From Micro to Macro: Connecting research to the international research community

As you begin the submission process by searching for relevant journals, you might find certain journals or disciplines require authors to connect their research to an international audience. Throughout the writing process – and even as you get ready to submit – remember the audience for your paper, particularly if the journal is focused on an international readership. This means positioning your paper for that readership in terms of literature and policy, explaining the setting in which your research took place, and not making assumptions that could be insensitive.

Once you’ve made your journal selection, be sure to read the aims and scopes; don’t waste an Editor’s time (and yours) submitting something that isn’t within the scope of the journal – it will be an immediate ‘no’. It will save you time in the long run by doing your homework in advance and tailoring your manuscript to the journal of your choice. 

Your paper’s journey will start, and potentially end, with the Editor. To advance past Editor review, your paper needs to be a good fit for the journal and your research needs to be placed in the right context. Frame your research in a way that falls within the aims and scope of that journal.  Next, Associate Editors and/or peer reviewers are carefully selected based on their related expertise to your topic. Remember, the individuals on the Editorial Board are also readers and contributors to the journal.

The statement of importance within the abstract is what will help a reader decide whether to continue reading. Make sure to state where the study was performed in your abstract, the size of your sample, response rate (if applicable), and confidence interval (or p value). Your key findings and conclusion should not only answer your research question, but also stimulate the curiosity of other researchers in the field. Keep your readers engaged with key findings and conclusions, implications, and limitations are appropriate given your sample.

If your research is difficult to replicate or highly place-based, scholars in the international community—not to mention the journal’s Editor – may not read past your abstract or accept the invitation to review your manuscript. When peer reviewers are initially invited to review your manuscript, they usually only see the title and abstract. You completed many steps to get to this point. Before adding to the body of research in your field, be sure that you explain why and how your research is important to individuals outside of your network. Use examples.

Try to showcase how the international community can learn from the research you conducted in a particular country or region. It is helpful if you relate your findings to an international audience, notably with the key takeaways or how the research can be translated or reproduced in other countries. As you edit your paper, carefully consider which parts of your manuscript may be confusing to people who are not from the same geographic, religious, or cultural background and edit accordingly. For humanities, social sciences, and behavioral sciences authors looking for guidance on writing for a global and/or interdisciplinary audience, please view SAGE Open’s advice: https://journals.sagepub.com/page/sgo/help/authorguide

Sometimes authors include the most persuasive arguments for the novelty or importance of their research in the cover letter. A cover letter may be required for some journals and can help to articulate why your research is important to the journal’s audience, as well as how the research contributes to the body of knowledge. That being said, it is equally important to incorporate these key findings in the paper itself. An attention-grabbing title and carefully selected keywords are normally how readers find papers.

In sum, apply the scientific method to not only the research itself, but also to the journal selection and submission process. This will save time and ultimately help you get your work into the right hands and in front of the right set of eyes.

If you would like to learn more about the publishing process, check out our monthly How to Get Published webinar series, where we address the stumbling blocks every researcher encounters in the beginning of their careers and provide practical and in-depth guidance to help you get published.