Science + Education: Tips for Writing and Publishing Your First Scientific Paper

Dennis tells us about his experience writing his first real scientific paper, which was published in Human Molecular Genetics in 2021. Our goal in this conversation was to establish what goes into making a peer-reviewed scientific article, including everything from crafting ideas and hypotheses to how to submit a full manuscript to a journal for review. Dennis shares his highlights and advice from the publishing process, as well as the lessons he learned regarding writing techniques, collaboration tips, and the importance of setting internal goals and deadlines. We also discuss the logistics of how to format a manuscript for scientific publication in a medical research journal, as well as how the peer review process occurs at academic journals including general timelines for submission and publication. 

Dennis is a current second year medical student at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Biology with Honors from Haverford College in 2020. After college, Dennis worked in Dr. Charis Eng’s lab at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, where he studied the regulation of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN as well as the impact of microbes on cancer therapeutics. He continues to study the tumor microbiome at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s James Cancer Hospital in Dr. Daniel Spakowicz’s lab, specifically focusing on the role of gut and intratumoral microbes on radiation therapy response for several internal and external fellowships. 

Some Useful Links:

Scitable Article from Science on Writing Manuscripts

Nature Publishing Options Website - Costs of Nature Open Access Publication

“Open access: The true cost of science publishing” by Richard Van Noorden