PUBLISHING IN SCOPUS-INDEXED JOURNALS

Researchers aim to publish in reputable journals for their findings to gain more visibility and to reach a bigger audience, apart from building up a scholarly profile as a researcher. The reputable journals also have a more stringent review process which elevates the standard of journal papers. The workshop aims to guide participants to publish in SCOPUS-INDEXED journals through three principles: (1) Conduct the research properly; (2) Write the paper properly; and (3) Fit the paper to an appropriate journal. Firstly, to conduct the research properly, it is important to be familiar with the related literature to find a gap of knowledge so that the study is relevant to other researchers in the world. The method of the study should be reported to show that the study had been conducted in accordance with validity and reliability procedures. Secondly, writing the papers according to research conventions is crucial. The most difficult parts to write in a paper are the Introduction and Discussion, because critical thinking on the literature is needed to argue a gap for the study and to show how the results add to knowledge in the field. Although it is a matter of layout and format, researchers should be meticulous in their citations and references, and these are important for substantiating claims in the paper. The language should be grammatically correct, concise and research-like. Finally, fitting a paper to an appropriate journal should be based on an accurate assessment of the value of the data and the researcher’s knowledge of the research area. Completion and submission of a paper is an achievement but the last part of the publication process, the review, is no less important. Researchers need to take reviewers’ comments seriously so that the quality of the paper can be upgraded