Tips on How to Write an Academic Journal Article

Writing an academic journal article requires techniques that will best describe your objectives and also get the audience of your readers. However, these following tips will help you in achieving your aim;

Get a good knowledge of your target journal: Different journals have different interests in an academic article requirement. Hence, before you make a submission, it is well-advised that you read through your targeted journal’s submission guidelines. This will help you know their requirements.

Be aware of your audience: The main aim of every article is to make an impact. However, once you have selected your preferred journal, it is also important that you consider your audience/reader. Take a look at the past copies of the journal and have an idea of what the journal produces.

Avoid vagueness: Clarity is very important in writing an academic journal article. Most research works are good in points but they are not understandable by the readers. When writing, you must keep your reader in mind, this will guide you on how to write it including languages, topics and subtopics.

Read your work: Proper editing will help you to look over any forms of error which may hinder the publication of your paper. If possible, print it out and read it on the paper form before final submission.

Get a reading peer: Sometimes when reading your work, your eyes will skim through your grammatical errors because your mind already knows what next and it automatically fits it into the sentence however it is omitted in the text. Having a reading peer who will read through your work will help you to figure out common errors which may hinder the publication of your journal.

Make your references relevant: The main aim of your paper is to educate your reader. Therefore, it is very important for your work to be made up of up-to-date information and references. Be cautious of your references, let it be relevant to whatever your area of specialization you are writing on.

Make a draft with the sections of your journal

To avoid mistakes which may hinder the acceptance of your academic article, consider creating a draft of your work before you start writing. Include the sections as to be sure of all the planned sections enlisted and also this will be able to serve as your outline when you start building out the document itself. Your sections can go as thus;

  • Introduction

  • Research Question

  • Theoretical Framework

  • Literature Review

  • Research Methodology

  • Data Collection Procedures

  • Data Analysis Techniques

  • Results

  • Conclusions

  • Implications for Further Research

  • References

However, you might need to include other sections but it is important to check the journal’s published requirements.

Finalize your manuscript: After drafting your work and finalizing it. Further, proofread and edit the document, check the content for any typographical and grammatical errors. And also, verify that the document is consistent with requirements.

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