Factors for Publishing Research in Top-tier Journals

To publish is to make content publicly known. However, for an article or paper to be published, there are certain criteria that it should pass. Reviewers or critics normally have factors that are being considered in choosing a paper to be published. Relating to research works, top-tier journals like ACM have high-standards that are set in accordance with how to select a paper to be published. ACM sets high standards of quality for its publications. It is paramount to uphold these standards in the development and selection of content.

According to an article of Kate Devine (2001), “Writing a paper that will get published”, Jeff Skousen, professor of soil science, West Virginia University, points out that there are varying levels of journal prestige and not every paper qualifies for the most well-known. Top-tier journals usually reject more than 50 percent of the papers submitted to them, and some have rejection rates as high as 70 percent, Skousen says. These journals are rigorously edited and require very sound science and results that have meaning and application in the field. Other journals have a much lower rejection rate and are not as tightly edited, but they generally contain good research.

While originality can be a persuasive factor, "People are still able to get their work published even if it seems similar to previously published work," observes Skousen. Although one may think that most of the pertinent questions in a subject area might be answered after long periods of testing and experimentation that does not seem to be the case, he continues. "I'm surprised that there are not that many new ideas in our journals today compared to past decades," he remarks. "Sure, we get new instruments and tools that allow greater precision or accuracy of measurement, but the ideas are not that dissimilar, nor are the results that dissimilar after data collection and interpretation." Flower-Ellis predicts that more and more papers will be assessed as "valuable confirmations" rather than as "original contributions to knowledge." Another consideration is the manuscript topic. A hot topic "is more likely to be published than is an equally sound paper dealing with a currently unfashionable subject," says Flower-Ellis The scientific community does display some of the proverbial characteristics of lemmings, in publication no less than in choice of research area."
The criteria publishers use as measures for accepting a paper vary a lot more than is sometimes realized, notes Lewenstein. Publication is not a cut-and-dried process--it's infinitely variable and flexible. In particular, "peer review" is not a simple criterion, he continues. Some journals may send an article to three to five reviewers, and the editors make an informed judgment by weighing all reviews. Other journals may send an article to a single reviewer and make simple yes/no decisions based on one review. Some journals may do a lot more editorial work with an author, while others take manuscripts more or less as submitted. Although the review process can be flexible, acceptance criteria are relatively standard. Experts consulted offer simple advice for optimizing publishing success. Many say influential factors include the need for clarity, originality of thought, novelty of finding, organization, completeness, and good writing. The experts' advice may seem evident. Skousen, however, states that the most elegant research is usually simple and direct. According to Byrne, who published an article last year on common reasons for manuscript rejection, flawed or poorly planned study design and lack of detail in methods were the two elements most often leading to rejection.
In addition, in a blog article, it was stated that some factors that are most observed by most top-tier journal in recognizing a qualified research paper for publishing in top-tier journals are uniqueness, relevance, presentation, and credibility.

Uniqueness or originality, in the sense that a research topic is uncommon, something that is somehow yet to be known and something different from the average topic studied. The relevance of the paper is also a great consideration for publishing. It entails the significance it delivers to the society. How a paper is presented is also an issue. The paper should be in a form of proper documentation. Another factor is the researcher’s credibility to conduct a study. To some, it is important to know that the researcher is of reliable researcher because usually many people normally give credit or recognitions to the researcher’s previous successful studies.