Publishing Articles

Facilitating the publication of your manuscript in Finisterra

To increase your chances of successful publication in Finisterra, authors should assess whether their manuscripts answer the following questions:

  • Is the text clear, concise, and accessible?
  • Is the length appropriate for Finisterra’s recommendations?
  • Do the title, abstract, and keywords reflect the key points of your manuscript?
  • Does the title page include the names and affiliations of all authors?
  • Is the manuscript formatted according to the author guidelines?
  • Are all in-text citations, captions, and notes listed in your references?
  • Do you have permission to reproduce any copyrighted figures or tables?
  • Does your manuscript comply with anonymisation rules in line with the peer review policy?

 

Increasing the visibility of your manuscript

Each year, a vast number of research articles are published, so ensuring your work is easily discoverable is essential. As an author, you can take steps to make your research more visible:

  • When submitting your manuscript, include keywords. These are used to index your article online and in search engines, helping others find it quickly and accurately. Think of keywords as the labels of your article.
  • Refine your keywords to ensure they are as precise as possible. Include them in the title and abstract too (some search engines only index these sections).
  • Once published, link your manuscript from your digital signature, personal page or blog, social media, and your department website. This will increase search engine visibility.
  • Register with ORCiD, allowing unique identification and association with data sets, equipment, journal articles, citations, media, patents, and more.

 

Writing an article for a scientific journal

The strongest articles generally have a clear focus supported by scientific evidence, clearly identifiable in the text.

Ensure you clearly describe the methodology and approach. What seems obvious to you may not be so for your reader. Also, explain any acronyms the first time they appear.

Clarity is key: your research must be communicated in clear, accessible language.

Know the literature in your field (and cite it!). If you cannot review all relevant work, highlight the key previous studies and how your work builds on them.

Use relevant references: your literature review should reflect current understanding and acknowledge the origins of key concepts, methodologies, and findings.

Even if you’re developing an existing concept, ensure you have something new to say. Be convincing and demonstrate a solid understanding of the prior reference.

Clearly state your results, identify weaknesses, and suggest improvements in the conceptual framework and methodology.

 

What to know and expect from peer review at Finisterra

The peer review process follows several steps, starting with the submission of your manuscript to Finisterra. Initially, the Direction and assigned editor will decide whether it is suitable for the journal by asking:

  • Is this manuscript relevant to the journal?
  • Did the author follow the journal's guidelines?
  • Will the journal’s readers find it interesting and useful?

The Direction and editor may reject the article outright or send it to peer review.

The editor will then invite two or three reviewers who are experts in the field to evaluate the manuscript and advise on publication, revision, or rejection.

 

What do reviewers look for?

Reviewers assess whether your work is original or innovative, whether the study design and methodology are appropriate and replicable, if results are presented clearly, whether conclusions are valid and meaningful for scientific advancement, and if the manuscript meets the editorial standards of Finisterra.