JOHOR BAHRU, 17 August 2026 – The Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), organised Publication Workshop Series 2: “From Draft to Journal: Navigating the Publication Process” as part of Research Month@FS 2026.
Held at the Computer Room, Department of Chemistry, C10, the full-day workshop featured Assoc. Prof. ChM. Dr. Roswanira Binti Abdul Wahab and ChM. Dr. Muhammad Norhaffis Bin Mustafa. The programme was designed to strengthen participants’ understanding of scientific writing and provide practical guidance for transforming research findings into publication-ready journal manuscripts.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Roswanira emphasised that impactful scientific writing is a continuous process that requires strategic planning, effective time management, careful monitoring and consistent follow-through. Researchers were encouraged to identify suitable target journals early, understand the type and positioning of their research, and ensure that the quality and scope of the manuscript match the expectations of the intended journal.
The session also highlighted two important aspects of a strong scientific paper: optics and narrative. Optics refers to the overall presentation of the manuscript, including clear figures, concise tables, informative captions, consistent formatting and an attractive but professional layout. Narrative, meanwhile, focuses on how clearly and logically the scientific story is communicated, supported by accurate citations, appropriate comparisons with previous studies and meaningful interpretation of the findings.
Participants were introduced to a practical workflow for writing a scientific article, beginning with the methodology and title, followed by the introduction, preparation of figures and tables, results and discussion, conclusion and abstract. The workshop also addressed the preparation of keywords, research highlights and graphical abstracts, which can help communicate the key contributions of a study more effectively.
Particular attention was given to the Results and Discussion section. Researchers were encouraged to present results in a logical sequence, support interpretations with quantitative evidence where appropriate, relate the findings to the research objectives and hypotheses, and compare the outcomes with previous work. The importance of using appropriate statistical analysis to support claims of significance was also emphasised.
The workshop further guided participants through the final stages of manuscript preparation and submission. Researchers were reminded to carefully check the consistency of the manuscript, language, figures, tables, citations and references, while ensuring full compliance with the selected journal’s author guidelines before submission. Peer checking by colleagues with relevant expertise was also recommended as an additional step to improve manuscript quality.
Another key message was the importance of persistence in academic publishing. Manuscript rejection was presented as a normal part of the publication process, with researchers encouraged to carefully consider reviewer feedback, improve their manuscripts and resubmit to another suitable journal when necessary.
Through Publication Workshop Series 2, the Faculty of Science continues to equip its academic community with practical skills to improve manuscript quality, strengthen publication strategies and enhance scholarly impact.
The programme forms part of Research Month@FS 2026, which provides a series of capacity-building activities aimed at advancing research, publication, innovation and professional development across the Faculty.
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