 V. Acknowledgments 6 2. Specific bracket notation 19 VI. Lists of symbols and/or acronyms 6 3. Specialized bracket notation 20 E. Additional style guidelines 20 VII. Appendices 6 1. Placement of limits and indices 20 2. Fractions 20 VIII. Supplemental Material not in Appendices 7 3. Multiplication signs 20 4. Mathematical terms 20 IX. Style of References 7 5. Radical signs and overbars 20 A. Citations in the text 7 B. Citations in footnotes 7 XVII. The Production File 21 C.
    [Show full text]
  • PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS Dynamics of Antimatter-Atom
    VOLUME 61, NUMBER 3 PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 18 JULY 1988 Dynamics of Antimatter-Atom Collisions R. E. Olson and T. J. Gay Laboratory for Atomic and Molecular Research, and Physics Department, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Missouri 65401 (Received IO December 1987) Classical-trajectory Monte Carlo calculations have been used to study ionizing collisions between charged particles (p,p,e + ,e - ) and He atoms at an incident velocity of 2.83 a.u. While differences in the total single-ionization cross sections for these projectiles are small, our calculations reveal large effects at all angles in the ionized electron spectra, and provide qualitative evidence for a Barkas effect in p and p collisions. Experimental data agree well with our fully classical calculations, including cross sec­ tions involving ejected electrons of long wavelength. PACS numbers: 34.50.Fa, 34.80.Dp, 36.10.Dr The process of electron emission resulting from ioniza­ ( where x - p,p,e + ,e - ) which should be experimentally tion of atoms by fast, charged particles is ubiquitous. An observable. understanding of the dynamics of electron ejection is a Our classical-trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) calcu­ prerequisite for accurate descriptions of plasmas, ion­ lations employ a complete classical description of the surface collisions, and the stopping of ions in solids. scattering process. They are based on the numerical While modeling of a given physical process may require solution of Hamilton's equations of motion for a three­ only the knowledge of total ionization cross sections, dimensional, three-body system. 11 Unlike Born approxi­ more often additional detailed information is needed, mation techniques, 9 which in essence consider only the such as cross sections for electron ejection which are electron-target or electron-projectile interaction, the singly or even doubly differential in the energy and/or CTMC method essentially provides an infinite basis set angle of ejection.
    [Show full text]
  • Style and Notation Guide
    Physical Review Style and Notation Guide Instructions for correct notation and style in preparation of REVTEX compuscripts and conventional manuscripts Published by The American Physical Society First Edition July 1983 Revised February 1993 Compiled and edited by Minor Revision June 2005 Anne Waldron, Peggy Judd, and Valerie Miller Minor Revision June 2011 Copyright 1993, by The American Physical Society Permission is granted to quote from this journal with the customary acknowledgment of the source. To reprint a figure, table or other excerpt requires, in addition, the consent of one of the original authors and notification of APS. No copying fee is required when copies of articles are made for educational or research purposes by individuals or libraries (including those at government and industrial institutions). Republication or reproduction for sale of articles or abstracts in this journal is permitted only under license from APS; in addition, APS may require that permission also be obtained from one of the authors. Address inquiries to the APS Administrative Editor (Editorial Office, 1 Research Rd., Box 1000, Ridge, NY 11961). Physical Review Style and Notation Guide Anne Waldron, Peggy Judd, and Valerie Miller (Received: ) Contents I. INTRODUCTION 2 II. STYLE INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARTS OF A MANUSCRIPT 2 A. Title ..................................................... 2 B. Author(s) name(s) . 2 C. Author(s) affiliation(s) . 2 D. Receipt date . 2 E. Abstract . 2 F. Physics and Astronomy Classification Scheme (PACS) indexing codes . 2 G. Main body of the paper|sequential organization . 2 1. Types of headings and section-head numbers . 3 2. Reference, figure, and table numbering . 3 3.
    [Show full text]
  • PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS INFORMATION for CONTRIBUTORS (Revised July 2007)
    PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS (Revised July 2007) This journal, and more detailed information about it, can or scheduled for publication, including conference proceedings. be found on the World Wide Web at the URL http:// See “Prior Disclosure,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 52, 2101 (1984). prl.aps.org/. Prospective authors are particularly ad- vised to consult the information accessible via the Authors and Properly prepared electronic submissions that can be used di- Manuscript Submission subpages. Those looking for a spe- rectly in the APS electronic editorial process are eligible for cific known file may find it more convenient to consult the a publication-charge discount. Those submissions that fol- alphabetical listing available on the Author Forms subpage at low closely the APS REVTeX and Word formatting guide- http://forms.aps.org/author.html. Some useful lines may qualify for the compuscript production program, un- forms and memos regarding manuscript preparation and sub- der which author-supplied files are converted directly to pro- mission appear at the end of some issues of the journal. duction format and markup, rather than being rekeyed. For Manuscripts may be submitted by a variety of electronic modes detailed information about electronic submissions, please see (including via e-print servers, direct Web upload, and email), or http://authors.aps.org/ESUB/. by conventional mail, but not by fax. Web or e-print submis- sion is strongly preferred. Interactive submission forms are an Manuscripts sent by conventional mail should be submitted to integral part of the submission process for the e-print and Web the Editors, Physical Review Letters, 1 Research Road, Ridge, modes.
    [Show full text]
  • PHYSICAL REVIEW a EDITORIAL POLICIES and PRACTICES (Revised January 2006)
    PHYSICAL REVIEW A EDITORIAL POLICIES AND PRACTICES (Revised January 2006) Physical Review A is published by the American Physical So- CONTENT OF ARTICLES ciety (APS), the Council of which has the final responsibility The Physical Review and Physical Review Letters publish new for the Journal. The Publications Oversight Committee of the APS and the Editor-in-Chief possess delegated responsibility results. Thus, prior publication of the same results will gener- ally preclude consideration of a later paper. “Publication” in this for overall policy matters concerning all APS journals. The Ed- itor of Physical Review A is responsible for the scientific content context most commonly means “appearance in a peer-reviewed and editorial matters relating to the Journal. In this the Editor is journal.” In some areas of physics, however,e-prints are thought to be “published” in this sense. In general, though, any publi- assisted by the Journal’s associate and assistant editors. cation of equivalent results after a paper is submitted will not Editorial policy is guided by the following statement adopted in preclude consideration of the submitted paper. April, 1995 by the Council of the APS: Confirmation of previously published results of unusual impor- It is the policy of the American Physical Soci- tance can be considered as new, as can significant null results. ety that the Physical Review accept for publica- Papers advancing new theoretical views on fundamental princi- tion those manuscripts that significantly advance ples or theories must contain convincing arguments that the new physics and have been found to be scientifically predictions and interpretations are distinguishable from existing sound, important to the field, and in satisfactory knowledge, at least in principle, and do not contradict estab- form.
    [Show full text]
  • GW190521: a Binary Black Hole Merger with a Total Mass of 150 M⊙ R
    PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 125, 101102 (2020) Editors' Suggestion Featured in Physics GW190521: A Binary Black Hole Merger with a Total Mass of 150 M⊙ R. Abbott et al.* (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration) (Received 30 May 2020; revised 19 June 2020; accepted 9 July 2020; published 2 September 2020) On May 21, 2019 at 03:02:29 UTC Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo observed a short duration gravitational-wave signal, GW190521, with a three-detector network signal-to-noise ratio of 14.7, and an estimated false-alarm rate of 1 in 4900 yr using a search sensitive to generic transients. If GW190521 is from a quasicircular binary inspiral, then the detected signal is consistent with the merger of two black þ21 þ17 holes with masses of 85−14 M⊙ and 66−18 M⊙ (90% credible intervals). We infer that the primary black hole mass lies within the gap produced by (pulsational) pair-instability supernova processes, with only a þ28 0.32% probability of being below 65 M⊙. We calculate the mass of the remnant to be 142−16 M⊙, which can be considered an intermediate mass black hole (IMBH). The luminosity distance of the source is 5 3þ2.4 0 82þ0.28 . −2.6 Gpc, corresponding to a redshift of . −0.34 . The inferred rate of mergers similar to GW190521 is 0 13þ0.30 −3 −1 . −0.11 Gpc yr . DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.101102 Introduction.—Advanced LIGO [1] and Advanced Virgo quasicircular binary BHs indicate that a precessing orbital [2] have demonstrated a new means to observe the Universe plane is slightly favored over a fixed plane.
    [Show full text]
  • Publishing Your Paper in a “Prestigious” Physics Journal
    Publishing your paper in a “prestigious” physics journal Samindranath Mitra! Editor, Physical Review Letters! ! Career Development Workshop for Women in Physics! Trieste! 16 September 2013 Landscape What one looks for your paper Dos and don'ts of writing one The peer review process Some ancillary stuff Some take-home exercises A subjective, personal take. "2 Balancing your target readership author! referee! reader! journalist! department chair! funding agency More and more “physics” articles are published each year . 120,000 90,000 60,000 Articles/year 30,000 0 1998 2001 2003 2006 2008 !5 !6 Publishing scientific papers Software made it easier to create # # Email to distribute one-to-few The internet (arXiv) to disseminate one-to-all Your paper ‘s “responsibilities”! counter the “echo chamber effect” ! foster serendipity ! provide prestige ! provide stamp of peer review/validity! facilitate progress in your career How do you make your paper stand out? … before and after publication PRL receives 12,000 papers a year" An editor receives over 3 papers a day" Over 50,000 referees " 1,000 receive over 10 referrals a year So, what does a journal editor look for in your paper? Is the paper suitable for the journal? Is the subject matter appropriate for the journal? Is it topical? Preparing your paper for submission Omit needless words http://www.bartleby.com/141/ Keep it simple Avoid jargon, abbreviations, acronyms … The measured PL spectra of a single one-micron-long SWCNT that encapsulates a chain-like agglomeration of colloidal ZnS QDs appears to be shifted with respect to the PL spectra recorded for an empty SWCNT.
    [Show full text]