Abstract

Along the lines of “the SCOPUS diaries”, we will work on a personalised “publication strategy”.

This exercise is comprises two main parts:

a) structuring an academic article in a way that is reader-friendly

b) identify a possible outlet for publication and adapt the piece

Secondly, reflecting on the use (and abuse) of AI in science, we will tackle the “myth of productivity” to discuss the advantages (and risks) of the use of ChatGPT (and other LLMs) in science and for your academic articles. The question is not just about ethical use of AI but, and perhaps more importantly, the expectations that have arisen in an age of delegating some tasks to AI. As a result, scientists are now expected to be “more productive”, this statement highlighting an uncritical understanding of quality-oriented scientific production.

Approaching publications from both angles, we will address a number of questions that are vital to the career of an academic:

• Why do we publish? If your answer is “because my job requires me to do” a deeper reflection is needed, since we are losing the original purpose of a publication, which is to share research findings.

• Why do we need SCOPUS (and do we really need it?)

• How to identify the “perfect” journal for your current publication

• How to approach a journal, build rapport and minimise chances of rejection

• How to make sure that your article is visible and has impact (the obsession now is “how to get cited” but the starting point is that people know about it and engage with it)

• How many articles per year should I publish?

We are all often impacted by donors’ requirements, and I will provide instructions on how to comply with these. However, beyond expectations (from a donor, from your line manager or even from yourself, since most academic pressure comes from our heads), there is a “natural” figure that fits each of us depending on our discipline, on our career stage, country, attitude and skills. We will consider strategies to avoid burnout for the sake of “productivity”:

• Can we keep on becoming “more productive”, year-by-year? Does it make any sense?

• Can all of our publications produce significant results?

• When NOT to use Chat GPT and why

• What is mental health in academia and how to take care of it