Highlights for a journal paper: How to write them for a submission
When submitting a research paper to a journal, many publishers request highlights—a set of concise, bullet-pointed sentences that summarize the core contributions and findings of your work. Highlights play a critical role in attracting attention to your paper and are often one of the first things readers encounter. Writing effective highlights requires clarity, precision, and an understanding of your audience.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to crafting highlights that leave a lasting impression:
1. Understand the Purpose of Highlights for a journal paper
Highlights are not merely a summary of your abstract. They are designed to:
- Quickly convey the significance of your work.
- Emphasize unique contributions or novel insights.
- Provide a snapshot of the paper’s practical or theoretical implications.
Think of highlights as the “elevator pitch” of your research.
2. Follow Journal Guidelines
Many journals provide specific instructions for highlights, including:
- Word or character limits per bullet.
- Total number of highlights (commonly 3-5).
- Formatting requirements.
Carefully review the journal’s author guidelines to ensure compliance.
3. Focus on Key Contributions
Ask yourself:
- What is the main problem or question your paper addresses?
- How does your work advance understanding or solve the problem?
- What methods or approaches make your work unique?
- What are the most significant results or implications?
Each bullet should encapsulate one major point. Avoid redundancy—each highlight should address a distinct aspect of your work.
4. Be Specific and Quantitative
Specificity makes your highlights compelling and credible. Instead of vague statements, provide concrete details.
- Vague: “This study offers a novel approach to data analysis.”
- Specific: “This study introduces a machine learning algorithm that reduces processing time by 30% compared to existing methods.”
Quantify results or impacts whenever possible.
5. Use Active and Concise Language
Write in clear, active sentences. Aim for brevity and readability:
- Avoid jargon and overly technical terms.
- Use action-oriented verbs (e.g., “demonstrates,” “proposes,” “achieves”).
- Keep each highlight under 85 characters if possible, as shorter points are easier to skim.
6. Highlight Practical Implications
If your research has real-world applications or societal relevance, make this clear. For example:
- “The proposed vaccine formulation enhances immune response in at-risk populations.”
- “Our findings offer guidelines for sustainable urban planning in flood-prone regions.”
Practical contributions often resonate more broadly than purely theoretical findings.
7. Tailor Highlights for Discoverability
Journals and indexing services use highlights for discoverability. Incorporate keywords that align with your field’s common search terms. This increases the chances that potential readers will find your paper.
8. Seek Feedback
Once you’ve drafted your highlights, share them with colleagues or co-authors. They can help ensure the highlights are accurate, clear, and engaging. Editors or reviewers may also comment on them, so be prepared to revise.
Example Highlights
For inspiration, here’s a set of well-crafted highlights:
- “Proposes a novel framework for predicting urban heat islands using satellite imagery.”
- “Demonstrates a 20% improvement in prediction accuracy compared to traditional models.”
- “Highlights the role of vegetation density in mitigating urban heat effects.”
- “Provides actionable insights for policymakers in climate-resilient urban planning.”
Conclusion
Crafting effective highlights for a journal paper is an art that requires distilling your research into its most impactful elements. By focusing on clarity, specificity, and audience needs, you can create highlights that not only complement your paper but also enhance its visibility and impact.
Remember: Your highlights are often the gateway to your research—make them count!
Posted by Glenn Stevens (Contact)
