Natureグループの雑誌に投稿しても、掲載が認められるのは、日本では4%にとどまるそうです。ちなみに欧米では8%程度と差をつけられていますが、アジア地域に限れば最高の値です。
論文を通すコツを、編集長の人があけすけに教えてくれました。
「結果があれば論文になる」でなく、イントロをどうして、話をこうふくらまし、しっかりとした英語で書くことが大事なようです。
いまさら言うまでもないことですが。。。
- Don't be afraid to submit to a Nature journal if you have truly exceptional results. One reason for the lack of papers from Asia in Nature journals is a relative lack of submissions.
- Read the journal you plan to submit to. Study its scope. Study the presentation of articles.
- Read our multilingual guide on How to Publish in Nature Journals at: http://www.nature.com/authors/author_services/how_publish.html#publish
- Focus effort in writing a first paragraph (abstract) that conveys the importance of your work to a broad audience beyond the speciality it is in and that explains why it is new/different from exiting results.
- Include a sentence in the first paragraph that says in effect "This work is important because ..."
- Use the conclusion of the paper to talk about the consequences and implications of your work and future challenges rather than just repeating your main results.
- Write a short covering letter that explains the importance of the work in non-specialist terms and places it in a broader context than the specialist field it is in. You can suggest referees and you can request the paper is not sent to named competitors. In the cover letter make it clear why and how your work is a significant advance over existing literature.
- If you don't have confidence in your English-writing skills, have a native English-speaking scientist read and comment on the paper and/or consider using a rewriting service. There are several available online.
- Rejection is not the end of the world. 94%+ of papers submitted to Nature journals are rejected. You are not alone! And we have rejected papers that went on to win Nobel prizes.