How to Write an Article: A Proven Step-by-Step Guide
Are you dreaming of becoming a notable writer or looking to enhance your content writing skills? Whatever your reasons for stepping into the writing world, crafting compelling articles can open numerous opportunities. Writing, when viewed as a skill rather than an innate talent, is something anyone can master with persistence, practice, and the proper guidance.
That’s precisely why I’ve created this comprehensive guide on ‘how to write an article.’ Whether you’re pursuing writing as a hobby or eyeing it as a potential career path, understanding the basics will lead you to higher levels of expertise. This step-by-step guide has been painstakingly designed based on my content creation experience. Let’s embark on this captivating journey toward becoming an accomplished article writer!
What is an Article?
An article is more than words stitched together cohesively; it’s a carefully crafted medium expressing thoughts, presenting facts, sharing knowledge, or narrating stories. Essentially encapsulating any topic under the sun (or beyond!), an article is a versatile format meant to inform, entertain, or persuade readers.
Articles are ubiquitous; they grace your morning newspaper (or digital equivalents), illuminate blogs across various platforms, inhabit scholarly journals, and embellish magazines. Irrespective of their varying lengths and formats, which range from news reports and features to opinion pieces and how-to guides, all articles share some common objectives. Learning how to write this type of content involves mastering the ability to meet these underlying goals effectively.
Objectives of Article Writing
The primary goal behind learning how to write an article is not merely putting words on paper. Instead, you’re trying to communicate ideas effectively. Each piece of writing carries unique objectives intricately tailored according to the creator’s intent and the target audience’s interests. Generally speaking, when you immerse yourself in writing an article, you should aim to achieve several fundamental goals.
First, deliver value to your readers. An engaging and informative article provides insightful information or tackles a problem your audience faces. You’re not merely filling up pages; you must offer solutions, present new perspectives, or provide educational material.
Next comes advancing knowledge within a specific field or subject matter. Especially relevant for academic or industry-focused writings, articles are often used to spread original research findings and innovative concepts that strengthen our collective understanding and drive progress.
Another vital objective for those mastering how to write an article is persuasion. This can come in various forms: convincing people about a particular viewpoint or motivating them to make a specific choice. Articles don’t always have to be neutral; they can be powerful tools for shifting public opinion.
Finally, let’s not forget entertainment – because who said only fictional work can entertain? Articles can stir our emotions or pique our interest with captivating storytelling techniques. It bridges the gap between reader and writer using shared experiences or universal truths.
Remember that high-quality content remains common across all boundaries despite these distinct objectives. No matter what type of writer you aspire to become—informative, persuasive, educational, or entertaining—strive for clarity, accuracy, and stimulation in every sentence you craft.
What is the Format of an Article?
When considering how to write an article, understanding its foundation – in this case, the format – should be at the top of your list. A proper structure is like a blueprint, providing a direction for your creative construction.
First and foremost, let’s clarify one essential point: articles aren’t just homogenous chunks of text. A well-crafted article embodies different elements that merge to form an engaging, informative body of work. Here are those elements in order:
- The Intriguing Title
At the top sits the title or heading; it’s your first chance to engage with a reader. This element requires serious consideration since it can determine whether someone will continue reading your material.
- Engaging Introduction
Next comes the introduction, where you set expectations and hint at what’s to come. An artfully written introduction generates intrigue and gives readers a compelling reason to stick around.
- Informative Body
The main body entails a detailed exploration of your topic, often broken down into subtopics or points for more manageable consumption and better flow of information.
- Impactful Conclusion
Lastly, you have the conclusion, where you tie everything neatly together by revisiting key points and offering final thoughts.
While these components might appear straightforward on paper, mastering them requires practice, experimentation with writing styles, and a good understanding of your target audience.
By putting in the work to familiarize yourself with how to create articles and how they’re structured, you’ll soon discover new ways to develop engaging content each time you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!). Translating complex concepts into digestible content doesn’t need to feel daunting anymore! Now that we’ve tackled the format, our focus can shift to what should be included in an article.
What Should Be in an Article?
Understanding that specific items should be featured in your writing is crucial. A well-crafted article resembles a neatly packed suitcase – everything has its place and purpose.
Key Information
First and foremost, you need essential information. Start by presenting the topic plainly so readers can grasp its relevance immediately. This sets the tone of why you are writing the article. The degree of depth at this point will depend on your audience; be mindful not to overwhelm beginners with too much jargon or over-simplify things for experts.
Introduction
Secondly, every article must have an engaging introduction—this acts as the hook that reels your audience. Think of it as a movie trailer—it offers a taste of what’s to come without giving away all the details.
Third is the body, wherein you get into the crux of your argument or discussion. This is the point at which you present your ideas sequentially, along with supporting evidence or examples. Depending on the nature of your topic and personal style, this may vary from storytelling forms to more analytical breakdowns.
Lastly, you’ll need a fitting conclusion that wraps up all previously discussed points, effectively tying together every loose thread at the end. This helps cement your main ideas within the reader’s mind even after they’ve finished reading.
To summarize:
- Critical Information: Provides context for understanding
- Introduction: Sheds further light on what will follow while piquing interest
- Body: Discusses topic intricacies using narratives or case studies
- Conclusion: Ties up loose ends and reemphasizes important takeaways
In my experience writing articles for beginners and experts alike, I found these elements indispensable when conveying complex topics articulately and professionally. Always keep them at hand when looking to produce written material.
How should you structure an article?
Crafting a well-structured article is akin to assembling a puzzle – every piece has its place and purpose. Let’s look at how to create the perfect skeleton for your content.
The introduction is your article’s welcome mat. It should be inviting and informative, briefly outlining what a reader can expect from your writing. Additionally, it must instantly grab the readers’ attention so they feel compelled to continue reading. To master the art of creating effective introductions, remember these key points:
- Keep it short and precise.
- Use compelling hooks like quotes or intriguing facts.
- State clearly what the article will cover without revealing everything upfront.
Moving on, you encounter the body of your piece. This segment expands on the ideas outlined in the introduction while presenting fresh subtopics related to your core story. If we compare article writing to crossing a bridge, each paragraph represents a step toward the other side (the conclusion). Here are some tips for maintaining orderliness within your body:
- Stick closely to one idea per paragraph as it enhances readability.
- Ensure paragraphs flow logically by utilizing transitional words or sentences.
- Offer evidence or examples supporting your claims and reinforce credibility.
As you approach the far side of our imaginary bridge, we reach an equally essential section of the article known as the conclusion. At this point, you should be looking to wrap your message up neatly while delivering on what was initially promised during the introduction. This section summarizes the main points, providing closure and ensuring readers feel satisfied.
Remember this golden rule when writing the conclusion: follow the “Describe what you’re going to tell them (Introduction), tell them (Body), and then summarize what you told them (Conclusion).” It’s a proven formula for delivering informative, engaging, and well-structured articles.
One final tip before moving on: maintaining an active voice significantly enhances clarity for your readers. It makes them feel like they’re participating actively in the story unfolding within your article. In addition, it helps ensure easy readability, which is vital for keeping your audience engaged.
Tips for Writing a Good Article
A persuasive, engaging, and insightful article requires careful thought and planning. Half the battle won is by knowing how to start writing and make content captivating. Below are vital tips that can enhance your article writing skills.
Heading or Title
An audience’s first impression hinges on the quality of your title. A good heading should be clear, attention-grabbing, and give an accurate snapshot of what’s contained in the piece’s body. Here are a few guidelines on how to create an impactful title:
- Make it Compelling: Your title needs to spark interest and motivate readers to delve further into your work.
- Keep it concise: You want to have a manageable heading. Aim for brevity yet inclusiveness.
- Optimize with keywords: To boost search engine visibility, sprinkle relevant keywords naturally throughout your title.
By applying these techniques, you can increase reader engagement right from the get-go.
Body of the Article
After winning over potential readers with your catchy title, it’s time to provide substantial content in the form of the body text. Here’s how articles are typically structured:
Introduction: Begin by providing an appealing overview that hooks your audience and baits them to read more. You can ask poignant questions or share interesting facts about your topic here.
Main Content: Build on the groundwork set by your introduction. Lay out detailed information in a logical sequence with clear articulation.
Conclusion: This reemphasizes the critical points discussed in the body while delivering a lasting impression of why those points matter.
Remember that clarity is critical when drafting each part because our objective here is to share information and communicate effectively. Properly understanding this approach ensures that the writing experience becomes creative and productive.
Step By Step Guide for Article Writing
How do you write an article that engages your readers from the first line until the last? That’s what most writers, whether beginners or seasoned pros are trying to achieve. I’ll describe a step-by-step process for crafting such gripping articles in this guide.
Step 1: Find Your Target Audience
First and foremost, identify your target readers. Speaking directly to a specific group improves engagement and helps you craft messages that resonate deeply. To pinpoint your audience:
- Take note of demographic attributes like age, gender, and profession.
- Consider their preferences and needs.
- Look into how much knowledge they are likely to possess concerning your topic.
Knowing this will help you decide what tone, language, and style best suits your readers. Remember, by understanding your audience better, you make it much easier to provide them with engaging content.
Step 2: Select a Topic and an Attractive Heading
Having understood your audience, select a relevant topic based on their interests and questions. Be sure it’s one you can competently discuss. When deciding how to start writing an article, ensure it begins with a captivating title.
A title should hint at what readers will gain from the article without revealing everything. Maintain some element of intrigue or provocation. For example, ‘6 Essentials You Probably Don’t Know About Gardening’ instead of just ‘Gardening Tips’.
Step 3: Research is Key
Good research is crucial to building credibility for beginners and experts alike. It prevents errors that could tarnish your piece immensely.
Thoroughly explore relevant books, scholarly articles, or reputable online resources. Find facts that build authenticity while debunking misconceptions that relate to your topic. Take notes on critical points discovered during this process—it’ll save you time when creating your first draft.
Step 4: Write a Comprehensive Brief
Having done your research, it’s time to write an outline or a brief—a roadmap for your article. This conveys how articles are written systematically without losing track of the main points.
Begin by starting the introduction with a punchy opener that draws readers in and a summary of what they’ll glean from reading. Section out specific points and ideas as separate headings and bullet points under each section to form the body. A conclusion rounds things up by restating key takeaways.
Step 5: Write and Proofread
Now comes the bulk of the work—writing. Respect the brief created earlier to ensure consistency and structure while drafting content. Use short, clear sentences while largely avoiding jargon unless absolutely necessary.
Post-writing, proofread ardently to check for typographical errors, inconsistent tenses, and poor sentence structures—and don’t forget factual correctness! It helps to read aloud, which can reveal awkward phrases that slipped through initial edits.
Step 6: Add Images and Infographics
To break text monotony and increase comprehension, introduce visuals such as images, infographics, or videos into your piece. They provide aesthetic relief while supporting the main ideas, increasing overall engagement.
Remember to source royalty-free images or get permission for copyrighted ones—you don’t want legal battles later!
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Article Writing
Regarding article writing, a few pitfalls can compromise the quality of your content. Knowing these and how to avoid them will enhance your work’s clarity, depth, and impact.
The first mistake often made is skimping on research. An article without solid underpinnings won’t merely be bland – it might mislead readers. Therefore, prioritize comprehensive investigation before penning down anything. Understanding common misconceptions or misinterpretations about your topic will strengthen your case.
Next, sidestep unnecessary jargon or excessively complex language. While showcasing an impressive vocabulary might seem appealing, remember that your primary objective is imparting information efficiently and effectively.
Moreover, failing to structure articles effectively represents another standard error. A structured piece aids in delivering complex ideas coherently. Maintaining a logical sequence facilitates reader comprehension, whether explaining a detailed concept or narrating an incident.
A piece lacking aesthetic allure can fail its purpose regardless of the value of its text. That’s where images come into play. Neglecting them is an all-too-common mistake among beginners. Relevant pictures inserted at appropriate junctures serve as visual breaks from texts and stimulate interest among readers.
Lastly, proofreading is vital in determining whether you can deliver a well-written article. Typos and grammatical errors can significantly undermine professional credibility while disrupting a smooth reading experience.
So, when pondering how articles are written, avoiding these mistakes goes a long way toward producing high-quality content that embodies both substance and style. Remember: practice is paramount when learning how to write excellent material!
How to Write an Article with SEOwind AI Writer?
Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence has been a major step in many industries. One such significant tool is SEOwind AI Writer , which is critical for those curious about how to write an article leveraging AI. In this section, I’ll cover how you can effectively use SEOwind AI writer to create compelling articles.
Step 1: Create a Brief and Outline
The first step in writing an article revolves around understanding your audience’s interests and then articulating them in a comprehensive brief that outlines the content’s framework.
- Decide on the topic: What ideas will you share via your article?
- Define your audience: Knowing who will read your text significantly influences your tone, style, and content depth.
- Establish main points: Highlight the key points or arguments you wish to exhibit in your drafted piece. This helps create a skeleton for your work and maintain a logical flow of information.
With SEOwind:
- you get all the content and keyword research for top-performing content in one place,
- you can generate a comprehensive AI outline with one click,
- users can quickly create a title, description, and keywords that match the topic you’re writing about.
As insightful as it might seem, having a roadmap doubles as a guide throughout the creative process. SEOwind offers a user-friendly interface that allows the easy input of essential elements like keywords, title suggestions, content length, etc. These provide an insightful outline, saving time with an indispensable tool that demonstrates the practicality of article writing.
Step 2: Write an AI Article using SEOwind
Once you have a brief ready, you can write an AI article with a single click. It will consider all the data you provided and much more, such as copywriting and SEO best practices , to deliver content that ranks.
Step 3: Give it a Human Touch
Finally, SEOwind’s intuitive platform delivers impeccably constructed content to dispel any confusion about writing an article. The result is inevitably exceptional, with well-structured sentences and logically sequenced sections that meet your demands.
However, artificial intelligence can sometimes miss the unique personal touch that enhances relatability in communication—making articles more compelling. Let’s master adding individualistic charm to personalize articles so that they resonate with audiences.
Tailoring the AI-generated piece with personal anecdotes or custom inputs helps to break the monotony and bolster engagement rates. Always remember to tweak essential SEO elements like meta descriptions and relevant backlinks.
So, whether it’s enhancing casual language flow or eliminating robotic consistency, the slightest modifications can breathe life into the text and transform your article into a harmonious man-machine effort. Remember – it’s not just about technology making life easy but also how effectively we utilize this emerging trend!
Common Questions on how to write an article
Delving into the writing world, especially regarding articles, can often lead to a swarm of questions. Let’s tackle some common queries that newbies and seasoned writers frequently stumble upon to make your journey more comfortable and rewarding.
What is the easiest way to write an article?
The easiest way to write an article begins with a clear structure. Here are five simple steps you can follow:
- Identify your audience: The first thing you should consider while planning your article is who will read it? Identifying your target audience helps shape the article’s content, style, and purpose.
- Decide on a topic and outline: Determining what to write about can sometimes be a formidable task. Try to ensure you cover a topic you can cover effectively or for which you feel great passion. Next, outline the main points you want to present throughout your piece.
- Do the research: Dig deep into resources for pertinent information regarding your topic and gather as much knowledge as possible. An informed writer paves the way for a knowledgeable reader.
- Drafting phase: Begin with an engaging introduction followed by systematically fleshing out each point from your outline in body paragraphs before ending with conclusive remarks tying together all the earlier arguments.
- Fine-tune through editing and proofreading: Errors happen no matter how qualified or experienced a writer may be! So make sure to edit and proofread before publishing.
Keep these keys in mind and remain patient and persistent. There’s no easier alternative for writing an article.
How can I write an article without knowing about the topic?
We sometimes need to write about less familiar subjects – but do not fret! Here’s my approach:
- First off, start by thoroughly researching subject-centric reliable sources. The more information you have, the better poised you are to write confidently about it.
- While researching, take notes and highlight the most essential points.
- Create an outline by organizing these points logically – this essentially becomes your article’s backbone.
- Start writing based on your research and outlined structure. If certain aspects remain unclear, keep investigating until clarity prevails.
Getting outside your comfort zone can be daunting, but is also a thrilling chance to expand your horizons.
What is your process for writing an article quickly?
In terms of speed versus quality in writing an article – strikingly enough, they aren’t mutually exclusive. To produce a high-quality piece swiftly, adhere to the following steps:
- Establish purpose and audience: Before cogs start turning on phrase-spinning, be clear on why you’re writing and who will likely read it.
- Brainstorm broadly, then refine: Cast a wide net initially regarding ideas around your topic. Then, narrow down those areas that amplify your core message or meet objectives.
- Create a robust outline: A detailed roadmap prevents meandering during actual writing and saves time!
- Ignore perfection in the first draft: Speed up initial drafting by prioritizing getting your thoughts on paper over perfect grammar or sentence compositions.
- Be disciplined with edits and revisions: Try adopting a cut, shorten, and replace mantra while trimming fluff without mercy!
Writing quickly requires practice and strategic planning – but rest assured, it’s entirely possible!
Seasoned SaaS and agency growth expert with deep expertise in AI, content marketing, and SEO. With SEOwind, he crafts AI-powered content that tops Google searches and magnetizes clicks. With a track record of rocketing startups to global reach and coaching teams to smash growth, Tom's all about sharing his rich arsenal of strategies through engaging podcasts and webinars. He's your go-to guy for transforming organic traffic, supercharging content creation, and driving sales through the roof.
Table of Contents
- 1 What is an Article?
- 2 Objectives of Article Writing
- 3 What is the Format of an Article?
- 4 What Should Be in an Article?
- 5 How should you structure an article?
- 6 Tips for Writing a Good Article
- 7 Step By Step Guide for Article Writing
- 8 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Article Writing
- 9 How to Write an Article with SEOwind AI Writer?
- 10 Common Questions on how to write an article
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10 Proven Tips: How to Write High Quality Articles in 2024
1. Understand Your Audience
Knowing your target audience is crucial when it comes to writing high-quality articles in 2024. By understanding who you are writing for , you can tailor your content to meet their needs and interests. Take the time to research your audience's demographics, interests, and pain points. This will help you create content that resonates with them and provides value.
Identify Your Target Audience
Before you start writing , it's important to identify your target audience. Consider factors such as age, gender, location, and interests. This will help you create content that is relevant and engaging to your readers.
2. Conduct Thorough Research
Research is the foundation of any high-quality article. By conducting thorough research, you can gather accurate and up-to-date information to support your claims and provide value to your readers. Use reputable sources, such as academic journals , industry publications, and expert interviews, to ensure the accuracy and credibility of your content.
Use Reliable Sources
When conducting research, it's important to use reliable sources. Look for reputable websites, academic journals , and industry publications. Avoid using outdated or biased sources, as this can undermine the credibility of your article.
3. Craft a Compelling Headline
The headline is the first thing readers see, so it's important to make it compelling and attention-grabbing. A well-crafted headline can entice readers to click on your article and read further. Use power words, numbers, and intriguing statements to pique curiosity and generate interest.
Use Power Words
Power words are words that evoke strong emotions and grab attention. Examples of power words include "proven," "ultimate," "essential," and "exclusive." Incorporating power words into your headline can make it more compelling and enticing to readers.
4. Structure Your Article for Readability
The structure of your article plays a crucial role in its readability. By organizing your content in a logical and easy-to-follow manner, you can make it more accessible to readers. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up your content and make it scannable.
Example of me using AtOnce's AI bullet point generator to explain complex topics in a few bullet points:
Use Headings and Subheadings
Headings and subheadings help break up your content and make it easier to navigate. Use descriptive headings that accurately summarize the content of each section. This will make it easier for readers to find the information they are looking for.
5. Write in a Clear and Concise Manner
Clear and concise writing is essential for high-quality articles. Avoid using jargon, complex sentence structures , and unnecessary fluff. Instead, use simple and straightforward language to convey your message effectively.
Here's an example where I've used AtOnce's AI language generator to write fluently & grammatically correct in any language:
Avoid Jargon
Jargon can confuse and alienate readers who are not familiar with the industry-specific terms. Instead, use plain language that is accessible to a wide audience. If you must use technical terms, provide clear explanations to ensure understanding.
6. Use Visuals to Enhance Your Content
Visuals can greatly enhance the quality of your articles. They can help break up text, illustrate concepts, and make your content more engaging. Incorporate relevant images, infographics, and videos to support your message and provide visual interest.
Incorporate Relevant Images
Images can help break up text and make your content more visually appealing. Use high-quality images that are relevant to your topic. Ensure that the images are properly credited and optimized for web use.
7. Optimize Your Article for SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for ensuring that your article ranks well in search engine results . By optimizing your content for relevant keywords and using proper meta tags , you can increase your article's visibility and attract more organic traffic
Here's an example where I've used AtOnce's AI SEO optimizer to rank higher on Google without wasting hours on research:
Keyword Research
Before you start writing, conduct keyword research to identify relevant keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for. Use these keywords strategically throughout your article to improve its visibility in search engine results
8. Edit and Proofread Your Article
Editing and proofreading are essential steps in the article writing process . By carefully reviewing your content for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, you can ensure that your article is polished and professional.
Use Grammar and Spell Checkers
Grammar and spell checkers can help you identify and correct errors in your writing . Use tools such as Grammarly or Hemingway Editor to ensure that your article is free from grammatical and spelling mistakes.
9. Engage with Your Readers
Engaging with your readers is crucial for building a loyal audience and establishing yourself as an authority in your niche . Respond to comments, answer questions, and encourage discussion to foster a sense of community and connection.
Respond to Comments
Take the time to respond to comments on your articles. Engage in meaningful conversations with your readers and provide additional insights or clarifications when necessary. This will show your readers that you value their input and are actively participating in the discussion.
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Get more traffic and sales — without wasting months of your time.
What are the key elements of a high quality article?
A high quality article should have a clear and concise structure, engaging and well-researched content, proper grammar and spelling, and be free from plagiarism.
How can I improve the readability of my articles?
To improve readability, use short paragraphs, subheadings, bullet points, and relevant images. Additionally, make sure to use simple language and avoid jargon.
What are some tips for conducting effective research for article writing?
To conduct effective research, start by defining your topic and setting clear goals. Utilize reputable sources, take notes, and organize your findings. Remember to critically evaluate the information and cite your sources properly.
Asim Akhtar
Asim is the CEO & founder of AtOnce. After 5 years of marketing & customer service experience, he's now using Artificial Intelligence to save people time.
Oxford University Press's Academic Insights for the Thinking World
10 tips for getting your journal article published
Journal of urban ecology.
The Journal of Urban Ecology covers all aspects of urban environments. This includes the biology of the organisms that inhabit urban areas, human social issues encountered within urban landscapes, and the diversity of ecosystem services.
- By Mark J. McDonnell and Steward T. A. Pickett
- February 18 th 2018
Writing a paper that gets accepted for publication in a high-quality journal is not easy. If it was, we’d all be doing it! Academic journals publish articles that are well-written, and based on solid scholarship with a robust methodology. They must present well-supported stories and make significant contributions to the knowledge base of the journal’s specific discipline. Often, manuscripts are rejected before even going out to review because they are poorly written or fail to meet a journal’s publication requirements. Publication requirements don’t just mean submission guidelines, which, of course, need to be followed, but also the more fundamental aspects of composing a publishable article.
Here are ten recommendations on how to effectively write papers that will be considered for publication in high-quality journals:
1. Who is your audience? This is the first question you should ask yourself. Is it the experts in your specific field or scientists in other disciplines? Is it the reading public, or policy makers? Each of these audiences will bring different background assumptions or knowledge to your piece, so how you write for each of them will differ. Ask yourself the questions your audience may ask: Why am I reading this? Why should I keep reading this, rather than reading something else, or doing something else entirely?
2. Respect your audience. Do not make them have to work to figure out what you’re trying to say or what the structure of your story is. The people you are submitting your manuscript to are busy people, especially journal reviewers and editors. If your article is hard to read and follow, it makes their job harder than it should be – increasing the likelihood that your work will be rated poorly or rejected if being considered for publication.
3. Outline your ideas. Use this step to get down the order of your ideas, identifying the main and supporting points of your article. Outlining does not have to be in an orderly, linear fashion, if that does not work for you. Using post-it notes, the mind-map technique, or writing on a blackboard are all techniques you can use to ensure your ideas form a coherent structure.
4. Start with your idea, then expand upon and support it. Academic writing should not be like a mystery novel that reveals the outcome only at the end. Effective scientific narratives start from a stated focus, move through a clear structure of support, and bring the story to fruition. The organization and order of ideas should be clear throughout. If you find yourself circling back or repeating details, that likely means the structure of your work needs to be revised.
5. Keep it simple. Just because the topic is complex does not mean the writing should be. Simple, straightforward sentences are better than long, convoluted ones. Exact, plain words are better than vague ones. Do not use jargon or acronyms – especially when submitting to multi-disciplinary international journals. Make sure every word plays a role in presenting your case and that you know the meaning of any unusual words you use. If you are looking to publish in a language that requires heavy translation on your part, seek help from your advisor, colleagues, university writing centres and professional writing services to improve your article.
6. Practice makes perfect. It might seem like a clichéd answer, but it really is the key. Write regularly; practice it as a discipline in and of itself. Writing a high-quality, publishable article requires confidence in your ideas, and practice and skill which takes time to acquire. You can learn to write well, but you need to increase the amount of time spent writing, too. This doesn’t have to be at your desk or in front of a computer, though. Make good use of time spent walking, waiting for the bus, or commuting on the train to think of how you can improve what you are currently writing.
7. Pay attention to good and bad writing. Which academic writers produce work that engages you? Which ones do not? What is the difference in how they present their arguments? What is the difference in how they use words and lay out sentences? Thinking carefully about other people’s writing is a step toward improving your own.
8. Write now, edit later. Some people are able to compose and edit at the same time, but if this is not the case for you, keep the two functions separate. The first draft of your research might be horrible, and nothing you would show anyone else. It doesn’t matter. Get something down. Work on it every day to get more down until you have your story or argument complete. Wait until later to edit it.
9. Give your manuscript ‘drawer time’. This is the time your manuscript spends in the dark of your file cabinet or unopened on your hard drive. This is one of the most valuable tools you can use when writing, because it allows you to become a better editor of your own work. Letting your manuscript sit for a while means that when you come to read it again, you should be able to identify any problems with it.
10. Stick at it. It is undoubtedly true that it is more important than ever for students and early career professionals to develop good writing skills and a thorough knowledge of the journals publication process. However, developing those skills and putting them into practice takes time, so don’t get discouraged. We all had to start somewhere!
Featured image credit: home-office by Free-Photos. CC0 public domain via Pixabay .
Steward T.A. Pickett is a Distinguished Senior Scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies , in Millbrook, New York. His research focuses on the ecological structure of urban areas and the temporal dynamics of vegetation, including primary forests, post-agricultural oldfields in the Eastern U.S., and riparian woodlands in South Africa. He is Director Emeritus of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study Long-Term Ecological Research program. He served as President of the Ecological Society of America in 2011-2012, and sits on the boards of the American Institute of Biological Sciences and the City as Living Laboratory.
Mark J. McDonnell is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Urban Ecology . From 1998 until 2016, he served as the founding Director of the Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration and is an Honorary Associate Professor in the School of BioSciences at the University Melbourne. His research involves bringing high-quality ecological data and the understanding of basic ecological processes to bear on problems of conservation and management of urban ecosystems. He has conducted pioneering research on the study of urban-rural gradients and the comparative ecology of cities around the globe.
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this is helpful.
Well said , through ten facts that are essential.Depending on the journal speciality , a couple of illustrative diagrams may convey more than text. Also charts , and tables , appropriate in number could help one express better. Finally , the right statistical tests applied with meaningful conclusions could make the submission complete towards acceptance. As reviewer , I can say both core of the content and style of presentation matter. Prof M E Yeolekar , Mumbai.
I have an article ready for publication
I have an article ready to be published.
Well written and inspiring to a complete novice like me. Thank you.
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The citizen knew all this, the data were accurate, and the police were able to continue their search. Estonia's blockchain infrastructure delivers unmatched security, trustworthy data exchange, and the ability for both sides of the data transaction to see what was transacted, by whom, and how. Most importantly, it protects the integrity of the underlying data………(unquote) The full entry can be read Here. 2. From Content Creation to Content Delivery: How EBSCO eBooks™ Builds an Accessible User Experience As an aggregator of e-books, companies like EBSCO face a special kind of challenge regarding accessibility. In her post in the EBSCOpost Blog, Emma Waecker discusses how EBSCO is working with publisher partners and industry leaders to establish best practices for creating accessible e-book files to enhance the user experience. The blog post says (quote): To address this at the source, EBSCO works with e-book publisher partners and industry leaders to identify and establish best practices for creating accessible e-book files, which helps to meet the needs of their mutual users. In discussing e-book accessibility with leaders in creating accessible content, they've put together suggestions about which formats are most inherently accessible, how to apply proper semantic tagging for improved document navigation, and conversely avoiding the overuse of non-semantic tags like and which interrupt the reading experience. EBSCO and its publishers agree that when possible, it's best to submit EPUB files, as HTML is natively more accessible than PDF. EBSCO also encourage the use of consistent page numbers in both PDF and EPUB formats so users can easily cite their source, regardless of the e-book format………….(unquote) The full entry can be read Here. 3. The "long tail" of research impact is engendered by innovative dissemination tools and meaningful community engagement Research impact often tends not to happen in one emphatic, public moment but rather at more discrete points of the 'long tail' of a research project. In their post in the LSE Impact of Social Sciences Blog, Kip Jones and Lee-Ann Fenge discuss what it takes to create meaningful community impact, highlighting a commitment to inclusive co-production and public engagement and the use of participatory research to create innovative dissemination tools. The blog post says (quote): This case study provides just one example of the possibilities of creating impact through public engagement. It highlights how research projects that include in-depth outputs and dissemination plans can contribute to social engagement and "impact" for social benefit. The fact that the underpinning research began almost a decade and a half ago attests to the principle that research that is meaningful is never really finished, and that dissemination is more than simply a few academic journal articles. In this project "community", in the guise of co-researchers (the research project’s advisory committee and community service providers), was pivotal in providing feedback, momentum, and expanding the audiences for the efforts………(unquote) The full entry can be read Here. 4. Publisher drops plan to charge extra for old papers after outcry Publisher Taylor & Francis has dropped plans to charge extra for access to older research papers online, after more than 110 universities recently signed a letter of protest. The Publisher earlier proposed to bring in extra charges for digital papers published more than 20 years ago. Papers published in a one-year window between 1997 – seen as the year that the digital academic publishing era began – and 1998 would have been placed in a "modern archive", and universities would have had to purchase access to this as a separate package, notes Holly Else, in her post in the Times Higher Education Blog. The blog post says (quote): Diminishing this coverage [to older articles] is opportunistic and potentially profiteering within a sector which is recognised to enjoy substantial profit margins at present as it greatly monetises the outputs and inputs of publicly-funded research. It gives the publisher another route to earn money from their collections. Collectively librarians consider this unfair and not in the ethos of partnership. After 20 years those articles suddenly disappear even though academics have been reading them before that and these are the people who produced the articles……..(unquote) The full entry can be read Here. 5. 10 tips for getting your journal article published Writing a paper that gets accepted for publication in a high-quality journal is not easy. Publication requirements don't just mean submission guidelines, which, of course, need to be followed, but also the more fundamental aspects of composing a publishable article. Steward T.A. Pickett and Mark J. McDonnell, in their post in the OUPblog, discusses ten recommendations on how to effectively write papers that will be considered for publication in high-quality journals The blog post says (quote): Academic writing should not be like a mystery novel that reveals the outcome only at the end. Effective scientific narratives start from a stated focus, move through a clear structure of support, and bring the story to fruition. The organisation and order of ideas should be clear throughout. If you find yourself circling back or repeating details, that likely means the structure of the work needs to be revised. Just because the topic is complex does not mean the writing should be. Simple, straightforward sentences are better than long, convoluted ones. Exact, plain words are better than vague ones. Do not use jargon or acronyms – especially when submitting to multi-disciplinary international journals……….(unquote) The full entry can be read Here. […]
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- Content Production
Content Writing 101
Written by Brian Dean
What Is Content Writing?
Content writing is the process of planning, writing, and publishing written material, such as articles, blog posts, product descriptions, and marketing copy, that is intended for online consumption. The goal of content writing is to inform, educate, or persuade readers, and it can be used for a variety of purposes, including:
- Building brand awareness
- Increasing website traffic
- Generating leads
- Improving search engine rankings
- Establishing credibility
Why Is Proper Content Writing Important?
When most people hear “content writing”, they think “writing articles”.
However, writing content isn’t just important for blog posts.
In fact, content writing is important for all types of different content formats, including:
- Video scripts
- Email newsletters
- Keynote speeches
- Social media posts
- Podcast titles
- White papers
- Web page copy
- Landing pages
- YouTube video descriptions
Or put another way:
Writing is the foundation for pretty much any content that you publish.
Best Practices
Create an outline.
Creating an outline is a GREAT first step in the content writing process.
Outlines help your content come out better for two main reasons:
First , outlines force you to put all your thoughts down in an organized way (rather than writing everything off the top of your head). Which really speeds up the writing process.
Second , outlines usually lead to a much better structure for your content. That’s because an outline lets you see your content from a “high level” that’s impossible to see as you’re writing.
Plus, because you have an outline, your final content will hit all of the major points that you set out to before you started writing.
So: how do you actually go about creating an effective outline?
Here are three main strategies that work well:
So when we start working on a new guide, we use a lot of the structure from our existing guides as a base.
- Use a template: Most professional content writers work off of proven templates. Here are 5 content templates you can use to create outlines .
For example, let’s say you’re about to write a guest post about the keto diet.
Well, you’d want to type “keto diet” into BuzzSumo to see what’s already done well.
Then, read some of the best posts to see exactly what you should cover in your article.
Make It Easy to Consume and Share
Content that’s super easy to read and share is of the keys to great content .
You can have a post written by the world’s top copywriter. But if that post is hard for people to consume, no one will read it.
Here are a few tips to help make your content easier to consume, skim and share.
Keep it Snappy, Rich and Entertaining
Whether you’re writing about content creation or cars, your writing needs to grab (and keep) people’s attention .
Otherwise, they’ll click over to something else.
How you grab someone’s attention depends on the format you’re working with.
When I create videos, I use “Family Guy moments” throughout the video. These are little asides that add some humor to and spice to my video content.
And when I write videos, I focus a lot on formatting and layout.
Specifically, I try to keep my paragraphs short:
I also sprinkle in visuals and screenshots to mix things up.
And if you’re about to sit down and record some audio, you want your lines to be short and snappy. You also want to avoid parenthetical statements. Content in parenthesis is easy to follow when you’re reading it. But you can easily “lose the thread” if you’re listening to your audio as a podcast.
In short: your final content needs to be super engaging to work. And no matter what format you’re working with, that starts with the content writing process.
Quotable On Social Media
According to a study that we conducted, very few blog posts get shared or linked to .
And to increase the odds that your content ranks in search engines and gets shared on social media, add shareable quotes.
For text-based content, this can be a statement that you highlight in your post.
And if you’re making a YouTube video, you can pull out a short snippet from that video to share on LinkedIn.
The important thing here is to have these quotes ready before you publish the post. Then, highlight them in your content.
Choose Interesting Angles
With 2.3 million blog posts going live every day , you can’t just publish something generic and expect a wave of visitors.
Instead, to get traffic to your content, it needs a compelling angle.
An angle is simply the hook that makes your content stand out from all the others on that topic.
Your angle can be a personal story. A bit of controversy. Or something that simply looks better than what’s out there.
The angle you go with depends on your target audience.
For example, when we published our guide to becoming an SEO expert , our 8-bit design helped it stand out.
Make It Actionable
For most niches, your content can’t just be entertaining.
And it’s not even enough for it to simply be informative.
For your content marketing to work, your content needs to be super useful .
Here’s how:
Our SEO audit post is a great example of this.
It’s not a collection of random tips. This content is a step-by-step action plan that anyone can follow.
- Keep it up-to-date: A single outdated step or example can derail an otherwise great piece. I recommend going back and updating your old content at least once a year.
Make it Trustworthy
For people to share and link to your content, they need to trust it first.
And while design factors in to how much people trust your content , your writing plays a big role too.
Here are a few tips to make your content more trustworthy.
- Use proper grammar: If you want to improve your writing skills, a tool like Hemingway Editor or Grammarly can be a huge help.
For example, whenever we write a guide, we add lots of stats and references.
Here’s an example from our blog.
Give it a Magnetic Headline and Introduction
Most visitors only spend 15 seconds reading an article before leaving.
With such a short window of time, your headline and introduction are incredibly important.
Here’s how to create headlines and intros that work:
Note how these bullet points aren’t topics . They’re benefits that someone will get out of reading and implementing what’s in the guide.
How can I become a content writer?
If you’re looking to dive into the world of content writing, you’re in for an exciting journey. Let me walk you through the steps that have worked wonders for me and many others.
1. Learn SEO Fundamentals
First off, get cozy with SEO basics . It’s the backbone of content writing.
Start with keyword research – it’s like picking the right tools before you start building. Use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or Semrush to find what your audience is searching for.
Then, dive into on-page SEO . Think of your titles and meta descriptions as your first handshake with your readers – make it count.
2. Niche Specialization
Now, pick a niche.
This isn’t just about what you love; it’s about where you can add real value.
Ask yourself, “What unique perspective or solutions can I bring to my readers?” This focus will make your content more engaging and valuable.
3. Develop a Unique Writing Style
It’s your signature. Keep it clear, engaging, and packed with actionable tips.
I always aim to write as if I’m talking to a friend – straightforward and helpful.
Use tools like Grammarly to keep your grammar in check and Hemingway Editor to make your content crisp and readable.
4. Create a Portfolio
It’s your playground for trying out new ideas and a portfolio to showcase your skills.
Make sure it’s SEO-friendly; after all, you want to walk the talk.
5. Learn from the Best
Learning never stops. Keep an eye on the top content writers and digital marketing resources.
What are they doing right? How are they engaging their audience? How are they using new AI tools in their workflows?
Don’t just consume content; dissect it.
6. Feedback and Improvement
Lastly, the power of feedback can’t be overstressed. Use it to refine your writing.
Remember, the best content writers are those who listen, learn, and adapt.
That’s my blueprint for becoming a content writer. I
t’s about blending SEO savvy with a unique voice, continually learning, and always striving to provide value to your readers.
Stay curious, stay committed, and you’ll find your path to success in content writing.
The Definitive Guide to Writing Blog Posts : I recommend sending this to any content writer that you work with.
The Complete Guide to SEO Content : How to write quality content that’s specifically engineered to rank in Google.
Evergreen Content : How to plan and write content that continues to bring in traffic for years after you publish it.
The Definitive Guide to Copywriting : Learn how to write SUPER compelling copy for blog posts, sales letters, videos and more based on tips from the world’s top copywriters.
Have a language expert improve your writing
Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.
- Knowledge Base
How do you determine the quality of a journal article?
Published on October 17, 2014 by Bas Swaen . Revised on March 4, 2019.
In the theoretical framework of your thesis, you support the research that you want to perform by means of a literature review . Here, you are looking for earlier research about your subject. These studies are often published in the form of scientific articles in journals (scientific publications).
Table of contents
Why is good quality important, check the following points.
The better the quality of the articles that you use in the literature review , the stronger your own research will be. When you use articles that are not well respected, you run the risk that the conclusions you draw will be unfounded. Your supervisor will always check the article sources for the conclusions you draw.
We will use an example to explain how you can judge the quality of a scientific article. We will use the following article as our example:
Example article
Perrett, D. I., Burt, D. M., Penton-Voak, I. S., Lee, K. J., Rowland, D. A., & Edwards, R. (1999). Symmetry and Human Facial Attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior , 20 , 295-307. Retrieved from http://www.grajfoner.com/Clanki/Perrett%201999%20Symetry%20Attractiveness.pdf
This article is about the possible link between facial symmetry and the attractiveness of a human face.
Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting
Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:
- Academic style
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See an example
1. Where is the article published?
The journal (academic publication) where the article is published says something about the quality of the article. Journals are ranked in the Journal Quality List (JQL). If the journal you used is ranked at the top of your professional field in the JQL, then you can assume that the quality of the article is high.
The article from the example is published in the journal “Evolution and Human Behavior”. The journal is not on the Journal Quality List, but after googling the publication, it seems from multiple sources that it nevertheless is among the top in the field of Psychology (see Journal Ranking at http://www.ehbonline.org/ ). The quality of the source is thus high enough to use it.
So, if a journal is not listed in the Journal Quality List then it is worthwhile to google it. You will then find out more about the quality of the journal.
2. Who is the author?
The next step is to look at who the author of the article is:
- What do you know about the person who wrote the paper?
- Has the author done much research in this field?
- What do others say about the author?
- What is the author’s background?
- At which university does the author work? Does this university have a good reputation?
The lead author of the article (Perrett) has already done much work within the research field, including prior studies of predictors of attractiveness. Penton-Voak, one of the other authors, also collaborated on these studies. Perrett and Penton-Voak were in 1999 both professors at the University of St Andrews in the United Kingdom. This university is among the top 100 best universities in the world. There is less information available about the other authors. It could be that they were students who helped the professors.
3. What is the date of publication?
In which year is the article published? The more recent the research, the better. If the research is a bit older, then it’s smart to check whether any follow-up research has taken place. Maybe the author continued the research and more useful results have been published.
Tip! If you’re searching for an article in Google Scholar , then click on ‘Since 2014’ in the left hand column. If you can’t find anything (more) there, then select ‘Since 2013’. If you work down the row in this manner, you will find the most recent studies.
The article from the example was published in 1999. This is not extremely old, but there has probably been quite a bit of follow-up research done in the past 15 years. Thus, I quickly found via Google Scholar an article from 2013, in which the influence of symmetry on facial attractiveness in children was researched. The example article from 1999 can probably serve as a good foundation for reading up on the subject, but it is advisable to find out how research into the influence of symmetry on facial attractiveness has further developed.
4. What do other researchers say about the paper?
Find out who the experts are in this field of research. Do they support the research, or are they critical of it?
By searching in Google Scholar, I see that the article has been cited at least 325 times! This says then that the article is mentioned at least in 325 other articles. If I look at the authors of the other articles, I see that these are experts in the research field. The authors who cite the article use the article as support and not to criticize it.
5. Determine the quality
Now look back: how did the article score on the points mentioned above? Based on that, you can determine quality.
The example article scored ‘reasonable’ to ‘good’ on all points. So we can consider the article to be qualitatively good, and therefore it is useful in, for example, a literature review. Because the article is already somewhat dated, however, it is wise to also go in search of more recent research.
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Swaen, B. (2019, March 04). How do you determine the quality of a journal article?. Scribbr. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/tips/how-do-you-determine-the-quality-of-a-journal-article/
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14 Tips for Publishing a High-Quality Article in an Online Journal
Writing a scholarly article that is of high quality requires more than just structuring an outline and informing the reader. Here are a 14 tips for preparing your article for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals.
Checklist for a High Quality Journal Article
1. have a focus and a vision for your research paper.
The key to successfully publishing a high-quality article is to “get a vision”–a reason and purpose for writing a paper in the first place. Once you have a vision for your research, it may be useful for you to write it down and keep it in constant view to remind you of your mission.
2. Decide on the type of academic article you want to write
There are so many options for you to select from when you are considering the prospect of publishing an scholarly article in an open access academic journal.
For writing an academic article, you can choose from different types, such as: Empirical research, Conceptual / Theoretical articles, Teaching notes, Review papers, Field research, Technical reports, Case studies and analyses, Industry reports and reviews, Book reviews, Commentaries.
Also, you have to examine if an academic journal publishes these kinds of papers because not all publishing outlets support all of these types.
At Expert Journals, we publish all types of scientific articles because all of them contribute to enhancing knowledge in a certain field.
Find out more on the general conventions of academic writing for a high quality research paper.
3. Title, abstract, keywords
These aspects are very important because they summarize your research paper.
The title, abstract and keywords should:
– be optimized to reflect the main research questions and purpose of your paper, – exhibit publishing trends in a particular field of study, in terms of the concepts used by other Researchers to find papers similar to your article.
Also, if applicable, you may have to add JEL classification codes, for a better targeting of your research paper.
4. Concise introduction
Make sure the introduction of your paper is clear and makes a compelling statement of the academic article’s purpose and research questions that will be approached.
Find out how to write an introduction for a research paper .
5. Comprehensive literature review
The literature review of your article should offer a conceptual grounding of the research question(s) you will approach in your theoretical or empirical article.
Learn more about writing a valuable literature review outline and format .
6. Hypotheses or research questions
The research questions or hypotheses you will be discussing and exploring in your academic article, have to be clearly-stated, meaningful for the research framework, and they should also benefit of a logical flow throughout the organization, structure, and substance of your journal article.
7. Research methodology
The methodology or design of the research paper has to be clearly presented in terms of the sample used, the procedures/ measures/statistics that are relevant in the context of the academic article and offer enough information for other academics and researchers to replicate in future studies that add value to the main subject of your paper.
8. Tables and figures
These visual representations of your study should be used to speed comprehension of the entire academic article.
9. Discussion of results, and overall conclusions
This section of your academic article should offer broader perspectives of the research paper, both in terms of summary of the paper, and theoretical contributions of the research to general and specific knowledge subjects.
In this final part of the paper, it is also important that you include future directives of research and practice, possible or actual limitations of your study, practical (or managerial) implications that can improve a certain process.
10. Clear writing
A good academic idea is complemented by clear writing that makes the research easy to understand by different types of readership.
11. Check Author’s Guidelines for the considered academic journal
Be sure to look at, and follow, the academic journal’s instructions for authors, which will be on the journal’s website.
These guidelines will contain important information about length, style, and format of the academic article, topics it publishes, and how to submit the paper online or otherwise.
12. Use the correct style and reference system
For your reference list and your in-text citation, you have to comply to different referencing styles, such as Harvard referencing system, APA, Vancouver, Chicago. To complete a high quality journal article, you have to check the journal’s instructions and modify your citations and bibliography to reflect a certain corresponding style.
13. Make sure you have permission to use of copyrighted material from other sources
You, the author, are responsible for securing the necessary permissions for the material you use in your academic article, such as quotes, pictures, or figures. These permissions particularly relate to materials from the Web.
14. Proofread your article before submitting it to any academic journal
Examine your article’s text carefully to detect and correct typographical errors and mistakes in grammar, style, and spelling. By proofreading your work you will be able to submit a manuscript that reflects a higher level of journal quality.
Which tips for high quality academic writing do you find important?
You may also like, related policies and links, responsibilities of the publisher in the relationship with journal editors, general duties of publisher.
How to Write a High Quality Article: A Proven 7-Phase Process
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” ~ Stephen King, Critically acclaimed American Author
Since the invention of the internet, the article has been the best communication medium for the expression of ideas. An article is a written piece of content that provides valuable information in a structured format. High-quality articles contain four key criteria.
- Engaging: The reader understands the article’s purpose and information presented
- Verifiable: The reader trusts the facts and can independently test and prove them
- Concise : The article stays on topic and doesn’t include any unnecessary details
- Motivational : The article inspires the reader to perform specific actions based on its purpose
Articles accomplish these feats by developing ideas. Ideas are the building blocks of content. When properly developed: they engage the reader, keep them interested, and motivate them into action. With some practice and advice, you can motivate a reader to do anything.
You need two primary skills to develop ideas: analysis and creativity. With analysis, you make observations about an idea, it allows you to give ideas value . Primary questions involved are…
- How does this work?
- How can it be useful to me?
- How can it be useful to others?
With creativity you can utilize ideas or weave different ideas together, it allows you to give ideas function . An example would include an author who uses a literary device called a flashback to give us more context about what’s currently happening in the story. Or you can use an anecdote to build a personal connection with the reader by bringing up a situation that happens to everyone.
Identification Phase
“ A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu.
It all begins with a single word or phrase. The thought that will compose the topic that will evolve through your article. If you focus on something too broad you may get overwhelmed and not know where to start. If you choose something too narrow, you are going to exponentially increase the amount of research that you will have to perform to flesh out your ideas. Choose wisely. Something that instantly makes you focus and keeps your attention. Something, that springs in your mind and gives you direction.
Next, identify the target audience. Who are you writing for? Are you looking to inform, entertain, or persuade them? identifying the goal will help you set the tone of your writing, how the text makes your reader feel. If you are writing to entertain for example, you might include jokes or weird situations. If you are writing to inform you’d include evidence and facts.
Ideation Phase
What are you talking about? Before you can explore the unknown you have to create a foundation with what you already know. Identify the central idea that will compose the core of your article with a simple definition. Ask yourself, what is the main point you want to make in your article? Is it a description? A recipe? A critique? It can be something you’ve been planning to write, or it can be a trending topic. You can use online tools like Google Trends to identify ideas people are interested in.
Let’s say I wanted to write about my favorite meal plan or cooking recipe. I’d start with an analysis about the features of the food and the process to making it. The first question I would ask, what makes this my favorite meal?
- Is it that it’s easy to make?
- Is it the fact that it makes my mouth water?
- Is it the fact that it’s relatively inexpensive?
There are other components to a recipe I’d explore. Like the ingredients, preparation method, nutritional value, timing, and variations. Once I’ve gathered that information, I’d create a document to contain the list of facts.
Research Phase
Once you’ve finished brainstorming, it’s time to start researching. Your goal is to find evidence to support your statements and ideas. This means finding reliable sources that can back up your claims. To start your research, you need to have a clear question in mind. What do you want to learn about? What are you trying to prove? Once you know what you’re looking for, you can start to investigate different sources. There are many different types of sources you can use for research. Books, articles, websites, and even interviews can all be valuable sources of information. When choosing sources, it’s important to make sure they are reliable.
Primary Sources: Analyze The Competition
You can draw inspiration from competing articles to discover information you should include. Be sure not to plagiarize however. Simply observe the facts they’ve decided to include in their article and determine if they’re something you want to add.
Visual Content: What type of charts, graphs, brands, color palettes, and themes did they utilize.
Written Content: What type of quotes, meanings, or other types of text did they use?
Secondary Sources: Credible Organizations
After you’ve done an analysis of the competition, it’s time to investigate all the information they’ve left out. It’s important to identify sources that are not only relevant but trusted. They can be experts within the field. They can be peer-reviewed journals and government websites. What ever the source, just make sure that you will be able to independently verify the information. That means that you can test the information and make sure that it’s true. This is why peer reviewed sources are often the best source.
Utilizing the Sources
Once you’ve found some reliable sources, you can start to gather information. Be sure to take notes so you can keep track of your sources and the information you’ve found. As you’re researching, keep your readers in mind. What information will be most useful to them? How can you present the information in a way that is clear and easy to understand? By following these tips, you can conduct effective research and find the evidence you need to support your claims.
Outline Phase
The biggest mistake most writer’s make is that they skip an outline. An outline provides structure and ensures that your writing flows well. A well-developed article generally has four sections: headline, introduction, body, and conclusion. Spend time to master these four sections and you will make it far easier to write articles in the future. It also increases the time your reader will spend on the page.
Headline: Your headline is the most important element of the article. Its the lure that will entice people to explore what you’ve written. A good headline communicates your article topic, target reader, and the value it provides.
Headline Guidelines
- Include popular keywords in your headline. Use around 10 words or 50 characters.
- Write for people not for search engines. That means making sure your vocabulary matches your target audience. If you are writing to scientists, you use technical terms. If you are writing to casual readers, you use simple words they can understand.
- Don’t click-bait. Just because you get more clicks doesn’t mean you’ll get any conversions. It will also hurt your content long-term as those readers will mistrust your future content.
- Use simple adjectives for general content, and use advanced adjectives for specialized content
Introduction : Once you’ve lured a reader, your introduction should keep them interested in what you have to say. This is your chance to give a small summary of what the reader can expect to find in this article.
Introduction Guidelines
- Don’t repeat the headline. You’ve already lured your reader, now it’s time to hook them in.
- Keep the introduction between 3 – 5 sentences. Focus on the topic background.
Body Paragraphs: These are the meat of your article. Each body should contain a sub-idea supported by a set of supporting facts and information. More importantly, they need to be in a logical sequential order. When outlining body paragraphs create a bullet point for your statement, then sub bullet points for the facts.
Body Guidelines
- Focus on one idea per body paragraph. An idea that you can’t break down without evidence.
- Make sure the information is from an authoritative source such as an academic institution, government website, or independent news organization.
- Even when information taken from an authoritative source needs to be cross-referenced with other authoritative sources to ensure no bias or miscommunication. Fact check the fact checkers.
Topic: Volleyball
First Body Paragraph: Establishes volleyball history. Explains who created volleyball, why they created it, and how they determined rules.
Second Body Paragraph: Explains the growth of volleyball, how it became more popular and known, and how the rules evolved to solve problems.
Third Body Paragraph: Explains the effects of volleyball. Its cultural impact, opportunities it has opened for athletes, and current revenue.
Conclusion: The conclusion is the most important part of an article because it summarizes the main points and leaves the reader with something to think about. It can also be used to motivate the reader to take action or to learn more about the topic.
Conclusion Guidelines
- Recap the main points. This is essential for ensuring that the reader remembers the key takeaways from your article. You can do this by briefly summarizing the main points of your argument or by highlighting the most important evidence you presented.
- Motivate the reader to take action. This could involve calling on the reader to make a change in their own life, to learn more about the topic, or to support a cause. If you have a clear call to action, the reader is more likely to remember your article and take action after they finish reading it.
- Introduce new topics. If you didn’t have time to cover everything in your article, you can use the conclusion to introduce new topics that the reader might be interested in learning more about. This is a great way to keep the reader engaged and to encourage them to come back for more.
No matter how you choose to use it, the conclusion is an important part of any article. By taking the time to write a strong conclusion, you can ensure that your article leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
Drafting Phase
“Ideas are easy. It’s the execution of ideas that really separates the sheep from the goats.” Sue Grafton
Introduction
The first 10 seconds are crucial. That’s how long it takes for a reader to decide whether or not they’re going to read your article. In that short amount of time, you need to grab their attention and convince them that your article is worth their time. One way to do this is to use a strong introductory sentence, known as a “hook.” A hook is a sentence that is designed to capture the reader’s attention and make them want to read more. There are many different types of hooks, but some of the most popular include:
- Anecdote: A short story that relates to the topic. People love stories, and this can be a great way to give some context to what you’re about to write.
- Statistic: A piece of data from a study or other reliable source of information. This is a great way to begin an informational piece meant for people looking to understand how something works.
- Quote: The exact words of a respected entity. This establishes trust with the reader and shows that you’re well-informed.
- Question: If you can land the exact question going through your reader’s mind, they are guaranteed to be interested.
Once you’ve decided on your hook, it’s time to build the rest of your introduction. Begin with a brief 2-sentence summary about why the idea you’re about to write about is important. This will give the reader a reason to keep reading. Next, you need to provide more context for your hook. This could involve explaining the background of the topic, defining terms, or providing some background information.
Create a Thesis Statement
Finally, you need to state your thesis statement. This is the main point of your article, and it should be clear and concise. It should be a sentence that summarizes the main argument of your article and tells the reader what they can expect to learn from reading it. By following these tips, you can write an introduction that will grab the reader’s attention and keep them reading.
Thesis Statement Examples
Exercise is essential for good health and well-being. – States a direct fact The death penalty is not an effective deterrent to crime. – Makes an argument The rise of social media has led to a decline in face-to-face interactions. – Shows cause/effect
Once you have identified the main idea you want to develop, you need to establish its relevance to your thesis or argument. This means explaining how the main idea is important and how it supports your overall point.
Establish the Main Idea
- Start by explaining the context of your main idea. What is the situation that led to it? What are the circumstances that surround it?
- Explain how your main idea supports your thesis or argument. Why is it important to your overall point? How does it help you to make your case?
- Use specific examples to illustrate your main idea. This will help the reader to understand why it is important and how it applies to the real world.
Once you have established the relevance of your main idea, you can begin to discuss the situation. This means providing context for your main idea and explaining the circumstances that led to it. You should also describe any observations you have made about the situation.
Discuss the Situation
- Be as specific as possible. The more specific you are, the easier it will be for the reader to understand your point.
- Use evidence to support your claims. This could include quotes from experts, statistics, or personal observations.
- Be clear and concise. The reader should be able to follow your argument easily.
After you have discussed the situation, you can make an argument to demonstrate the value of the idea. This means explaining why the main idea is important and how it can benefit the reader. You should also address any potential objections to your argument and explain why they are not valid.
Make an Argument
- Start by stating your argument clearly. What is your main point? What are you trying to prove?
- Support your argument with evidence. This could include quotes from experts, statistics, or personal observations.
- Address any potential objections to your argument. Why is your argument valid? How do you respond to people who might disagree with you?
Finally, you can demonstrate to the reader how they can use the information you have provided to solve their problems. This means explaining how the main idea can be applied to real-world situations. You should also provide specific examples of how the main idea has been used to solve problems in the past.
Demonstrate the Problem Solving Process
- Be specific. The reader should be able to see how the information can be used to solve their own problems.
- Use real-world examples. This will help the reader to understand how the information can be applied to their own lives.
- Be clear and concise. The reader should be able to understand how they can use the information to solve their problems.
In your conclusion, you should summarize the main points of your article and reiterate your thesis statement. You should also highlight the most important information that you have presented, such as statistics and facts that support your main idea. This will help to ensure that your reader remembers the key points of your article. When you are summarizing your article, you should focus on the information that is most valuable to the reader. This could include information that is new to them, information that they can use to solve a problem, or information that makes them think differently about a topic.
The last sentence of your conclusion should be your call-to-action. It’s a command you give to your readers to encourage your desired action. Do you want them to click on a link? Do you want them to reach out to you? Do you want them to share your website on social media? Then say so! You’ve provided the value, not get them moving.
Common Examples
- “Click here to learn more.”
- “Share this article on social media.”
- “Contact me today to discuss your needs.”
Revision Phase
Successful content is revised to perfection. By following these steps, you can ensure that your content is as polished and professional as possible. This will help you build trust with your readers and increase your chances of success.
Perform a fact check: It’s easy to misremember your facts during the writing process. You want to ensure that the information you’ve presented is accurate to build trust with the reader. Check your quotes and citations, make sure any dates are correct and go over your sources one last time. First impressions can be last impressions over one simple mistake.
Read aloud: Pay attention to the tone, rhythm, sentence length, and arguments of the article. Does it stay on topic? Does it give readers time to absorb the information? Are some parts difficult to pronounce? Are there any redundant sentences? Are there any expressions that your readers might not understand and need to be explained?
Proofread the article: Proper spelling and grammar demonstrate that you’ve put effort into your writing and care about the reader. If you aren’t confident in your proofreading abilities, it doesn’t hurt to hire a professional. If you are on a budget you can also use a service such as ProWritingAid to assist you.
Peer review: Before publishing your article to a wider audience, make sure you test it on a smaller group. This group should represent your ideal target reader. Gather feedback to see if they understood the message, enjoyed reading it, and wanted to read more.
Distribution Phase
Once you’ve completed the article it’s time to distribute it. You can have the best content in the world, but there is no point if there is nobody there to read it. Distribute it on social media in communities that will allow it. Focus on the Search Engine Optimization to make it easier to find.
Frequently Asked Questions
An article should be as long as it needs to fully develop the idea you are talking about. However, generally search engines prefer articles that are over 2000 words. Google is becoming more and more competitive.
A good article should take about 5 days of work to write. That’s a round a week. Each day should be focused one of the five phases: Ideation, Research, Outlining, Drafting, and Revision.
In the context of writing, an article is a piece of writing that presents information about a particular topic. Articles can be found in newspapers, magazines, websites, and other publications. They can be short or long, and they can be written in a variety of styles.
There are two main types of articles: informative and argumentative. Informative articles provide factual information about a topic. They typically present the facts in a neutral way, without expressing any opinions or biases. Argumentative articles, on the other hand, take a position on a particular issue and argue in favor of that position. They typically use evidence and logic to support their argument
Closing Thoughts
Once you have revised your article, it is complete. Congratulations on your hard work! Your article is now an asset that you can use in many ways. You can update it with new information in the future, or you can transform it into content for other purposes. For example, you could include several body paragraphs in an eBook that you are writing.
Here are some other ideas for how you can use your article:
- Share it on social media. This is a great way to get the word out about your article and to attract new readers.
- Submit it to a publication. If you think your article is high-quality, you could submit it to a magazine or website.
- Use it as a marketing tool. If you have a business, you could use your article to promote your products or services.
No matter how you choose to use your article, be proud of the work you have done. You have created something that is valuable and that can be used to inform and entertain others.
Now that you’ve got all the information you need to write your article, time to get started! I can’t wait to read what masterpiece you create. If you want to start a blog, check out my post, “ What Should My First Blog Post Be About? “
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- CAREER FEATURE
- 04 December 2020
- Correction 09 December 2020
How to write a superb literature review
Andy Tay is a freelance writer based in Singapore.
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Literature reviews are important resources for scientists. They provide historical context for a field while offering opinions on its future trajectory. Creating them can provide inspiration for one’s own research, as well as some practice in writing. But few scientists are trained in how to write a review — or in what constitutes an excellent one. Even picking the appropriate software to use can be an involved decision (see ‘Tools and techniques’). So Nature asked editors and working scientists with well-cited reviews for their tips.
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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03422-x
Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
Updates & Corrections
Correction 09 December 2020 : An earlier version of the tables in this article included some incorrect details about the programs Zotero, Endnote and Manubot. These have now been corrected.
Hsing, I.-M., Xu, Y. & Zhao, W. Electroanalysis 19 , 755–768 (2007).
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Ledesma, H. A. et al. Nature Nanotechnol. 14 , 645–657 (2019).
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Brahlek, M., Koirala, N., Bansal, N. & Oh, S. Solid State Commun. 215–216 , 54–62 (2015).
Choi, Y. & Lee, S. Y. Nature Rev. Chem . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-020-00221-w (2020).
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How to Write a Listicle [+ Examples and Ideas]
Published: March 15, 2023
We’ve all been there. You click on a listicle that touts amazing insights and simple tips, only to be presented with worthless clickbait. Listicles often have a bad reputation for being low-quality and providing little value to their readers.
However, when done right, a listicle can get both clicks and share helpful insights. These well-written listicles can play an important role in your content strategy.
In fact, this post about listicles is primarily a list post itself. Here, we're going to dive into what a listicle is, how to write a high-quality article, and listicle ideas to help you generate engaging content for your readers.
6 Free Blog Post Templates
Save time creating blog posts with these free templates.
- "How-to" Post
- "What is" Post
- Listicle Post
You're all set!
Click this link to access this resource at any time.
What is a listicle?
Simply put, a listicle is an article written in list format. Each list item will typically include a few sentences or multiple paragraphs to educate or delight readers. For example, you might read a fun listicle, like "The Top 10 Movies of 2020," or a more informational one, like "7 Steps to Build a Website."
How to Write a Listicle
- Make sure your content makes sense in a list format.
- Include valuable takeaways — no fluff!
- Link to more in-depth information when necessary.
- Explain list items using relatable examples.
- Number your items.
- Include an appropriate number of list items.
- Use category buckets for longer lists.
- Logically order each step.
- Make sure your listicle is consistent.
- Have a clear and catchy title.
1. Make sure your content makes sense in list format.
Before you begin writing your listicle, research to ensure your topic fits into a list format.
If you search for your intended keyword and find most marketers are creating “Ultimate Guides” on the topic, it's better to avoid a listicle format.
For instance, perhaps you need to write about "Instagram Marketing."
While you'd initially planned on titling the piece "10 Best Instagram Marketing Tips," your research has uncovered plenty of other angles you'd like to include, such as "why Instagram marketing is important" and "how to create compelling content on Instagram."
These sections might fit better in an "Ultimate Guide to Instagram Marketing" instead of a listicle.
If you choose to create a listicle, each list item must match the topic. To create a high-quality listicle, your content must be consistent and parallel.
If you're writing a list of best practices, you should only have best practices in your list — sneaking examples will confuse your audience.
Remember: You can always create another listicle for examples later on.
2. Include valuable takeaways — no fluff!
The most significant indicator of a lousy list post is one that contains a ton of fluff and no tangible, valuable takeaways for the reader. Here's an example of what we mean:
3 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Marketing
- Be unique! Do something to stand out from your competitors.
- Take risks. Try out-of-the-box ideas.
- Measure results! Use your analytics to tell you what's working.
What a fantastic list post! I've learned absolutely nothing. Of course, you should do all these things in your social media marketing . But it needs to tell you how to do them.
Your listicle should give readers more than just a list of things to do and expect them to figure out how to do them themselves. It should also include valuable content that tells readers how to do each step.
An excellent list post nixes the fluff and concretely explains each item in detail. Not every tip will be new to your reader.
However, if they walk away thinking, "Well, I already put numbers 3, 4, and 6 into practice, but I can't believe I've been missing out on numbers 1, 2, and 5!" — then you've probably got yourself a high-quality list.
Some listicles are meant to be more fun, but you can still include valuable takeaways. For example, the "Top Ten Best Ads of 2020" can be primarily visual, but it's still essential you include advice your readers can use to create better ads for themselves.
Featured Resource: Listicle Blog Post Template
3. Link to more in-depth information when necessary.
One of the ways you can add value is to direct readers to other resources when necessary.
Great list posts are comprehensive, so they can get long and unwieldy. If this is the case, consider pointing your readers to another place for more in-depth information.
For example, we recently wrote a list post entitled “ Email Deliverability: 5 Quick & Effective Ways to Increase It .” The last tip in the list was "Check to see your emails' legality" and mentioned GDPR, which could be a blog post in itself. In fact, it already is .
Giving our readers enough information for that section to be truly helpful would have involved copying and pasting the entirety of our GDPR post into our listicle. That wouldn't have been the most beneficial choice (and also might've hurt our SEO).
Instead, we explained the tip in a moderate amount of detail and then directed readers to the other post where they could find more in-depth information if they needed it.
Image Source
Feel free to do this in your own listicles. If you have to link to an external resource because you haven't written the post yourself — excellent.
You've just passed off some link love, and you also now have another article idea for your blogging backlog.
4. Explain list items using relatable examples.
Sometimes one of the best ways to adequately explain a point on your list is to use an example to support it. Of course, real examples are ideal, but sometimes even a hypothetical one works just as great.
When selecting or creating an example, keep it as relatable as possible to your readers. This can be tricky if your blog's audience comprises a variety of readers from different industries or businesses (like ours). The key here is to keep your examples general so everyone can relate.
For instance, in HubSpot's listicle " 17 Fun (Not Cheesy) Ice Breaker Games Your Employees Will Enjoy ," item 24 (Two Truths and a Lie) needed clarification for readers who haven't played the game before.
To illustrate the game, I provided a personal example using a hypothetical example:
Ideally, most readers will find this example helpful for understanding the game's premise and how it works. Plus, it makes the content more interesting to read.
5. Number your items.
This is an easy one. If you're writing a listicle — especially when you use a number in the title of your list post — number your list items.
This is particularly important when you have a long list because readers want to gauge their progress as they're reading through the list (i.e., "only halfway to go" or "I'm almost done!").
Readers may also like to reference particular points on a list later or share them with others .
Being able to refer to a specific number rather than saying, "I think it's near the bottom of the list" or "It's the fourth bullet point down" is a much more user-friendly experience for your blog audience.
Make things easy for your readers.
6. Include an appropriate number of list items.
While talking about numbers, let's clear up some misconceptions about them. Listicle writers believe you should choose a number before writing your list and ensure you have enough points to fit that number.
We disagree.
Sitting down and saying you're going to write a list of 14 items makes no sense. What if only 11 solid, valuable items make up the list? Should you come up with three lower-quality items to achieve your goal of 14?
Just be comprehensive. For example, this very listicle how-to post includes ten steps for writing a listicle because that's how many I thought were individually valuable and indicative of a high-quality list post for this particular subject.
Originally I had brainstormed 11, but as I started writing, I cut one out because it wasn't that different from another point, and they could easily be represented as one.
As we mentioned before, listicles can quickly become unwieldy. So when you start drafting your listicle, decide how granular you want to make your topic. This will help make your list more manageable. The title you craft can also help you stay focused.
For example, if you work for a plumbing company and want to write a listicle about how you can unclog a drain. You might stick to "The Top 4 Ways to Unclog a Drain," rather than writing a long list post covering "The 50 Different Ways to Unclog a Drain."
Furthermore, conduct tests and research to glean some best practices for your list posts. An internal study of our blog revealed that posts for which the title indicated six items or fewer didn't perform as well as when the title indicated the list contained seven or more items.
The lesson? While we sometimes still write lists posts containing six or fewer items, we don't include the number in the title for those posts. We might try to title it "Why Every Marketer Needs a CRM" instead of "3 Reasons Every Marketer Needs a CRM."
7. Use category buckets for longer lists.
When we published " 34 Millennial Stats That Marketers Need to Know ," we broke up the statistics into five sections:
- "General Stats and Market Opportunities."
- "Social Media & Digital Habits."
- "Behaviors and Financial Factors."
- "Education and Work."
- And "Political and Societal Views.”
If some of our readers don't care about the average millennial's financial situation, they can quickly scan the post and avoid that section. Perfect!
If your listicle seems long or unruly, consider breaking it into subcategories to help readers scan for what they're looking for and feel more relaxed at first glance.
8. Logically order each step.
Like any other post you write, your list should flow and tell a story. How you do this will depend on the subject and contents of your list, but here are some great organizational structures to choose from:
- Alphabetical (great for glossaries).
- Chronological (great for step-by-step guides).,
- Popularity/importance, like most to least or least to most (great for top 10/20/50 lists).
Another best practice is to emphasize your strongest points at the beginning, middle, and end of your list to keep readers engaged throughout the article.
When I sat down and brainstormed this list, it was just that — a brainstormed list. It was unorganized and all over the place. I rearranged the furniture once I'd identified all the points I wanted to include.
Sometimes your list points will practically arrange themselves (e.g., "5 Steps to Do X"), and sometimes there won't be as obvious a story (e.g., "20 Ways to Do Y"). Just put the time into figuring it out and ordering your items as logically as possible.
9. Make sure your listicle is consistent.
I'm not as strict about this one as some listicle purists, but your listicle should have a consistent and parallel look. Failing to do so only confuses readers.
Here are some helpful guidelines to consider:
- Try to keep sections similar in length.
- Use the same header style to highlight your list items, and make sure they stand out.
- Make sure your list item headers are written in a parallel fashion (i.e., if it's a list of action items, each should be led with a verb).
- Finally, use images and bullet points to break up text when appropriate.
10. Have a clear and catchy title.
As we mentioned at the beginning of this post, one of the reasons people have always loved listicles is because they know exactly what — and how much — they'll get out of them.
There is no guesswork involved, and your expectations are very clear for your readers. Make sure your title epitomizes that .
A compelling listicle title should accomplish three things to entice readers actually to read the post:
- Capture the readers' attention
- Clearly indicate the value or what the reader will learn
- Suggest how much they will learn with a number.
For example, consider this post, " 5 Steps to Create an Outstanding Marketing Plan [Free Templates] ." Do you wonder what this post will be about? Not at all.
You know that you'll learn how to create a marketing plan (in 5 steps), and you'll have templates if you need help.
Listicle Examples
As marketers, we're often tasked with writing about drier topics to educate our viewers and attract leads. A listicle can help the reader scan for the information they need and feel less overwhelmed by the amount of content.
Let's explore a few examples to inspire you.
1. HubSpot's " 6 Secrets to Achieving Work-Life Balance, According to HubSpot Marketing Managers "
This post from HubSpot explores how you can achieve work/life balance, so you can be your best self every day.
What we love: This post includes plenty of quotes from marketing managers explaining their secrets. Quotes are a great way to provide value to your readers.
2. Buzzfeed's " 24 Of The Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books Of 2023 "
When it comes to book reviews, Buzzfeed knows the right formula. The site creates listicles of both recent releases, as well as titles that will be hitting shelves soon.
What we love: Each item on this list includes a release date for the book, as well as a summary. The listicle also links to where readers can order the book.
3. Southern Living’s " Soups To Make Every Month Of 2023 "
When it comes to cooking, what’s in season changes every month. Southern Living blends the best of a cooking calendar and a listicle for this collection of soup recipes.
What we love: This list makes use of clever organization, ordering recipes by month. And with 12 recipes highlighted, this listicle is easy to digest.
4. UpgradedPoints’ “ The 12 Best Websites for Booking Flights at the Cheapest Prices ”
UpgradedPoints created a listicle to help travelers save on their next vacation. This article gathers sites that offer flight discounts, including a list of pros and cons for each.
What we love: At the end of each list item, the author includes a “hot tip” that can help readers save even more. By using icons and distinct colors with this text, this tidbit draws readers in.
5. Polygon’s " The Best Super Bowl Commercials of 2023 "
Whether or not you watched the big game, everyone at the office will be talking about the commercials. Polygon gathers the ads everyone will be discussing in this article.
What we love: It’s not enough to describe the ad. People need to see it. This post breaks up chunks of text with videos of the ads themselves.
Now that we've explored some examples, let's dive into some ideas you can use to create yours.
Listicle Ideas
Finally, let's explore some listicle ideas to help your marketing team brainstorm highly engaging content for your readers.
We'll explore a few more tactical pieces you might write for an ecommerce, B2C, or B2B company, but we'll also dive into some fun, "trendier" ideas if you work for a publication looking to expand your reach.
Listicle Ideas For Ecommerce or B2C Companies
- 14 Essential Ways to Build a Timeless Wardrobe
- How to Apply Black Lipstick in Three Easy Steps
- 20 Things You’ll Need in Your First Apartment
- 13 Things You Should Know Before Buying a Sofa
- The 7 Best Sustainable Furniture Companies
Listicle Ideas For B2B Companies
- How to Choose a CRM in 4 Easy Steps
- The 11 Best Website Builders
- 5 Steps to Creating a Marketing Playbook
- 3 Steps to Create a Better About Us Page
- 7 Communication Channels Your Team Needs in 2023
- 12 Marketers Tell Us Their Favorite Marketing Campaigns of 2023
Listicle Ideas For Publications Looking to Trend Online
- How to Make These 3 Meals With Only 5 Ingredients
- 10 Cool Gadgets You'll Definitely Need This Summer
- 7 Hilarious Videos Trending on YouTube Right Now
- How to Become an Entrepreneur, According to 11 Successful Ones
- If You're a Leader, You Need to Accept Some Harsh Truths. These Seven CEOs Explain Why.
There you have it! Remember that listicles should serve the same purpose as any other marketing content — to attract the right audience to your products or services.
Sit down with your team and brainstorm challenges your readers might be facing, and then decide whether that challenge can be solved with a step-by-step guide or a list of tools (that includes yours).
Now, you're well on your way to having more listicles in your content strategy. Happy planning!
Don't forget to share this post!
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Marketing software that helps you drive revenue, save time and resources, and measure and optimize your investments — all on one easy-to-use platform
- Research Process
Writing a good review article
- 3 minute read
Table of Contents
As a young researcher, you might wonder how to start writing your first review article, and the extent of the information that it should contain. A review article is a comprehensive summary of the current understanding of a specific research topic and is based on previously published research. Unlike research papers, it does not contain new results, but can propose new inferences based on the combined findings of previous research.
Types of review articles
Review articles are typically of three types: literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses.
A literature review is a general survey of the research topic and aims to provide a reliable and unbiased account of the current understanding of the topic.
A systematic review , in contrast, is more specific and attempts to address a highly focused research question. Its presentation is more detailed, with information on the search strategy used, the eligibility criteria for inclusion of studies, the methods utilized to review the collected information, and more.
A meta-analysis is similar to a systematic review in that both are systematically conducted with a properly defined research question. However, unlike the latter, a meta-analysis compares and evaluates a defined number of similar studies. It is quantitative in nature and can help assess contrasting study findings.
Tips for writing a good review article
Here are a few practices that can make the time-consuming process of writing a review article easier:
- Define your question: Take your time to identify the research question and carefully articulate the topic of your review paper. A good review should also add something new to the field in terms of a hypothesis, inference, or conclusion. A carefully defined scientific question will give you more clarity in determining the novelty of your inferences.
- Identify credible sources: Identify relevant as well as credible studies that you can base your review on, with the help of multiple databases or search engines. It is also a good idea to conduct another search once you have finished your article to avoid missing relevant studies published during the course of your writing.
- Take notes: A literature search involves extensive reading, which can make it difficult to recall relevant information subsequently. Therefore, make notes while conducting the literature search and note down the source references. This will ensure that you have sufficient information to start with when you finally get to writing.
- Describe the title, abstract, and introduction: A good starting point to begin structuring your review is by drafting the title, abstract, and introduction. Explicitly writing down what your review aims to address in the field will help shape the rest of your article.
- Be unbiased and critical: Evaluate every piece of evidence in a critical but unbiased manner. This will help you present a proper assessment and a critical discussion in your article.
- Include a good summary: End by stating the take-home message and identify the limitations of existing studies that need to be addressed through future studies.
- Ask for feedback: Ask a colleague to provide feedback on both the content and the language or tone of your article before you submit it.
- Check your journal’s guidelines: Some journals only publish reviews, while some only publish research articles. Further, all journals clearly indicate their aims and scope. Therefore, make sure to check the appropriateness of a journal before submitting your article.
Writing review articles, especially systematic reviews or meta-analyses, can seem like a daunting task. However, Elsevier Author Services can guide you by providing useful tips on how to write an impressive review article that stands out and gets published!
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From the Editors: How to write a high-quality review
- Published: 09 July 2013
- Volume 44 , pages 547–553, ( 2013 )
Cite this article
- Paula Caligiuri 1 &
- David C Thomas
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The peer review process is widely used by academic journals, including the Journal of International Business Studies ( JIBS ), to evaluate the quality of manuscript submissions relative to the journals’ scholarly goals. Our overview suggests that the best reviews also facilitate the introduction of new and important ideas to the field. Content analysis of 156 past JIBS reviews found that the best reviews (highly rated reviews written by reviewers who won the JIBS best reviewer award in 2011 and 2012) shared many key features, including a focus on the overall contribution (potential impact) of the manuscript, a positive tone and specific suggestions for improvement. We also surveyed current JIBS action editors and found that, despite the importance of high-quality reviews for the advancement of the field, few recalled being formally trained or mentored on how to write them. To better understand the features of a good review, the editors rated the various features of the peer reviews on helpfulness, and they also rated how often these features are present in the reviews they receive. Based on the survey of action editors and the content analysis of previous reviews, this editorial offers detailed guidance for current and future reviewers on how to write helpful, developmental and possibly even award-winning peer reviews.
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
INTRODUCTION
The peer review process is a cornerstone for maintaining the standards of leading scholarly journals such as the Journal of International Business Studies ( JIBS ). We acknowledge the many criticisms of the process (e.g., Bedeian, 2004 ; Suls & Martin, 2009 ; Tsang & Frey, 2007 ) but agree with Miller (2006 : 425), who noted that “although this system of peer review is well accepted, it is far from perfect. Many would characterize it just as Winston Churchill characterized democracy – ‘it is the worst possible system except for all others.’ ” While perhaps not ideal, peer review is a good system and one that can be improved through the quality of the reviews written. It is in this spirit that we investigated the characteristics of the best JIBS reviews in order to offer specific guidance on how to write high-quality reviews.
JIBS is similar to other scholarly journals in its reliance on reviewer anonymity, in our case through a double-blind peer review process. The procedure at JIBS is to place into the review process the submitted manuscripts that meet the “minimum JIBS norms for fit, quality, and contribution to IB” ( JIBS Statement of Editorial Policy) ( http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jibs/jibs_statement.html ). Specifically, all manuscripts are read by the Reviewing Editor (RE), who forwards each paper to either the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) or Deputy Editor (DE), depending on the topic area. This central editorial team (RE, EIC and DE) evaluates whether or not a manuscript is well developed enough to be sent out for review, and in particular whether it lies within the scope of the journal, which covers the domain of the international business field as set out in our Statement of Editorial Policy, as well as assessing a checklist against minimum standards. Based on this initial evaluation, the EIC or DE either desk rejects the manuscript or assigns it to one of the Area Editors (or in some cases a Consulting Editor) as the action editor. Note that JIBS has a policy of desk reject and resubmit that allows authors to resubmit previously desk rejected manuscripts if they have been substantially revised according to the editor's recommendations. The initial review process is concerned not just with the screening of manuscripts for their fit and suitability for the journal, but more importantly it has the objective of assessing what might be the likely impact of a paper on the field as a whole, from the perspective of international business scholarship in general. A key aim we have for the journal review process is that it should combine constructive suggestions for revision to take account of subject and topic-specific concerns on a particular study from the viewpoint of specialists in the relevant research area, along with the objective of developing articles that have the capacity to attract interest and attention among international business scholars more widely.
Action editors review the manuscript and can either desk reject the manuscript or send it out for review. Thus, before a manuscript is seen by reviewers it has already been reviewed by three JIBS editors as to whether or not it meets the minimum standards at the journal, and for an overview of where its potential contribution to the field might lie, with the goal that the nature of this contribution will emerge more clearly through the review process. The number of reviewers that are typical in the contributing disciplines to JIBS varies. At JIBS , two or three reviewers are selected by the action editor based on the reviewers’ expertise on the submitted manuscript's topic and method and are then sent the manuscript (which has been removed of author identifying information). JIBS asks reviewers to rate the manuscript as to its overall contribution, theory development, literature review, methods (if applicable), integration and style of presentation, and to suggest to the action editor if the manuscript should be accepted, rejected or invited to revise and resubmit. We also ask that reviewers provide detailed comments to authors, and we give reviewers the opportunity to make confidential comments to the action editor, which are not shared with authors. When the reviews are received, the action editors use this information as guidance and advice in reaching their editorial decision. When the action editors receive reviews, they also rate them as to quality on a 1–5 scale according to the following:
5 – Outstanding review (exceptionally high quality): This is reserved for cases where the review is of such high quality that the individual should be a candidate for JIBS Best Reviewer Award.
4 – Very good review: This review is insightful and truly developmental.
3 – Good review (average review): This review is critical but fair, constructive and reasonably comprehensive.
2 – Acceptable (but below average) review: This review is sketchy and below average.
1 – Poor review: This review reserved for cases where the review is of such low quality that the individual should no longer be used as a JIBS reviewer.
These scores, in part, comprise the data for determining the annual JIBS best reviewer awards. For this study, we used these scores to create a database of the best-rated and not so highly rated reviews over the past 2 years. An analysis of these reviews along with a survey of JIBS Editors provided the data for this editorial. With it we hope to provide guidance for current and future reviewers on how to write helpful, developmental and possibly even award-winning peer reviews.
THE FEATURES OF THE MOST HELPFUL REVIEWS: A SURVEY OF EDITORS
To better understand the features of the most helpful reviews, we surveyed the current JIBS action editors (EIC, DE, Consulting Editors, RE, Special Issue Editors and Area Editors), asking them to provide ratings on the helpfulness of 20 features of peer reviews. These features, listed in Appendix A , were adapted from the JIBS guidelines for peer reviews ( http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jibs/reviewer_guidelines.html ). Seventeen action editors responded.
The action editors surveyed were asked to rate each feature's helpfulness or usefulness to them as an editor. The scale ranged from 1=useless/very unimportant to 5=critical/extremely important. With the exception of one feature (The review corrects grammatical and typographical mistakes) all of the features of peer reviews were considered “helpful,” receiving scores around 4. The most helpful features – those with an average score over 4 – include:
The reviewer discloses any potential conflict of interest (usefulness mean=4.53).
The review makes plausible suggestions for improving the manuscript (usefulness mean=4.47).
The review offers advice on how problems in the manuscript could be addressed (usefulness mean=4.41).
The reviewer declines if he or she is feels unqualified to judge (usefulness mean=4.35).
The review indicates strengths (as well as weaknesses) of the manuscript (usefulness mean=4.35).
The review provides comments on the manuscript's overall contribution to the field (usefulness mean=4.24).
The review suggests alternate ways to analyze the data (usefulness mean=4.00).
Next, the action editors were asked to rate the frequency with which they observed each feature in the peer reviews they have received as editors. This scale ranged from 1=very rarely see this in reviews to 5=always see this in reviews. Across the key features, the editors report that these features “occasionally” appear in the reviews, scoring them around 3. The mean frequency scores for these most helpful features are as follows:
The review indicates strengths (as well as weaknesses) of the manuscript (frequency mean=3.44).
The review makes plausible suggestions for improving the manuscript (frequency mean=3.38).
The review provides comments on the manuscript's overall contribution to the field (frequency mean=3.37).
The review offers advice on how problems in the manuscript could be addressed (frequency mean=3.37).
The reviewer declines if he or she is feels unqualified to judge (frequency mean=3.08).
The reviewer discloses any potential conflict of interest (frequency mean=2.44).
The review suggests alternate ways to analyze the data (frequency mean=2.94).
The most helpful features were echoed in the final, open-ended question asking the action editors, “What is the most important thing a review should contain in order to be helpful to you in making an editorial decision?” Some editors listed more than one feature for a total of 30 comments. Many of the comments (11 out of 30) focused on describing the potential contribution or added value of the paper. Sample responses around this theme included:
An assessment of the contribution to the field and theory … how important are the ideas?Assess the significance of the manuscript to the literatureAn assessment of the potential contribution to the field
This indicates to us that editors are at least as concerned with introducing innovative concepts to the field as they are with quality control.
Consistent with the importance of evaluating the potential impact of the article, a number of comments (6 out of 30) focused on offering constructive and specific suggestions for improvement on theory and analyses. Sample responses around this theme included:
Information about directions for improving the manuscriptA sense of what can be done to improve the paper and what cannot be doneMake constructive suggestions for improving the manuscript
Offering ways of improving the manuscript was also reflected by the editors whose comments (7 out of 30) mentioned that it was helpful for the reviewers to point out the strengths/appropriateness and weaknesses/inappropriateness of particular analytic strategies or theoretical arguments. Sample responses around this theme included:
Identify and articulate the main strengths and weaknesses of a manuscript, both in the conceptual part and empirical partIdentification of the key shortcomingsIdentify fatal errors in research design/methods
In summary, the open-ended comments echoed the results of the survey, which focused on the importance of peer reviews identifying and helping to bring to the surface the most important contribution of the manuscript as opposed to simply erecting barriers that authors must overcome in order to see their work published. That is, while quality control is important, it is not the overriding factor that editors are looking for in a review.
THE FEATURES OF THE BEST PEER REVIEWS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS
As a complementary means of assessing the characteristics of high-quality reviews, we content analyzed the comments to authors sections of reviews received from July 2010 through June 2012 that met two criteria: (1) had quality ratings of either 4 or 5 and (2) were written by 1 of the 17 individuals who won the JIBS best reviewer award in 2011 and 2012 (10 awarded each year, 3 people won both years). Based on these criteria the JIBS Managing Editor removed identifying information and extracted the 78 reviews in this category, which comprised the best reviews received during this period. From the same 2-year time period, a random sample of 78 reviews was extracted that had quality ratings of either 1 or 2. Identifying information was removed and these reviews were included in the content analysis.
The two sets of reviews were analyzed with the aid of content analysis software (NVivo). Key terms used in coding were derived from the review of features in the Appendix , in particular a gap analysis of the delivered vs provided responses of editors, and from an exploratory word frequency analysis of the reviews. Once themes were established, segments of text ranging from a few words to several sentences were categorized as fitting the theme. The basic differences in the two sets of reviews and the main themes that emerged are the following:
The best reviews were longer. Best reviews were 1403 words on average, compared with 438 words in the less effective reviews. It is not length per se that is the important aspect here, but that longer reviewers were indicative of more complete and in-depth coverage of issues. Shorter reviews often covered as many points but in a fairly cryptic manner with little explanation. The longer reviews also tended to include full citations for the authors to consider referencing rather than offering a passing suggestion about other references (without specifics).
The best reviews did not make an obvious recommendation in the comments to authors (e.g., paper should be rejected). None of the best reviews did this, compared with 6.5% of the less effective reviews. Reviewers are provided an opportunity to make a recommendation as to the disposition of the manuscript in the evaluation form and in their confidential comments to the action editor. More often than not, reviewers do not agree on the appropriate outcome of the editorial process, and making this opinion known in comments to authors is not helpful.
The best reviews gave complete references to sources cited 17.9% of the time. The less effective reviews did this 6.5% of the time. This is just good form and indicates the kind of collegial and conversational style that is prevalent in the best reviews as discussed ahead.
The best reviews focused on the contribution or potential contribution 85% of the time. The less effective reviews did this 49% of the time. Again, this aspect of the review is most important to review quality. The best examples of this were very clear and concise statements of how the manuscript could potentially influence the field and what the reviewer found interesting or unique about the potential contribution. It is important to note that this focus was evident even in reviews where the reviewer was recommending that the manuscript be rejected.
The best reviews used a numbered or indexed format 89% of the time. The less effective reviews did this 38% of the time. Obviously, editors like this, because it makes it easier to refer to specific comments in the reviews. And it allows authors to be systematic in responses to reviewer comments.
The best reviews used a more positive tone 55% of the time and a more neutral tone 43% of the time. They used a negative tone only 2% of the time. The less effective reviews used a more positive tone 45% of the time and a more neutral tone 31% of the time. They used a negative tone 24% of the time. Some of the less effective reviews were inconsistent in tone at times (e.g., positive at outset and overly negative comments at the end). Perhaps the best way to describe the tone of the best reviews is collegial. That is, they read like a discussion between colleagues who respect each other as opposed to a restaurant review where the critic did not like the meal.
From the perspective of decisions, the opinions of the better reviews tended to align more closely with the editors’ opinions. The editors agreed with the best reviews 89% of the time and 49% with the less effective reviews. This alignment is possibly the result of the fact that the better reviewers had taken the time to become more familiar with JIBS Statement of Editorial Policy. Certainly every reviewer should be very familiar with the journal's policies before conducting a review. It does not appear that the quality of the reviews affected rejection rates, which were comparable in both sets of reviews.
The gap analysis of desired vs provided features of peer reviews indicated that the key areas on which editors focused were comments on the overall contribution to the field, advice on how problems in the manuscript could be addressed, plausible suggestions for improving the manuscript and suggestions for alternate ways to analyze the data. Content analysis of reviews based on these themes, as well as themes derived from word frequency, indicated that the best reviewers were much more focused on providing information that would be useful in surfacing the unique contribution of the manuscript as opposed to simply identifying deficiencies. And of course this is consistent with the goal of JIBS to publish research that is insightful, innovative and impactful.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AN EXCELLENT REVIEW
The following advice is derived from the qualitative assessment of top reviews and the survey responses of action editors on specific elements of excellent reviews. The top five are offered in the following:
Focus the review on the potential contribution : The primary issue for peer reviewers should be the extent to which the manuscript has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to the field of interest. In the case of JIBS , based on your knowledge of the field, identify for the editor (and author) where the potential contribution lies and what must be done to realize that potential. That is, how does or might the paper advance our collective understanding in international business from the lens of your field (e.g., marketing, finance, management)?
Offer details about the strengths and the weakness of the paper : As guardians of the knowledge creation in our respective fields, we are trained to have critical and questioning eyes. Thus, identifying weaknesses is the easiest part of the reviewer's job. However, it is the strengths of the manuscript that provide the platform for development, so it is helpful to identify the strengths of the manuscript along with the weaknesses.
Offer specific and constructive feedback for ways to address problems : The ability to critique, find fatal flaws, suggest alternative explanations and identify problems with methodology and theory are, collectively, half of the skill of great reviewers. The other, and often more difficult, half is to offer constructive suggestions on realistic ways to address a given concern ( Kohli, 2011 ).
Evaluate your objectivity and ability to review before agreeing : For obvious reasons, it is important for potential reviewers to disclose any conflict of interest that might impair their objective judgment, such as familiarity with the manuscript or a personal relationship with the authors. It is often difficult for editors to know about professional relationships between, say, former advisors and advisees, or among co-authors and colleagues. And being overly familiar with a manuscript or its authors has the potential to impair objectivity. To preserve this objectivity, reviewers are encouraged not to try to identify authors by conducting an electronic search of their posted working papers, curriculum vitae and conference presentations ( Hillman & Rynes, 2007 ). At the same time, it is also acceptable to decline to review because you do not feel as though you have the expertise to make a fair judgment on the contribution.
Improve the mechanics your review : Your review should follow a logical order. Often, although not always, the points are written in the same order of the manuscripts’ sections. It is helpful for authors (and the editors) if points are numbered, allowing responses to flow more logically. If you are suggesting additional references, add the complete reference to the review. And, please, do not indicate an editorial decision in the comments to authors.
Of course these suggestions alone are insufficient, as writing an excellent review is as much art as it is science and requires striking a balance between being positive and constructive yet critical and challenging. And it also involves offering ways of resolving research problems while respecting the objective and goals of the author. Footnote 1
IMPLICATIONS FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL TRAINING
Writing high-quality peer reviews, while critical for JIBS and other scholarly journals, is a skill rarely trained, coached or developed. Senior scholars are encouraged to mentor future potential referees “to develop and reinforce peer review skills and capabilities” ( Carpenter, 2009 : 191). Curious to learn how senior scholars learned to write reviews, we asked the action editors the open ended question, “How did you learn to write peer reviews?”
If this group of action editors is representative of the larger body of reviewers, it seems that most learn of us learn from experience, one review at a time. Most of the editors wrote that they learned how to write reviews “by doing them”; some further refined this “learning by doing,” describing that they reviewed for conferences to gain experience. Others refined “learning by doing” by reflecting on how their reviews compared with the editor's letter and other reviewers’ comments on the papers they reviewed. Many reviewers learn how to conduct reviews by mimicking the style of the most helpful reviews they have received. About two-thirds of the editors learned how to review by reading the reviews of their own papers. Some of the action editors (5 of the 17) credited their graduate school training or their advisors in preparing them for how to write a review. They recalled having sessions on how to write reviews in their PhD seminars, having to write mock reviews and receiving feedback on their early efforts.
While experience as reviewers might increase over time, it seems that we rarely receive constructive feedback on our reviews (outside of graduate school or when we request such feedback). Feedback is limited to “best reviewer” awards at one extreme and not being asked to review by the same journal twice at the other. In both cases, we might get the message, but without ever understanding what made our reviews great (or not so great). To prepare the next generation of scholars to be able to write high-quality peer reviews, we recommend the following for doctoral programs:
Offer formal training on how to write a peer review.
Offer feedback on first reviews, perhaps comparing actual reviews with practice reviews.
Encourage graduate students to review for conferences – and offer feedback their comments.
Teach an approach for continually developing reviewer skills (how to evaluate the reviews received on one's own work, how to compare one's review with other reviews for the same manuscript, how to compare one's review with the editors comments on the review conducted).
Mentor young scholars on the mechanics of how journals are managed from an editorial perspective (e.g., getting on editorial boards, the importance of conducting ad hoc reviews, the way in which reviews are rated).
Excellent reviewers are a “scarce and valuable resource” ( Marchionini, 2008 ). Northcraft (2001) found that more senior scholars with the greatest levels of expertise are less likely to agree to ad hoc reviewing. However, Rynes (2006) found a negative relationship between reviewers’ professional age and review quality and suggested that the mix of more professionally junior and senior reviewers would balance innovation with established wisdom. Whether the reviewers are senior or junior, encouraging excellence in reviews is of critical importance to continuing to advance our field with breakthrough ideas along with attention to theoretical and methodological rigor. A list of 20 review features is offered in Appendix A . These could provide a guide for the training of junior scholars to build skills as effective reviewers.
In writing this editorial we drew on the expertise of the current set of JIBS editors as well as an analysis of some of the best (and not so good) reviews by JIBS reviewers over the past 2 years. Reviewing papers for JIBS is a voluntary activity but an activity that goes to the heart of maintaining and enhancing the field of international business. It was a privilege to read some of the best reviews conducted by JIBS reviewers over the past few years and to contrast them with their more run-of-the-mill cousins. We hope our synthesis and report of this activity will be helpful as we all try to perfect our skills in this important endeavor.
We thank the JIBS EIC for reminding us of this.
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1 Area Editors
Features of peer reviews
The review is completed in the time allotted.
The review uses the correct perspective and does not offer an editorial opinion (accept, reject, revise) in comments to the author.
The review provides suggestions for missing citations.
The review is separated into major and minor points.
The points in the review numbered or indexed in some way.
The review provides comments on the manuscript's overall contribution to the field.
The review comments on the suitability of the manuscript for JIBS .
The review indicates strengths (as well as weaknesses) of the manuscript.
The review offers advice on how problems in the manuscript could be addressed.
The review makes plausible suggestions for improving the manuscript.
The review corrects grammatical and typographical mistakes.
The review suggests alternate ways to analyze the data.
The review provides an explanation of why a particular comment was made.
The review is honest in the “comments to the author” (i.e., does not provide a different opinion to you from what is written to the authors).
The review is written in a way that is sensitive to manuscript submissions from authors whose native language is not English.
The review is written in language that is polite and respectful.
The comments are directed to the manuscript (as opposed to the author).
The review is free of personal or professional (discipline) biases.
The reviewer discloses any potential conflict of interest.
The reviewer declines if he or she is feels unqualified to judge.
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Caligiuri, P., Thomas, D. From the Editors: How to write a high-quality review. J Int Bus Stud 44 , 547–553 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2013.24
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How to write a YouTube script that engages your audience: The ultimate guide
There’s no beating around the bush: if you want to take your YouTube video production to the next level, you need to be writing scripts for every video you publish. It’ll make your videos more consistent and more polished—two things that drive up viewership and attract new subscribers.
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Spending time on your YouTube script allows you to dive deeper into specific topics. Research might change the way you approach the subject. Using statistics and real-life stories to corroborate your point can help you make a stronger impact with your videos.
📺 Start learning: How do teleprompters work and do I need one?
Consistency
People feel more comfortable when they know what to expect from someone. If you’re a creator that publishes vastly different types of content each time you upload to YouTube , people won’t understand you or know what to expect, which could deep them from subscribing to your channel.
But if you create a video script template and use it for every new video, your content creation process will follow the same workflow and result in consistent videos—not just in terms of quality, but outline and structure too.
How to write a YouTube script in 5 easy steps
- Identify your target audience
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Let’s put that into practice and say you’re a skincare content creator who is producing a YouTube video about skincare routines. If you didn’t know your audience inside out, you’d likely take a generic route and talk to people similar to yourself.
But if you know that your ideal viewer is a premenopausal woman who is suffering with breakouts because her hormones are changing, you’d write a completely different script—one with a much higher chance of not only reaching your audience, but engaging them too.
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Now that you know who you’re talking to, it’s time to start drafting your script. The document doesn’t have to be anywhere near video-ready yet. Your goal at this stage is to just move away from the blank page and jot down some bullet points to weave into your YouTube script.
Start with some keyword research to understand the words someone would search for to find your video. For example: if you’re creating a YouTube video around the topic of walking for fat loss, your keyword research might indicate you should talk about the following topics in your script:
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From there, you can start to organize the talking points into sections. This will make it easier for you to cover a point in detail before moving onto the next, rather than jumping back and forth and making it much harder for viewers to follow.
3. Define your hook
Any good script has a strong hook. YouTube viewers have a plethora of videos to watch, and you need something to catch someone’s eye and convince them to watch yours.
The problem is: you don’t have long. The average viewer’s attention span is just over eight seconds , so your YouTube script needs to start off with a strong hook; something that:
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Take this intro to Steven Bartlett’s vlog, for example. He introduces the video with a quick rundown of what his week looks like, complete with video clips of city skylines, him sleeping in cars, and him talking onstage to a theater full of people. It’s exciting, and viewers will know this video is for them within just a few seconds.
4. Incorporate visual cues
A video script isn’t just a place for you to jot down what someone will hear when they tune into your YouTube video. The best YouTube script templates have visual cues to marry the audio to what a viewer sees on screen, such as:
- Callouts or annotations
- Transitions from one scene to another
- B-roll to illustrate what you’re talking about (e.g. if you’re talking about dirt bikes, stock video footage of someone riding a bike)
This process is made easy with Descript. Once you’ve written your YouTube video script and recorded the video footage, you can add transitions, B-roll, and even sound effects without leaving the script.
5. Practice your script and get feedback
The first draft won’t be the best one—that’s normal. Spend some time playing around with your script’s structure, language, and hook before you sit down to record. It’ll save any “Oh, I wish I said that instead!” moments during the editing process.
Read your video script out loud to pick out any phrases that don’t sound right. If an idea pops into your head as you read, incorporate it into the video script and read it again.
Get friends and family—or even better, someone who already watches your YouTube channel—to take one last pass over your script. These people know who you are and what you sound like, so they’re the best ones to pick out any inconsistencies in your script and make sure your personality is still there.
5 bonus tips and tricks to write a good YouTube script
Write in a conversational tone.
The YouTube creators who go viral and build loyal audiences do it because their followers can connect with them. That’s easier to do when your audience can easily understand what you’re saying. Big words and complicated jargon can turn viewers off—instead, write your script as if you’re explaining something to a friend.
A good way to judge whether your script will go over people’s heads is by using a writing assistant like Hemingway Editor, which rates the reading level of your writing. Aim for Grade 6 as a best practice, but don’t be afraid to adjust this based on your audience. If you’re creating kids’ videos, for example, you’d want a lower grade, whereas if you’re talking to founders about complex finance topics, you’d likely aim for a higher one.
Open a curiosity gap
A curiosity gap is a statement that makes viewers want to learn more, and it’s key to winning your audience’s interest and keeping them watching. Start your video with a question or a surprising statement, then keep opening more curiosity gaps throughout the video once the original question is satisfied. Be specific, but don’t give everything away too soon—you want to leave your audience wanting more.
Use pattern interrupts
A pattern interrupt is a change in language style that breaks your viewer’s thought pattern. If a section of your video script is too monotone, a viewer might know what’s coming next. But if you throw a pattern interrupt into the mix, it shocks them and makes them more engaged—which could make them less likely to click away from your video.
Include a call to action
A call to action (CTA) tells someone what to do after watching your video. Whether you make money on YouTube or you’re just trying to build your audience, there are specific things you probably want your audience to do for you—and you need to be obvious with your ask.
In the outro of your YouTube script, be explicit about what the viewer should do. That might be:
- Subscribe to your YouTube channel
- Tune into a video playlist
- Follow you on social media
- Join your email list
- Visit the website of the brand that’s sponsoring your video
⚡ Pro tip: When you publish your video, add cards anywhere you’ve put a CTA, and an end card at the end of your video. These features allow you to show links and suggested videos so you can make your CTA more effective.
Write short sentences
You want viewers to hang on every word you say. If your script is littered with lengthy sentences, you’ll run the risk of not only confusing viewers, but losing their attention. Keep sentences short and to the point. It might look blunt when those shorter sentences are written down, but they come across much more naturally when you read from your script.
⚡️ Pro tip: We’re all guilty of using words like “um,” “uh”, and “like” in our daily speech. Filler Word Removal is an AI-powered tool that’s available in Descript. It’ll automatically find those unnecessary words and remove them from your video—without having to search for them yourself.
Repurpose your script
A YouTube script takes time and effort to create, but it doesn’t have to go to waste. Instead of throwing your script into the trash once you’ve used it to record a YouTube video, repurpose the document to get more mileage out of your content. For example, you could:
- Post the video script on your blog and embed the YouTube video
- Use snippets from the script as social media captions
- Add the script or outline into your YouTube video description
The YouTube video description use case, in particular, can help you reach more people on the video sharing platform. YouTube has its own search algorithm that connects viewers with new videos that are most relevant to their search query. If you’ve got keywords in your script and you add them to your YouTube video description , you’ll increase the odds of appearing in YouTube search results for those queries.
Create high-quality YouTube video scripts with Descript
The most successful YouTubers invest in tools that help them be more productive and produce high quality content. Descript checks both of those boxes, making it the ultimate tool for script writing and video editing.
As a free video editing software, Descript has a bunch of AI tools that make the entire YouTube video production process much smoother, including:
- Eye Contact to readjust your glaze if you were reading from a script
- Filler Word Removal to make your appear more confident on camera
- Script Rewriter that trims down the bloat in your self-drafted script
- Studio Sound to remove background noise and improve audio quality
- Social Post Writer to suggest captions or tweets to use when promoting your videos
The best part: there’s a bunch of tutorials and templates to get you up to speed, so you can start editing your first video within minutes.
Take a free tour today and see why some of the world’s top creators use Descript.
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Google Sets The Record Straight: AI Content In Search Results
Google sets the record straight on AI-generated content in search results. Learn how to ensure high-quality and rank well with people-first content.
- Google prioritizes high-quality content, regardless of whether humans or machines generate it.
- Google advises publishers to produce helpful, people-first content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
- Using automation or AI strictly to manipulate rankings in search results is considered a violation of Google's spam policies.
Google has released a statement regarding its approach to AI-generated content in search results.
The company has a long-standing policy of rewarding high-quality content, regardless of whether humans or machines produce it.
Above all, Google’s ranking systems aim to identify content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
Google advises creators looking to succeed in search results to produce original, high-quality, people-first content that demonstrates E-E-A-T.
The company has updated its “Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content” help page with guidance on evaluating content in terms of “Who, How, and Why.”
Here’s how AI-generated content fits into Google’s approach to ranking high-quality content in search results.
Quality Over Production Method
Focusing on the quality of content rather than the production method has been a cornerstone of Google’s approach to ranking search results for many years.
A decade ago, there were concerns about the rise in mass-produced human-generated content.
Rather than banning all human-generated content, Google improved its systems to reward quality content.
Google’s focus on rewarding quality content, regardless of production method, continues to this day through its ranking systems and helpful content system introduced last year.
Automation & AI-Generated Content
Using automation, including AI, to generate content with the primary purpose of manipulating ranking in search results violates Google’s spam policies.
Google’s spam-fighting efforts, including its SpamBrain system, will continue to combat such practices.
However, Google realizes not all use of automation and AI-generated content is spam.
For example, publishers automate helpful content such as sports scores, weather forecasts, and transcripts.
Google says it will continue to take a responsible approach toward AI-generated content while maintaining a high bar for information quality and helpfulness in search results.
Google’s Advice For Publishers
For creators considering AI-generated content, here’s what Google advises.
Google’s concept of E-E-A-T is outlined in the “Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content” help page , which has been updated with additional guidance.
The updated help page asks publishers to think about “Who, How, and Why” concerning how content is produced.
“Who” refers to the person who created the content, and it’s important to make this clear by providing a byline or background information about the author.
“How” relates to the method used to create the content, and it’s helpful to readers to know if automation or AI was involved. If AI was involved in the content production process, Google wants you to be transparent and explain why it was used.
“Why” refers to the purpose of creating content, which should be to help people rather than to manipulate search rankings.
Evaluating your content in this way, regardless of whether AI-generated or not, will help you stay in line with what Google’s systems reward.
Featured Image: Alejandro Corral Mena/Shutterstock
Matt G. Southern, Senior News Writer, has been with Search Engine Journal since 2013. With a bachelor’s degree in communications, ...
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Nursing Home Basics: Who Qualifies, Who Pays, and Other Helpful Facts
Why it matters.
Understanding how nursing homes work can be confusing because standards for eligibility, insurance coverage, etc. vary from state to state in the US.
In this second article in our series on nursing homes ( read Part I here ), we answer some commonly asked questions about nursing home structures and functions.
Who Is Eligible to Enter a Nursing Home?
People qualify for nursing home/facility level of care (NFLOC) if they are unable to live alone safely in the community. There is no federal definition of NFLOC and the exact rules governing level of care vary from state to state. Despite this lack of consistency, the following four areas are commonly considered when a state determines a person’s level of care need: physical functional ability; health issues/medical needs; cognitive impairment; and behavioral issues. In many states, there has been significant rebalancing toward home and community-based services and away from nursing home care. Check state websites for updated information on specific eligibility requirements.
Who Pays for Nursing Home Care?
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people in the US who are 65 or older, some younger people with disabilities, people with End-Stage Renal Disease. A common misconception is that Medicare will pay for all nursing home costs. This is not true.
Post-acute care (PAC) or skilled nursing facility (SNF) care is usually covered by Medicare or private insurance up to 100 days (100 percent for 20 days and then 80 percent for 80 days based on certain criteria). Long-term care (meals, room and board, and basic health services) is often paid for privately until funds are spent down. A “ spend down ” is how someone with Medicare may qualify for Medicaid — a joint federal and state program that provides health coverage to some people with limited income and resources — even if their income is higher than a state's Medicaid limit. Under a spend down, a state lets the person subtract their non-covered medical expenses and cost sharing (like Medicare premiums and deductibles) from their available income. Each state’s Medicaid program covers approximately 70 percent of nursing home care. Long-term care insurance can also pay for nursing home care, but relatively few people have it.
The average cost of a nursing home is over $90,000 per year but this varies state to state. Multiple organizations provide information about nursing home costs and Medicaid daily rates online, including the American Council on Aging .
Who Oversees and Regulates Nursing Home Quality and Safety?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) oversees nursing home quality and safety at the federal level. Several divisions have regulations that pertain to nursing homes.
The CMS Division of Nursing Homes develops and oversees most nursing home regulations. CMS delegates nursing home surveys and inspections to a designated organization in each state, usually the State Survey Agency (SSA). SSAs conduct annual, recertification, and complaint surveys and assess compliance with regulations. There is also a Special Focus Facility program for a small number of low-performing nursing homes that receive more intensive oversight and guidance on quality improvement in each state.
How Do We Measure Nursing Home Quality?
Because definitions of quality may vary, there are different methods used by federal, state, or private organizations to collect and analyze quality data. Here are a few examples:
- Minimum Data Set (MDS) is a standardized assessment tool required by CMS that measures health status in nursing home residents. All nursing homes that accept Medicare or Medicaid must submit the MDS regularly for each resident to receive payment.
- National Healthcare Safety Network is an electronic system for infection reporting, including COVID and other data that goes to CDC.
- CMS Five Star Quality Rating System gathers information from inspections (surveys), quality measures, and staffing from each nursing home and makes this information publicly available on the CMS website.
- Medicare’s Care Compare allows users to locate and compare data from nursing homes.
What are Quality Innovation Networks-Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIOs)?
QIN-QIOs focus on working with nursing homes, states, and regions to improve quality of life and quality of care across settings, including nursing homes. QIN-QIOs have their own separate line item in the US federal budget to support the national program which covers all 50 states and US territories . QIN-QIOs are not part of state survey agencies or the survey process. Their focus is on quality improvement, support, education, and training, which are often provided free or at very low cost.
Who Works in Nursing Homes?
Women make up most of the nursing home workforce, particularly direct care workers such as certified nursing assistants (CNAs). ( Almost 90 percent of nursing assistants are female). Many are single parents. People of color comprise most of the US nursing assistant workforce.
Most nursing assistants are low-income wage earners. Many live at or near the federal poverty level and almost half receive some type of public assistance. Nursing homes typically pay CNAs the minimum wage, but this is not necessarily a livable wage depending on where they live. For this reason, CNAs often work in multiple settings and have multiple jobs. For many CNAs, English is not their first language, and they may have limited English proficiency. Many are immigrants.
What Are Some Challenges Faced by the Nursing Home Workforce?
There are many issues facing nursing home CNAs today and some new opportunities. The National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA) conducted a survey of 1,420 CNAs in July 2023. When asked about their jobs, many CNAs reported that low wages and benefits would be the primary reasons they intend to seek another type of employment. They also cited unstable or inadequate hours, lack of supervisor’s/manager’s support, lack of career advancement or professional development, and feeling under-valued.
High rates of turnover (in some cases over 100 percent in a year) and the need for stronger, stable leadership are important reasons to better support CNAs and other direct care workers. Creating and testing standardized career ladders or lattices and providing more training and education on topics of interest to CNAs represent opportunities to promote better retention and reduce turnover. Another way to respond to CNA concerns is by becoming an Age-Friendly Health Systems Nursing Home .
Alice Bonner, PhD, RN, is IHI’s Senior Advisor for Aging. Amanda Meier, BSW, MA, is IHI’s Project Manager, Age-Friendly Health Systems. If you have any questions or ideas about nursing homes or related policy issues, please feel free to reach out to Alice Bonner ( [email protected] ) or Amanda Meier ( [email protected] ).
You may also be interested in:
The Basics We (and Policymakers) Should Know about Nursing Homes
Centering What Matters: The Core of Age-Friendly Care
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How much to save at every age and income level.
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JP Morgan Asset Management recently released its 2024 Guide to Retirement . The guide attempts, among other things, to answer two important questions for those saving for retirement. First, it looks at how much one should have already saved for retirement based on their age and income. Second, it examined what percentage of income one should save if they are just starting to put money away for retirement.
Let’s take a look at both.
Teens in circle holding smart mobile phones.
How Much You Should Have Saved By Age and Income
To calculate how much one should have saved for retirement by age and income, JP Morgan made several critical assumptions:
- It assumed one will retire at age 65 and live until age 100;
- It assumed that before retiring one maintained a 60/40 portfolio;
- After retirement, the study assumed one would maintain a 40/60 portfolio;
- It assumed a 2.5% inflation rate;
- It assumed the primary earner had a spouse that was 2 years younger;
- Finally, the study assumed that one wanted to maintain the same lifestyle in retirement enjoyed before retirement.
With these assumptions, JP Morgan calculated what it called “retirement savings checkpoints” by age and income level. For example, it found that someone age 30 making $50,000 a year should have already saved $20,000 for retirement. At the same age, but making $90,000, the person should have saved $90,000. An individual at age 50 making $300,000, should have saved 1,955,000.
Here are the tables from JP Morgan's report:
Retirement Savings Checkpoints for incomes ranging from $30k to $100k
Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024
Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024.
Retirement Savings Checkpoints with income ranging from $100k to $300k.
How Much You Should Save If You Are Just Starting Out
For those who haven't started saving for retirement yet, JP Morgan also mapped out the percentage of income one should start saving based on their age and income. By way of example, JP Morgan concluded that a 25-year-old making $50,000 a year should start saving 5% of their income. In contrast, a 50-year-old making $50,000 a year needs to save 24% of their income to get on track.
As you might expect, the percentage of income required for savings goes up as an individual gets older and as their income goes up. The following charts show just how important it is to begin saving for retirement as early as possible.
Annual savings needed if starting today for incomes ranging from $30k to $90k.
Annual savings needed if starting today by income ranging from $100k to $300k.
Key Assumptions
As with any long-term financial planning, the results in JP Morgan's report rely on numerous assumptions. In addition to the ones noted above, one also has to make assumptions about how much of retirement savings can be spent each year in retirement. JP Morgan’s “model is based on proprietary Long-Term Capital Market Assumptions returns, and an 80% confidence level.”
Well I take no issue with this approach, it is different than what Bill Bengen did to arrive at the 4% rule in his 1994 paper . There he used historical market returns and inflation and required a 100% confidence level.
In addition, JP Morgan had to make an assumption about the amount of pre-retirement income one would need in retirement to maintain a similar lifestyle. You can see its assumptions in slide 13 in the report linked above.
It's also worth noting that the report assumes what I view as a very conservative investment portfolio. While a 60/40 portfolio is a common retirement plan, the report uses that portfolio during an individual's working years. It then further reduces stocks down to just 40% in retirement. While these allocations may be appropriate in some cases, they are a very conservative approach to investing.
Final Thoughts
The above results can be useful as a high level checkpoint to see where you stand as you save for your golden years. For those looking for a more thorough analysis, New Retirement is a financial planning tool I’ve used for years and find quite helpful. And if you just want a “back-of-the-napkin” idea if you are on track, try NetWorthify .
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Chick-fil-A drops ‘no antibiotics’ pledge on chicken, citing supply
Chick-fil-A is dropping its pledge to serve chicken with “no antibiotics ever” and will instead adopt a less stringent standard that allows the use of some antibiotics. The complete antibiotic ban, which the chain put in place in 2019, was intended to help lessen humans’ antibiotic resistance, which has been partially blamed on the widespread use of the drugs in livestock.
The fast-growing chicken chain recently announced that it was easing its rules to “maintain the supply of high-quality chicken you expect from us.”
The new standard will instead allow the company to use chickens that have been treated with antibiotics, although not those drugs “that are important to human medicine and commonly used to treat people.”
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Resistance to antibiotics is an “urgent global public health threat,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says the threat results in 3 million infections and 48,000 deaths annually in the United States alone. Resistance happens when illness-causing bacteria and fungi become able to defeat medicines, creating dangerous “super bugs.”
In recent years, food companies have moved to limit the widespread use of antibiotics in livestock, including industry leader McDonald’s, which in 2015 announced that it would adhere to the same standard for chicken that Chick-fil-A will be moving to. But chicken that has never been exposed to antibiotics is getting more difficult to source. Last year, megaproducer Tyson dropped its “no antibiotics ever” labels and moved to the same, less-restrictive rule. Under the NAIHM (or “no antibiotics important to human medicine”) label, antibiotics may be used only to treat actual illnesses in animals rather than to promote growth in livestock, something producers have sometimes done to boost profits.
Other major fast-food chains, including Burger King and Popeye’s, adhere to the NAIHM rules as well.
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In terms of speed versus quality in writing an article - strikingly enough, they aren't mutually exclusive. To produce a high-quality piece swiftly, adhere to the following steps: ... To produce a high-quality piece swiftly, adhere to the following steps: Establish purpose and audience: Before cogs start turning on phrase-spinning, be clear ...
Today publishing articles is a trend around the world almost in each university. Millions of research articles are published in thousands of journals annually throughout many streams/sectors such as medical, engineering, science, etc. But few researchers follow the proper and fundamental criteria to write a quality research article.
7. Focus on Content Density, Not Content Length. There have been many studies on what is the best length for an article, and results are usually weighted towards long-form content dominating top ...
This article provides an overview of writing for publication in peer-reviewed journals. While the main focus is on writing a research article, it also provides guidance on factors influencing journal selection, including journal scope, intended audience for the findings, open access requirements, and journal citation metrics.
The introduction section should be approximately three to five paragraphs in length. Look at examples from your target journal to decide the appropriate length. This section should include the elements shown in Fig. 1. Begin with a general context, narrowing to the specific focus of the paper.
1. Understand Your Audience. Knowing your target audience is crucial when it comes to writing high-quality articles in 2024. By understanding who you are writing for, you can tailor your content to meet their needs and interests. Take the time to research your audience's demographics, interests, and pain points.
6. Practice makes perfect. It might seem like a clichéd answer, but it really is the key. Write regularly; practice it as a discipline in and of itself. Writing a high-quality, publishable article requires confidence in your ideas, and practice and skill which takes time to acquire.
Here is a step-by-step guide full of great tips to help you write a good article in record time: 1. Keep a list of ideas handy. You never know when writer's block will hit. That's why it's important to keep a list of ideas for potential news articles or personal stories that could be expanded into essays. Any time you have an idea, jot it ...
Evaluating the quality of an article is not an easy task and comes with experience and familiarity with high quality articles. However, there are some basic criteria that you can use to determine whether a published article is of good quality: ... Register for comprehensive research tips and expert advice on English writing, journal publishing ...
Outlines help your content come out better for two main reasons: First, outlines force you to put all your thoughts down in an organized way (rather than writing everything off the top of your head). Which really speeds up the writing process. Second, outlines usually lead to a much better structure for your content.
Learn how to produce high-volume, high-quality content from a marketer who crafts about 300 content pieces a year - Content Marketing Institute. ... Not all writers create outlines, but I believe they make writing the content easier, and in most cases, better quality, and they help me figure out whether the idea has legs.
1. Where is the article published? The journal (academic publication) where the article is published says something about the quality of the article. Journals are ranked in the Journal Quality List (JQL). If the journal you used is ranked at the top of your professional field in the JQL, then you can assume that the quality of the article is high.
1. Have a focus and a vision for your research paper. The key to successfully publishing a high-quality article is to "get a vision"-a reason and purpose for writing a paper in the first place. Once you have a vision for your research, it may be useful for you to write it down and keep it in constant view to remind you of your mission.
Since the invention of the internet, the article has been the best communication medium for the expression of ideas. An article is a written piece of content that provides valuable information in a structured format. High-quality articles contain four key criteria. Engaging: The reader understands the article's purpose and information presented
The best proposals are timely and clearly explain why readers should pay attention to the proposed topic. It is not enough for a review to be a summary of the latest growth in the literature: the ...
Write A Magnetic Opening (5 minutes) Your lead serves as the gateway to the rest of your post, so you want it to be inviting, entertaining, and full of promise. Some rules for writing a hypnotic blog post opening: Rule #1: Keep your first sentence short, snappy, and snackable. Short sentences boost content readability.
2. Use Proper Formatting for Readability. You want your content to be easily read, not just for your consumers but also for search engines as they crawl, index, and rank your website. The way you ...
Link to more in-depth information when necessary. Explain list items using relatable examples. Number your items. Include an appropriate number of list items. Use category buckets for longer lists. Logically order each step. Make sure your listicle is consistent. Have a clear and catchy title. 1.
Writing an article that is of a high quality requires more than just structuring an outline and entertaining the reader. It is in many ways a creative art based on the use of online marketing tools that help us gather and organize the information to be contained in the article. This gives the article validity and authority.
Here are a few practices that can make the time-consuming process of writing a review article easier: Define your question: Take your time to identify the research question and carefully articulate the topic of your review paper. A good review should also add something new to the field in terms of a hypothesis, inference, or conclusion.
The peer review process is widely used by academic journals, including the Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS), to evaluate the quality of manuscript submissions relative to the journals' scholarly goals. Our overview suggests that the best reviews also facilitate the introduction of new and important ideas to the field. Content analysis of 156 past JIBS reviews found that the ...
Reserve space for the Beginning, but don't write it until the end, after you know everything. Same with the End. The Middle is where your research and headings go. 6. Once most of your research is ...
But if you create a video script template and use it for every new video, your content creation process will follow the same workflow and result in consistent videos—not just in terms of quality, but outline and structure too. How to write a YouTube script in 5 easy steps. Identify your target audience; Create an outline; Define your hook
Google prioritizes high-quality content, regardless of whether humans or machines generate it. Google advises publishers to produce helpful, people-first content that demonstrates expertise ...
Without high-quality data, organizations can end up with challenges like biased results, useless "guidance" and incorrect recommendations. Any of these have the potential to harm your brand ...
Last fall, we started on a journey to dramatically reduce the effort required from our selling partners while helping them create even higher-quality product pages.We started by allowing sellers to provide us with only a few words that described their product, and we used generative AI to create compelling product titles, descriptions, and other product details.
Why It MattersUnderstanding how nursing homes work can be confusing because standards for eligibility, insurance coverage, etc. vary from state to state in the US. In this second article in our series on nursing homes (read Part I here), we answer some commonly asked questions about nursing home structures and functions.Who Is Eligible to Enter a Nursing Home?People qualify for nursing home ...
It assumed one will retire at age 65 and live until age 100; It assumed that before retiring one maintained a 60/40 portfolio; After retirement, the study assumed one would maintain a 40/60 portfolio;
Chick-fil-A is dropping its pledge to serve chicken with "no antibiotics ever" and will instead adopt a less stringent standard that allows the use of some antibiotics.
Businesses such as OpenAI and Anthropic are working to find enough information to train next-generation artificial-intelligence models.