‘Toward high-impact research’

To further strengthen the research practice and culture within the university, Far Eastern University’s (FEU) University Research Center (URC) held the third session of REFINE last April 8 via MS Teams. The talk, “From Research to Recognition: A Guide to Writing and Publishing Scholarly Articles,” featured Dr. Joemer Maravilla, fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health in the United Kingdom and adjunct professor in FEU.

Maravilla shared his expert insights on high-impact academic writing and publication. 

Dr. Maravilla was introduced by URC director, Dr. Juanito Anot, Jr., who highlighted his distinction as one of the top-cited scientists in the fields of general medicine, psychiatry, and public health, as recognized by Elsevier and Stanford University for two consecutive years, 2022–2023 and 2023–2024. 

Dr. Maravilla guided participants through each key section of a scholarly article, offering insights from his experience as both researcher and journal editor. He began with the introduction, emphasizing the need to identify gaps in existing research and clearly state the study’s objectives in sentence form. He noted that personal motivations are rarely included and that introductions should be direct and research-driven. 

For the methods section, Dr. Maravilla advised using subheadings for clarity. He outlined key components such as the study design, setting, population, sampling procedures, variables and how they were measured, definitions, data collection process, analytical approach, and ethical approval. He stressed that authors often do not need to justify the study design choices but must provide enough detail for validation. 

In presenting the results, Dr. Maravilla recommended using headings to structure the section, beginning with participant demographics and key outcomes. He emphasized focusing on findings related to the study’s central question while only including secondary findings that are significant. The discussion section, he said, rarely uses headings and should start with a summary of findings. Authors should relate results to previous literature, offer conceptual explanations, and highlight contributions to the field. 

Dr. Maravilla also addressed current issues in academic publishing, including the responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (AI). Citing the ICMJE Guidelines, he advised researchers to disclose any use of AI in the methodology or cover letter.

“You are responsible for what text AI produces, and you need to declare them and be transparent,” he said, adding that while many journals are now open about AI use in research and writing, they also require full transparency regarding AI utilization.

Dr. Maravilla shared practical tips on journal selection, advising participants to check if journals are predatory, examine their impact factor, and consider where the references in their bibliography have been published.

“At the end of the day, it’s about which journal is widely read in your field. It’s about the audience—the readership of that journal,” he said.

On the submission and peer review process, Dr. Maravilla encouraged authors to suggest potential reviewers and respond carefully to editorial comments. He reminded attendees to follow each journal’s guidelines when addressing revisions and not to hesitate to respectfully contest feedback that may be off the mark.

Rejection, he noted, is common in academic publishing, even sharing that one of his papers was rejected 14 times before being accepted.

“Most editors or peer reviewers say a paper is boring: there’s nothing new that it says—no innovation,” he said, citing common reasons for rejection. Nevertheless, he encouraged persistence and re-submission to fitting journals.

Dr. Maravilla concluded by encouraging participants to explore other ways of disseminating research beyond traditional journals, such as social media, online magazines, podcasts, and policy briefs.

“We want our research to be… utilized to inform policy, to inform teaching of other faculty,” he said, urging researchers to consider the practical impact of their work.

Mark Santos, URC coordinator, served as the emcee for the event.