Writing

If your paper is getting rejected, it isn’t necessarily the science that’s the problem (it’s likely the journal fit that’s off!). Here’s how you can be be strategic about journal selection. How do I choose the right scientific journal? ↳ Analyze your citation list and target relevant publications. Can impact factor really determine journal quality? ↳ Look beyond numbers, focus on specialized audience fit. How to avoid predatory journal publication traps? ↳ Verify journal reputation before submitting your research. Will editors help improve my manuscript? ↳ Follow author guidelines meticulously. Navigating the academic publication landscape can feel like traversing a complex maze. As a professor, I've learned that selecting the right journal is both an art and a science. Here's a game-changing approach I've developed: 1. Conduct a citation audit: Count journals you've referenced most frequently. These are likely your ideal publication targets. 2. Beyond Impact Factor: Don't get fixated on numbers. A lower-ranked journal with a specialized audience might be more valuable than a high-impact generic publication. 3. Beware of predatory journals: If an unsolicited email promises quick publication for a fee, run! Legitimate open-access journals conduct rigorous peer review. 4. Craft a strategic cover letter: Suggest credible reviewers, highlight your paper's novelty, and demonstrate professionalism. 5. Patience is key: Most journals reject approximately 50% of submissions. Don't be discouraged - each submission is a learning opportunity. Pro tip: Always read and follow the journal's specific author guidelines. This shows you're a detail-oriented, professional researcher. Have you ever struggled with selecting the right scientific journal for your research? What challenges have you encountered? #science #scientist #ScientificCommunication #publishing #phd #professor #research #postgraduate

70% use words that undermine their authority. Especially in work emails. 9 phrases I'm retiring from my emails: (and what I plan to use instead) “So sorry for the delay” → “Thanks for your patience” “What works best for you?” → “Could you do…?” “No problem/no worries” → “Always happy to help” “I was just wondering if we…” → “I propose we…” “I hope this looks ok” → “I look forward to your feedback” “Hopefully that makes sense?” → “Let me know if you have questions” “Just wanted to check in” → “When can I expect an update” “Ahhh sorry my bad, totally missed that” → “Thanks for letting me know” ”So sorry to bother you but…” → “I wanted to discuss…” —- Most don’t realize this, Our words shape perceptions. The key is recognizing ones that diminish authority. Then replace them with clear, confident language. Small changes can make a big impact. Start communicating confidently today! Do you find yourself using any of these phrases? Let me know. --- Reshare ♻ to help others communicate more confidently. And follow me for more posts like this.

🌎 Designing Cross-Cultural And Multi-Lingual UX. Guidelines on how to stress test our designs, how to define a localization strategy and how to deal with currencies, dates, word order, pluralization, colors and gender pronouns. ⦿ Translation: “We adapt our message to resonate in other markets”. ⦿ Localization: “We adapt user experience to local expectations”. ⦿ Internationalization: “We adapt our codebase to work in other markets”. ✅ English-language users make up about 26% of users. ✅ Top written languages: Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese. ✅ Most users prefer content in their native language(s). ✅ French texts are on average 20% longer than English ones. ✅ Japanese texts are on average 30–60% shorter. 🚫 Flags aren’t languages: avoid them for language selection. 🚫 Language direction ≠ design direction (“F” vs. Zig-Zag pattern). 🚫 Not everybody has first/middle names: “Full name” is better. ✅ Always reserve at least 30% room for longer translations. ✅ Stress test your UI for translation with pseudolocalization. ✅ Plan for line wrap, truncation, very short and very long labels. ✅ Adjust numbers, dates, times, formats, units, addresses. ✅ Adjust currency, spelling, input masks, placeholders. ✅ Always conduct UX research with local users. When localizing an interface, we need to work beyond translation. We need to be respectful of cultural differences. E.g. in Arabic we would often need to increase the spacing between lines. For Chinese market, we need to increase the density of information. German sites require a vast amount of detail to communicate that a topic is well-thought-out. Stress test your design. Avoid assumptions. Work with local content designers. Spend time in the country to better understand the market. Have local help on the ground. And test repeatedly with local users as an ongoing part of the design process. You’ll be surprised by some findings, but you’ll also learn to adapt and scale to be effective — whatever market is going to come up next. Useful resources: UX Design Across Different Cultures, by Jenny Shen https://lnkd.in/eNiyVqiH UX Localization Handbook, by Phrase https://lnkd.in/eKN7usSA A Complete Guide To UX Localization, by Michal Kessel Shitrit 🎗️ https://lnkd.in/eaQJt-bU Designing Multi-Lingual UX, by yours truly https://lnkd.in/eR3GnwXQ Flags Are Not Languages, by James Offer https://lnkd.in/eaySNFGa IBM Globalization Checklists https://lnkd.in/ewNzysqv Books: ⦿ Cross-Cultural Design (https://lnkd.in/e8KswErf) by Senongo Akpem ⦿ The Culture Map (https://lnkd.in/edfyMqhN) by Erin Meyer ⦿ UX Writing & Microcopy (https://lnkd.in/e_ZFu374) by Kinneret Yifrah

We analyzed 4 million recruiting emails sent through Gem. Most get opened. But only 22.6% get replies. Half those replies are "thanks, but no thanks." We dug into what actually works. Here are 8 factors that drive REAL responses: 1. Strategic timing beats everything else - 8am gets 68% open rates. 4pm hits 67.3%. 10am lands at 67% - Most recruiters blast at 9am when inboxes are flooded - Avoiding peak times alone can boost your opens by 7-10% 2. Weekend outreach is criminally underused - Saturday/Sunday emails get ≥66% open rates consistently - Why? Empty inboxes. Zero competition. Candidates actually have time - Yet few recruiters send on weekends. Their loss is your gain 3. Keep messages between 101-150 words - Shorter feels spammy. Longer gets skimmed - You need exactly 10 sentences to nail the essentials - Every word beyond 150 drops performance 4. Generic templates kill response rates - Generic templates: 22% reply rate - Personalized outreach: 47% increased response rate - Even adding name + company to subject lines boosts opens by 5% 5. Subject lines need 3-9 words - Include company name + job title for highest opens - "Senior Engineer Role at [Company]" beats clever wordplay - 11+ words can work if genuinely intriguing, but why risk it? 6. The 4-stage sequence is optimal - One-off emails are dead. Send exactly 4 follow-up messages - You'll see 68% higher "interested" rates with proper sequencing - After stage 4, engagement completely flatlines. Stop there 7. Get the hiring manager involved - Having the hiring manager send ONE follow-up boosts reply rates by 50%+ - Yet most recruiters don't use this tactic - Weekend advantage: Minimal competition for attention 8. Leadership involvement is a cheat code - Role-specific timing (tech vs non-tech) matters - Technical roles: 3 of 4 best send times are weekends - Engineers check email differently than salespeople. Adjust accordingly TAKEAWAY: These aren't opinions. This is what 4 million emails tell us. Most recruiting teams are stuck in 2019 playbooks wondering why their reply rates won't budge. Meanwhile, recruiters who implement these 8 factors see dramatically better results. The data is right there. The patterns are clear. The only question is: will you actually change how you operate? Or will you keep sending the same tired emails at 9am on Tuesday? Your call.

The Olympics have nailed their marketing without us realising 🥊🏅 I thought it was strange that the Olympics were starting on Friday, but I’d seen very little advertised. Anyone else? And then it hit me, whilst watching Sprint (my third newly added sports documentary on Netflix this weekend) & finding myself googling the dates of the athletes’ events at Paris, that I’d been indirectly marketed to in the most genius way. Here’s why, and more importantly, here’s why it worked: 1️⃣ Meeting the Audience Where They Are The Olympics faced a challenge: how to engage a generation that doesn’t watch mainstream TV. So, they went straight to where their audience spends time – streaming platforms. 85% of Gen Z and millennials prefer streaming over traditional TV. By launching multiple compelling sports docuseries on Netflix, they met their audience exactly where they are. 2️⃣ No Ads, Just Stories Research shows that storytelling is the most powerful tool in marketing – it's 22 times more memorable than facts alone. When you tell a story, you engage your audience’s emotions, and that connection is invaluable. It's this emotional engagement that turns viewers into fans and casual watchers into passionate supporters. No CTAs, no tracked links, just pure wonderful emotional storytelling at its finest. 3️⃣ Creating Emotional Investment These docuseries pull you into the personal lives of top athletes. You follow their journeys, their struggles, and their triumphs, right up to the competition before the Paris Olympics. This emotional investment is powerful. Suddenly you’re not only aware of these athletes in various disciplines, you’re invested in their success. 4️⃣ Building Anticipation By ending these stories on a cliffhanger, they’ve done something brilliant – they’ve made you care. You’re not just a spectator anymore; you’re invested in seeing these athletes win. And the next episode? Well that will be streamed live from Paris on mainstream TV. I know I’m not alone in wanting to see how these stories end. 5️⃣ Perfect Timing Timing is everything in marketing, and the Olympics nailed it. By launching these docuseries right before the games, they’ve ensured the stories are fresh in our minds. This makes the athletes' journeys a cultural talking point and keeps the Olympics top of mind. Strategic timing like this makes the content memorable and maximises its impact. Here’s the lesson: To truly engage your audience, focus on storytelling. Create narratives so compelling, people can’t help but follow along. Make them care about the outcome. When your audience is emotionally invested, they’re not just watching – they’re rooting for you. This weekend reminded me why I love marketing. It's not just about selling a product; it's about creating connections, inspiring emotions, and telling stories that resonate. So, next time you’re crafting your strategy, ask yourself: are you telling a story your audience will care about? I’m sold. Who’s watching?

In my 14yrs career in engineering working for Big Tech companies such as Google and Uber, there is no other skill I used more than writing. And no, I don’t mean writing code. I mean English writing. Emails, Design Docs, Presentations, Feedback, Code Reviews, you name it. Here's how I make my written communication clear, effective, and punchy. 👇 Written communication can sometimes be daunting, especially for non-native speakers—like me. That’s why I wanted to share  the 6 questions that I use when writing anything. This helps me communicate more effectively and connect with my audience better. 1. Who is my target audience? Identify the specific group or individuals you are speaking to. Knowing your audience assists you in customizing your writing to meet their requirements and interests. 2. What is my main objective or purpose? Clarify the primary goal of your writing. Whether it's to inform, persuade, entertain, or educate, knowing your objective guides your content. 3. What key points do I want to convey? Identify the main idea or key points you want to communicate. This will help you stay focused and make sure your message is clear and logical. 4. Why should the reader care about this? Consider the value or benefit your writing offers to the reader. Highlight how it addresses their needs or solves a problem. 5. Is my writing clear, concise, and organized? Make sure your content is clear and easy to understand. Keep the flow logical and avoid using complex language or jargon that might confuse the reader. 6. Can I make my writing shorter? The answer is always yes. So make sure to edit edit edit. Brevity saves time for both the writer and the reader. What else would you add to this list? How does your writing process look like? ♻️ Please repost if you found this useful

Got an email from a colleague I've known for three years. Drinks after conferences. Inside jokes. His daughter plays soccer. Subject line: Strategic Alignment for Q3. Flawless formatting. Perfect grammar. Professionally upbeat. Every bullet precisely spaced. I felt absolutely nothing. Closed it without responding. Here's what's actually happening: for decades, polish was proof of effort. A well-written message meant someone cared enough to craft it. AI severed that connection completely. Now a perfect email could be 30 minutes of real thought or 3 seconds of prompting, and the recipient cannot tell. So we don't trust any of it. Not dramatically. Not consciously. But in the slow, cumulative way that hollows out working relationships over time. Each frictionless message becomes a little harder to take seriously. Each exchange feels more like a transaction, less like a conversation. There's a concept in evolutionary biology called costly signaling. A peacock's tail is trusted precisely because it's expensive to grow. Cheap signals carry no weight. AI communication costs nearly zero to produce. The recipient, consciously or not, values it accordingly. And when everyone in an org uses the same tools, something stranger happens: the voices converge. AI is a probability engine. It gravitates toward average phrasing, standard structure, safest tone. Use it to smooth your communication and you're not saving time, you're deleting your own fingerprint. Before your next important message, ask one question: is there a single sentence here that could only have come from me? If no, the message might land. But it won't build anything. The polished email costs nothing to produce. That's precisely why it costs everything to trust. Link to the full essay in the comments below.

Conservation’s unfinished business Conservation is often framed as a technical exercise: how much land to protect, which species to prioritize, what policies deliver measurable gains. A recent paper, led by Moreangels Mbizah, argues that this framing overlooks a deeper constraint. Many of the field’s most persistent problems stem from how power, history, and exclusion continue to shape conservation practice. The paper traces modern conservation’s institutional roots to the colonial era, when protected areas were frequently established through the removal or restriction of Indigenous peoples & rural communities. Land was treated as empty, and local use as degradation. While conservation has changed since then, the authors argue that these early assumptions were never fully dismantled. They persist in subtler forms, influencing who defines conservation priorities, whose knowledge counts as expertise, and who absorbs the costs of protection. One consequence is the continued marginalization of Indigenous peoples & local communities. These groups are often labeled as stakeholders or beneficiaries, rather than rights-holders with authority over their lands. Consultation may occur, but usually after decisions are already set. Participation is often limited to implementation, not governance. Even projects presented as inclusive can reproduce older hierarchies if power remains concentrated elsewhere. The paper puts these concerns within the current push to expand protected areas. Such targets, it notes, are not inherently unjust. They could support Indigenous-managed territories & community-led conservation. But where legal systems fail to recognize customary land rights, the expansion of protected areas risks reinforcing state control & repeating past harms, even when ecological outcomes appear positive. The authors also examine how conservation narratives value lives differently. Campaigns aimed at wealthy countries often emphasize the moral worth of wildlife, while paying less attention to the risks borne by people living alongside animals. When conflict occurs, local injury may receive limited attention compared to the killing of a charismatic species. The paper argues that these asymmetries reflect deeper processes of othering that shape whose suffering is acknowledged. To address such patterns, the authors propose the RACE framework, which is offered as a way for institutions to examine their own assumptions. It emphasizes respect for human rights, meaningful local authority, accountability when harm occurs, and greater awareness of conservation’s own history. The paper’s conclusion is restrained: conservation alone cannot resolve social inequity, but ignoring how inequality is embedded in conservation practice undermines both justice and effectiveness. Conservation, they argue, is ultimately about relationships. When those relationships are treated as secondary, ecological gains are often fragile, and conflict becomes harder to avoid.

I’ve reviewed 1,000+ LinkedIn profiles over the past 5 years. Here are 8 tips to turn your LinkedIn profile into a job-generating machine: 1. Upgrade Your Profile Picture Like it or not, your profile picture is your first impression. Make it a good one: - Upload your PP to Photofeeler .com - Analyze the feedback - Reshoot/edit your picture based on the data Repeat until your scores are good! 2. Leverage Keywords The right keywords help you show up in more searches. Here's how to find them: - Find 5+ job descriptions for target roles - Paste them all into ResyMatch.io's JD scanner - Save the top 15 skills Weave them into the rest of your profile! 3. Write A Killer Headline I like to use this headline formula: [Keywords] | [Skills] | [Results-Focused Value Proposition] Example for a data scientist: Data Scientist | Python, R, Tableau | I Help Hospitals Use Big Data To Reduce Readmission Rates By 37% 4. Write A Killer About A great About section has 3 parts: - A short paragraph that speaks to your job, years of experience, and value prop. - Five "case study" bullets that showcase specific results. - Your email w/ a CTA for people to connect with you. Include keywords! 5. Leverage Your Featured Section It’s hard to convey your value on a resume or in an About section. This is your chance to show people what you’ve done on your terms. Include things like: - Case studies of your work - Content you’ve created - Posts you’ve written 6. Skills Matter LinkedIn uses profile Skills sections to rank candidates. Here’s how to boost your rank: - Add every keyword from your ResyMatch scan - Choose the top 5 most relevant skills - Ask colleagues, friends, family, & classmates for endorsements (aim for 5) 7. Engage & Support Others Comments can generate tons of profile views! Here’s how: - Find 10+ thought leaders in your target space - Bookmark their post feed - Check their feeds daily - Leave a supportive, valuable comment on each new post Repeat for a minimum of 30 days 8. Create Content! Content is networking at scale. One post can reach more people than your entire connection base. It also allows you to showcase value in your own words, on your own terms. It can feel scary, but only 1% of people do it—and the returns are huge.

Recently, I made a post about building an online presence and creating content on LinkedIn & Instagram, and I received so many questions like: 👉 How can we create engaging content? 👉 Is there any right time to post? So, let’s talk about it! First of all, there’s no fixed rule that guarantees rapid growth on any platform. From my experience, the key is simple: Create what your audience needs. But how do you figure out what your audience actually wants? 1️⃣ Pick 5-10 verticals (topics) you want to post about – This helps you stay consistent and gives variety to your content. 2️⃣ Post regularly and rotate between these topics – Try this for at least 30-45 days. This gives you enough data to analyze what’s working and what’s not. 3️⃣ Analyze your best-performing posts – Once you have a good number of posts, check which ones got the most engagement. Identify patterns in topics, formats, and writing styles that work best. 4️⃣ Test different content formats – Try text posts, carousels, polls, short videos, and storytelling-style posts. Experimenting will help you understand what your audience enjoys the most. 5️⃣ Hook your audience in the first 2-3 lines – The first few lines decide whether someone will stop scrolling or move on. Start with a question, bold statement, or interesting fact to grab attention. 6️⃣ Keep your content concise and easy to understand – Avoid overcomplicating things. The simpler and clearer your message, the better engagement you’ll get. 7️⃣ Use pointers in your posts – Structured content is easier to read and keeps people hooked till the end. 8️⃣ Engage with your audience – Reply to comments, ask questions, and keep the conversation going. Engagement builds a loyal audience over time. 9️⃣ Find the right posting time (but don’t overthink it) – Different audiences are active at different times. Test different time slots to see when your posts get the best reach. LinkedIn engagement is usually higher on weekdays, while Instagram tends to perform well in the evenings. 🔟 Stay consistent & have patience – Many people give up too soon when they don’t see instant engagement. The truth is, it takes time to build an audience. Keep posting, refining your strategy, and improving with each post. At the end of the day, there’s no perfect formula—the more you experiment, the better you’ll understand what works. Keep posting, keep learning!