Samira Hosseini

We send 4 types of letters to journals after submitting a manuscript:
[And I hope yours is the second one]

↳ Cover Letter

→ Accompanies the submission.
→ Addressed to the Editor-in-Chief (EIC).
→ Typically one page, sometimes a page and a half.
→ Highlights the significance of the findings and why the work is a good fit.

↳ Point-by-Point Response to the Reviewers

→ Sent after the revision is received.
→ Addressed to the editor-in-charge, not the EIC.
→ Provides detailed responses to the reviewers’ and editor’s comments.

↳ Resubmission Cover Letter

→ Used when the journal’s decision has been Reject & Resubmit.
→ Represents a second chance given to the authors by the journal.
→ Should be treated as a complete response to the comments.
→ Addressed to the EIC as a new submission.

↳ Rebuttal Letter
(I sent rebuttals twice, and both times, the manuscripts were accepted)

→ Used when the authors believe the journal’s rejection has been unfair.
→ An appeal to the EIC accompanied by a thorough response to the comments and justifications.

In any case, make sure these letters are professionally prepared and avoid jargon.

I firmly believe that if the Response to the Reviewers' Comments is made carefully and professionally, the submission will return with nothing but a sweet acceptance. ✅

__________

🔔 If you’re getting frequent rejections from journals, book a free call with me, and we can dive into your challenges in top-tier journal publication and see how I can best assist you: calendly.com/samirahosseini/aaa?utm_source=youtube…

48 minutes ago | [YT] | 0

Samira Hosseini

Fifteen signs to detect predatory journals 👇

1. Article processing charges before acceptance

2. Strange website domain not under any publishing domain

3. Lack of peer review or loose peer review process

4. Poorly designed website and submission interface

5. WordPress favicon instead of publishers's icon

6. Partial or incorrect editorial board information

7. Communication via unofficial channels

8. Rapid acceptance & overnight publication

9. No indexing traces can be found in scientific databases

10. No proper copyediting or proofreading

11. They approach authors via emails, Facebook groups, WhatsApp

12. Vague submission guidelines or duplicated information

13. Same title and ISNN can be found elsewhere

14. History of fake publishing, or appearing on one of the blacklists

15. "Not-secured" URL upon attempting to visit the journal's website

______________

🔔 If you’re getting frequent rejections from journals, book a free call with me, and we can dive into your challenges in top-tier journal publication and see how I can best assist you: calendly.com/samirahosseini/aaa?utm_source=youtube…

1 day ago | [YT] | 2

Samira Hosseini

You cannot publish your paper only if you don’t believe in your work!

📌 This is Prof. Samira Hosseini. I’ve helped 12,000+ ambitious academics go from struggling with publishing papers in Q1 journals, limited visibility, and poor citation records to building a solid research trajectory and high 𝘩-index.

Book a free Strategy Call, and we can dive into your challenges in top-tier journal publication and citation and see how I can best assist you: calendly.com/samirahosseini/aaa?utm_source=youtube…

2 days ago | [YT] | 6

Samira Hosseini

I had a mentee whose manuscript was sent back 7 or 8 times before the editor even began reviewing it!

Have you ever faced a rejection purely because you didn’t follow the submission guidelines?

This is called technical rejection. And it sucks!

Submitting a manuscript is already a lengthy and stressful process, especially if you don’t do it often or aren’t familiar with the steps.

These preliminary rejections—where the editor doesn’t even consider your work seriously—can be incredibly frustrating and damage your reputation.

They simply send the manuscript back, asking you to fix this and that before they’ll begin to evaluate it.

One way to reduce the number of submissions and revisions you need is to follow the journal’s guidelines closely.

In my experience, some journals are lenient about minor deviations, but others are extremely strict.


Wouldn’t it be better to fix everything upfront and save both time and reputation?


One common reason for rejection is incorrect or inconsistent citations.

Different disciplines follow different citation styles, and journals expect you to adhere to the one they specify.

Here’s a list of 20 common citation styles and the disciplines they’re typically used in 👇
______________________________

📌 This is Prof. Samira Hosseini. I’ve helped 12,000+ ambitious academics go from struggling with publishing papers in Q1 journals, limited visibility, and poor citation records to building a solid research trajectory and high 𝘩-index.

Let's dive into your challenges in top-tier journal publication and citation and see how I can best assist you: calendly.com/samirahosseini/aaa?utm_source=youtube…

3 days ago | [YT] | 3

Samira Hosseini

Start from the heart!
Always start from the heart!

I know immediately that writers are inexperienced when the working draft they send me starts from an abstract and introduction.

- What is your paper all about?
- The results.
- Alright then! Begin with the results.

Here is a sequence to craft an article:

↳ Start from the heart of the paper
Whether research or review, your paper is all about your results. Begin by designing the most powerful images, tables, schemes, and graphs that tell the entire story of the paper. Don’t just make images. Make publication-quality images.

↳ Form super informative captions
You may actually get cited just because of your captions. Remember, your article might not be accessible everywhere, but images are. What another author may need might be right there in your image. So, they look no further, boom!

↳ Shape your results and discussion
Once your images are ready, it’s incredibly easy to write the results part of your paper. Look into your images and get as descriptive as you can. Write what you see and then circulate the discussion through the results to connect the dots.

↳ Craft an impressive introduction
Now, move to the intro! You may wonder why not in the first place. Because as you write up your results and discussion, you will come across many useful references to back up your data and logically you’ll do better at this stage.

↳ Get the bottom of the paper done
Summarize your findings in the conclusion, offer limitations of the study and future direction. Get the acknowledgment and authors’ contribution done. Use reference management software. We don’t live in the Stone Age.

↳ Select the right keywords
Think about your keywords as those used in Search Engine Optimization. Select the right ones that will attract the most readers to your work. It’s okay to use a keyword that you have never used in the entire paper.

↳ Read and polish your work
Take time to read your work and ask for support from trusted experts to read and comment on your work. Be the judge of your own work and make corrections as many rounds as you find necessary.

↳ Construct a powerful abstract
Condense the essence of your article in one hell of an impressive paragraph called abstract. Make it a stand-alone masterpiece that speaks the entire content of your paper and captivates the readers.

↳ Choose the right title
Select the most realistic title that describes your work in the best possible way. Do NOT use “Novel” or “New” in your title. Journals are sick of it! If your work wasn’t novel, it wouldn’t get accepted anyway.


WHERE IS THE METHODOLOGY???
You may wonder…


↳ That’s Step # -1
If you are a good researcher, documenting every step of your experimental work along the way, you would have the methodology already written. It’d be only a matter of copy and paste!
______________________________

📌 This is Prof. Samira Hosseini. I’ve helped 12,000+ ambitious academics go from struggling with publishing papers in Q1 journals, limited visibility, and poor citation records to building a solid research trajectory and high 𝘩-index.

Let's dive into your challenges in top-tier journal publication and citation and see how I can best assist you: calendly.com/samirahosseini/aaa?utm_source=youtube…

5 days ago | [YT] | 5

Samira Hosseini

At a crossroads between Research & Review?
This post is for You!

Let’s compare the two 👇🏻

𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄

→ Research: Challenging and time-consuming due to the need for original research, trial and error, chance of failure, data collection, and analysis.

→ Review: Easier than research as it does not involve data collection. Tedious and time-consuming as it deals with a considerable number of references and continuous updates to the list.

𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄

→ Research: Varies widely depending on the journal and field, but generally below 30% due to high standards for originality and rigor.

→ Review: Difficult to get accepted as a minor percentage of journals accept review submissions and mostly are based on invitation.

𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐘

→ Research: High, as it presents new findings, data, or interpretations.

→ Review: Low, as it offers new perspectives, syntheses, or interpretations of existing knowledge but not original data.

𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇

→ Research: Varies depending on the field and journal, but typically longer due to detailed methodology and results sections.

→ Review: Can vary widely but often longer than research papers as they primarily summarize and analyze a large body of existing work.

𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐓

→ Research: Can be high, especially if the research is groundbreaking or addresses a significant problem.

→ Review: Moderate to high if it influences future research directions or shapes understanding in a field.

𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

→ Research: Primarily other researchers and experts in the exact field.

→ Review: Broader audience, including researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

→ Research: Moderate to high, depending on the quality and impact of the research.

→ Review: Can be high, as they highlight gaps and offer methodological insights. Their interdisciplinary appeal, educational use, and value as reference points make them essential resources for both new and experienced researchers.


PS: Do you have any other aspects of the two you want to compare?
Drop me a comment, and I’d be happy to add your point to the post.
______________________________

📌 This is Prof. Samira Hosseini. I’ve helped 12,000+ ambitious academics go from struggling with publishing papers in Q1 journals, limited visibility, and poor citation records to building a solid research trajectory and high 𝘩-index.

Let's dive into your challenges in top-tier journal publication and citation and see how I can best assist you: calendly.com/samirahosseini/aaa?utm_source=youtube…

6 days ago | [YT] | 5

Samira Hosseini

Don't know how to say 'No'?
Use one of the following frameworks:

↳ Say No & give an explanation:

Example: Unfortunately, this cannot be done as it opposes our value system within the organization.
Example: I wish I could help you, but it is impossible at this time since the instrument is overbooked for the next 3 months.

↳ Say No & counteroffer:

Example: I don't think I can manage this with my limited time, but what would you say if I assigned it to the assistants to handle this task, and I'll take a final look at their delivery?
Example: This week, my agenda is fully saturated, but I can take a look at this in two weeks' time; how does that sound?

↳ Say No & negotiate:

Example: This is very interesting. I am excited to be in charge of this task, but as you know, my plate is full. What would you like me to drop from the ongoing tasks to pick up this task?
Example: I'd be honored to add all this to my current duties. It's an exciting opportunity. Thank you for considering me. I am sure I'd be compensated for the extra hours, right?

↳ Say No & give Zero explanation [don't forget to smile]:

Example: No. 😊
Example: No. 😊

When you realize that 'No' is a full sentence, many of your problems will automatically be solved.
______________________________

📌 This is Prof. Samira Hosseini. I’ve helped 12,000+ ambitious academics go from struggling with publishing papers in Q1 journals, limited visibility, and poor citation records to building a solid research trajectory and high 𝘩-index.

Let's dive into your challenges in top-tier journal publication and citation and see how I can best assist you: calendly.com/samirahosseini/aaa?utm_source=youtube…

1 week ago | [YT] | 3

Samira Hosseini

Quantitative or Qualitative?
It depends on your hypothesis or research question.

Quantitative research gathers numerical data and uses statistical methods to analyze and draw conclusions.
It is typically used to test hypotheses and establish cause-and-effect relationships.

→ It is Numeric, objective, deductive, and generalizable
→ Collects data through surveys, experiments, and observations (structured)
→ Involves thorough statistical analysis and hypothesis testing

Qualitative research explores subjective experiences and perspectives. It collects and analyzes non-numerical data to uncover hidden meanings and patterns.

→ It is Descriptive, subjective, inductive, and in-depth
→ Collects data through interviews, focus groups, and observations (unstructured)
→ Uses thematic and content analysis to address the research question.

In essence:
Quantitative research is about measuring and counting.
Qualitative research is about understanding and interpreting.

You can combine quantitative and qualitative methods in a mixed-methods approach to better understand a research problem.

P.S. Which one do you feel more comfortable with?
______________________________

📌 This is Prof. Samira Hosseini. I’ve helped 12,000+ ambitious academics go from struggling with publishing papers in Q1 journals, limited visibility, and poor citation records to building a solid research trajectory and high 𝘩-index.

Let's dive into your challenges in top-tier journal publication and citation and see how I can best assist you: calendly.com/samirahosseini/aaa?utm_source=youtube…

1 week ago | [YT] | 7

Samira Hosseini

Don't go with the flow!
Be the flow ...

Be proud,
Be mighty,
Be decisive,
Be You!

1 week ago | [YT] | 7

Samira Hosseini

If you’re confused between research question and hypothesis,
this post is for you [save it for later]

There are 5 fundamental differences between the two.
Let's check them out 👇🏻

1. FORM

Research Question: Open-ended question (e.g., "What is the effect of X on Y?")
Hypothesis: Testable statement (e.g., "If X increases, then Y will decrease.")

2. PURPOSE

Research Question: Guides the direction of the research; identifies the problem or phenomenon to be explored
Hypothesis: Predicts the relationship between variables based on existing knowledge and theory

3. SCOPE

Research Question: Broader in scope, typically addressing a general area of inquiry
Hypothesis: Narrower in scope, focusing on a specific prediction derived from the research question

4. TESTABILITY

Research Question: May not be directly testable but leads to data collection and analysis
Hypothesis: Designed to be empirically tested and either supported or refuted by the research findings

5. RELATIONSHIP TO THEORY

Research Question: May or may not be directly linked to existing theory; can be exploratory
Hypothesis: Grounded in existing theory; provides a framework for interpreting results and building new knowledge


Remember,
Research questions can be descriptive, exploratory, or explanatory, depending on the nature of the research.
Hypotheses can be directional (predicting a specific direction of the relationship) or non-directional (predicting a relationship without specifying the direction).

Which one does your current research address?
The research question or the hypothesis?

______________________________

📌 This is Prof. Samira Hosseini. I’ve helped 12,000+ ambitious academics go from struggling with publishing papers in Q1 journals, limited visibility, and poor citation records to building a solid research trajectory and high 𝘩-index.

Let's dive into your challenges in top-tier journal publication and citation and see how I can best assist you: calendly.com/samirahosseini/aaa?utm_source=youtube…

1 week ago | [YT] | 6