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Strategies for Crafting Short and Impactful Messages

Quick reports on significant research findings can be efficiently shared through concise communications, also recognized as brief or rapid communications. These platforms cater to high-quality findings that may not fit into a standard research article format, and they provide a space for...

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Swift reports, alternatively recognized as concise or immediate communications, empower researchers...
Swift reports, alternatively recognized as concise or immediate communications, empower researchers to efficiently share significant discoveries that might not warrant a complete research paper and to engage in discussions regarding recently published work. Delve into this article to grasp the fundamentals and acquire insightful tips on composing impactful brief communications.

Strategies for Crafting Short and Impactful Messages

Rapid dissemination of essential research findings can be achieved through brief communications, a type of academic publication widely used for concise, focused reports on novel discoveries, preliminary results, or contentious topics. This format enables the swift sharing of initial insights and ongoing research updates.

The Role and Evolution of Brief Communications

Scholarly journals offer various forms of brief communications, including correspondence, commentaries, opinions, abstracts, notes, and research briefs. Although they have always been significant in academia, their popularity has waned in recent times.

However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the critical role of short communications became apparent. To effectively tackle the virus, create vaccines, and implement public safety measures, the rapid publication of research was essential. Prestigious academic journals like the Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet, and the Journal of Public Health responded by releasing peer-reviewed short communications promptly, providing a valuable service to researchers, experts, and the public.

Despite the benefits, the allure of brief communications has decreased in the academic community due to changes in publishing technology, perceptions of prestige, and the proliferation of preprint publications. Researchers may think that such communications will not advance their careers as effectively as traditional research articles can. Journal editors often prioritize regular research articles over short communications, viewing the latter negatively for their impact on journal metrics such as impact scores.

Components of Successful Brief Communications

The submission requirements for brief communications differ by journal. Therefore, it is crucial to closely examine the guidelines of your targeted journal before submission. Common requirements for research briefs include:

  • Structure: A title page, abstract, and main text composed under a findings heading, without subheadings or with short, informative headings, depending on the journal. Note that the Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica states that the first section should briefly explain the background and aim, followed by sections describing materials, methods, results, discussion, and a concise conclusion.
  • Word count: Typically limited to 1,500-2,500 words. The word count varies across journals.
  • Length: Short communications are generally limited to between 3 and 10 printed pages, with the number of pages allowed by short communication journals often differing significantly.
  • Figures/Tables: The number of figures and tables included in a brief communication is usually restricted by the publication journal, with 2 to 4 total figures and tables allowed in most cases.
  • Declarations: For articles reporting on primary research, the declarations required in standard research articles, such as conflict of interest, funding, data availability, authors' contributions, and acknowledgements, must also be provided.
  • Ethical issues: If the research involves human participants, data, or tissue or animals, a statement on ethics consent or approval is necessary, similar to that required in standard research reports.
  • References: The number of references included should be restricted, with journal guidelines typically setting the limit at 20-25 references for short communication submissions.

Best Practices for Writing Effective Brief Communications

In preparing any type of brief communication article for submission, keep in mind a few general tips:

  • Ensure the use of clear, concise, and grammatically correct language to ensure the article's understandability and effectiveness, as the compactness of the form demands particular attention to language quality.
  • Carefully read and follow the submission requirements and processes provided by the target journal, as they differ for every journal.

By sending a piece to a short communication journal, you contribute to a longstanding and valuable academic publishing tradition.

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Additional Reading:

  1. Improving Your Academic Writing Process
  2. Understanding Scientific Writing Style Guides
  3. Reasons for Rejection After Peer Review
  4. Practicing Ethical Research with Human Subjects

academic writing, brief communications, research publishing

  1. To craft an impactful brief communication for academic publication, ensure clear, concise, and grammatically correct language is used for better understanding and effectiveness.
  2. Submission readiness can be enhanced by carefully following the guidelines and processes provided by the targeted journal, as they differ for each publication.
  3. Education-and-self-development can be facilitated through learning about the structure, word count, length, figures/tables, declarations, ethical issues, and references requirements for successful brief communications.

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