Writing Articles for Premier Academic Journals

Most of the leading journals in all fields routinely have rejection rates of 80%, 95%, or higher. All journals prefer articles that make significant contributions to the field. This article discusses ways of how authors can improve their publishing success. We discuss the up-front end of an article (title, abstract, keywords). Specifically, three types of abstracts are considered: the indicative (descriptive) abstract, the informative abstract, and the structured abstract. Subsequently, we discuss the article’s introduction that serves three purposes: to focus the reader on the research question or purpose; to establish the proper frame of reference for the reader; to demonstrate the gap in knowledge that the research will fill; and to convince the reader that there is justification for undertaking the research. Then we discuss hypotheses and methodology. Regarding the methodology, we consider methodological considerations and analysis considerations. The final part of the chapter considers the research findings section and the discussion of these findings, as well as limitations to the research and opportunities for future research. Specifically, the discussion links back to the article’s introduction. Dos and don’ts are offered for each of the articles sections. Throughout the chapter we present means of doing research of the manuscript to improve the manuscript and its probability of acceptance.