Publishing a research paper is often seen as the final milestone of a project, but the journey to publication (and what happens afterwards) can be just as insightful as the research itself.

In the Life in Research channel, we invite you to share your personal experiences of navigating the publishing process, from first submission through to post-publication impact.

Posts in this area focus on sharing personal experiences rather than providing formal guidance or instruction. By reflecting on your journey, you can offer perspectives that others in the community may relate to, learn from, or find reassuring.

What makes a strong post?

• A clear personal story or narrative
• Honest reflections on challenges, surprises, or turning points
• Specific examples (e.g. peer review, timelines, outcomes)
• A takeaway or insight that others can learn from

You might consider writing about topics such as:

🔵First publishing experiences

Reflect on your first experiences with academic publishing, whether that’s your first research paper, grant application, or seeing your work cited in policy or the media. What surprised you? What did you learn?

🔵The journey beyond publication

Publication is often only the beginning. You could share what happened after your paper was published - media coverage, policy engagement, collaborations with industry, public engagement activities, or unexpected opportunities that arose from your work.

🔵Lessons learned along the way

Looking back on your publishing journey, what insights have you gained? Sharing reflections on challenges, key decisions, or things you wish you had known earlier can help others navigate similar experiences.

Posts like these help demystify the publishing process and highlight the many paths research can take once it reaches the wider world.

Example blog posts:

• Open Access Insights: A Q&A on How Publishing with Scientific Reports Supported My Early Career Researcher Journey 

• A junior researcher’s publication experience on and during the COVID-19 pandemic 

• What advice would you give to yourself when you started? 

Please note that posts should not promote unpublished or preprint research. If you are discussing a specific study, it should be linked to a published, peer-reviewed article.

If you’re exploring topics related to publishing, you may also find useful resources in the Publishing Toolkit, where researchers share practical tools and perspectives to support every stage of the publishing journey.

Not sure where to start?

Consider:

• What was the most unexpected part of your publishing journey?
• What would you do differently next time?

We encourage you to share your story and join the conversation.