{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]],"date-time":"2026-02-28T04:29:57Z","timestamp":1772252997664,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,7]],"date-time":"2018-07-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1530921600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Publications"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The increased pressures for high-volume, high-impact publications in English language and the high rejection rates of submitted manuscripts for publications present an often unsurpassable obstacle for (early career) researchers. At the same time, register variation of peer-reviewed journals\u2014that can contribute to whether a paper is accepted for publication\u2014has received little attention. This paper redresses this gap, by investigating the register (especially discourse moves and lexical choices) in 60 published, original-research articles on wastewater treatment published in four Chemical Engineering journals, with impact factor (IF) above 2. Our survey shows that chemical engineering research publications tend to comply with a set of requirements: multidisciplinarity, brevity, co-authorship, focus on the description of practical results (rather than methods), and awareness of non-specialised audiences. Lexical choices were analysed through frequency tables, phrase nets and word trees produced by data visualisation software (ManyEyes). It was found that less discipline-specific vocabulary is used in higher IF journals and this is interpreted within the current context of manuscript publication and consumption. This study concludes that data visualisation can provide an efficient and effective tool for prospective authors that wish to gauge telling details of the sub-register of a specific journal.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/publications6030030","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,9]],"date-time":"2018-07-09T11:18:53Z","timestamp":1531135133000},"page":"30","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["An Exploration of the Sub-Register of Chemical Engineering Research Papers Published in English"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"6","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9841-2676","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Myrto-Panagiota","family":"Zacharof","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Cytochrome P450 Biodiversity, Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, Wales SA2 8PP, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Charalambidou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Media Department, Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries, Middlesex University London, The Burroughs, Hendon, London NW4 4BT, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"891","DOI":"10.1007\/s11192-013-1075-8","article-title":"Career advancement and scientific performance in universities","volume":"98","author":"Abramo","year":"2014","journal-title":"Scientometrics"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1023931609549","article-title":"Can scientific writing be creative?","volume":"12","author":"Massoudi","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Sci. Educ. Technol."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1007\/s11192-011-0561-0","article-title":"Impact factor: Outdated artefact or stepping-stone to journal certification?","volume":"92","author":"Vanclay","year":"2012","journal-title":"Scientometrics"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"259","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1021896524859","article-title":"Expanding the scope of writing in chemical education","volume":"7","author":"Beall","year":"1998","journal-title":"J. Sci. Educ. Technol."},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"2","article-title":"Ten Commandments for writing a meritable scientific paper","volume":"2","author":"Uskokovic","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Postdr. Aff."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"831","DOI":"10.1007\/s11192-013-0996-6","article-title":"Are academics who publish more also more cited? Individual determinants of publication and citation records","volume":"97","author":"Bosquet","year":"2013","journal-title":"Scientometrics"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"719","DOI":"10.1007\/s11192-008-2197-2","article-title":"Is science becoming more interdisciplinary? Measuring and mapping six research fields over time","volume":"81","author":"Porter","year":"2009","journal-title":"Scientometrics"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"573","DOI":"10.1378\/chest.08-2007","article-title":"Handling manuscript rejection insights from evidence and experience","volume":"135","author":"Woolley","year":"2009","journal-title":"Chest"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"815","DOI":"10.1093\/jac\/dki121","article-title":"Reduced time to publication and increased rejection rate","volume":"55","author":"Drummond","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Antimicrob. Chemother."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1023987727296","article-title":"Searching for educational technology faculty","volume":"12","author":"Barrow","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Sci. Educ. Technol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pbio.0050018","article-title":"Author sequence and credit for contributions in multiauthored publications","volume":"5","author":"Tscharntke","year":"2007","journal-title":"PLoS Biol."},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"Beall, J. (2018, March 29). Beall\u2019s List of Predatory Publishers 2013. Available online: http:\/\/scholarlyoa.com\/publishers."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"821","DOI":"10.1002\/bies.200900095","article-title":"The garbage collectors\u2014Could a particular sector of author-pays journals become silently acknowledged collectors of scientific waste?","volume":"31","author":"Moore","year":"2009","journal-title":"BioEssays"},{"key":"ref_14","first-page":"1","article-title":"Impact factor: Use and abuse","volume":"1","author":"Amin","year":"2000","journal-title":"Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"953","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03016583","article-title":"Academic anaesthesiologists\u2019 views on the importance of the impact factor of scientific journals: A North American and European survey","volume":"48","author":"Fassoulaki","year":"2001","journal-title":"Can. J. Anaesth."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1007\/s11192-013-1028-2","article-title":"The influence of European Framework Programmes on scientific collaboration in nanotechnology","volume":"97","author":"Gorraiz","year":"2013","journal-title":"Scientometrics"},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"1979","article-title":"Journal impact factor: A brief review","volume":"16","author":"Garfield","year":"1999","journal-title":"Can. Med. Assoc. J."},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"42","article-title":"Impact factor: A valid measure of journal quality?","volume":"91","author":"Saha","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Med. Libr. Assoc."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"651","DOI":"10.1083\/jcb.201304162","article-title":"Eliminating the impact of the impact factor","volume":"201","author":"Misteli","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Cell Biol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"149","DOI":"10.1007\/s11192-013-0992-x","article-title":"Is there a correlation between journal impact factor and researchers\u2019 performance? A study comprising the fields of clinical nephrology and neurosciences","volume":"97","author":"Oliveira","year":"2013","journal-title":"Scientometrics"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1016020502851","article-title":"Writing for science as scholarly communication","volume":"11","author":"Finegold","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. Sci. Educ. Technol."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.37514\/WAC-J.2009.20.1.02","article-title":"Eliminating lab reports: A rhetorical approach for teaching the scientific paper in sophomore organic chemistry","volume":"20","author":"Alaimo","year":"2009","journal-title":"WAC J."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Robinson, M.S., Stoller, F.L., Costanza-Robinson, M.S., and Jones, J.K. (2008). Write Like a Chemist, Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780195367423.001.0001"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"918","DOI":"10.1002\/bies.201200098","article-title":"Teaching peers to talk to peers","volume":"34","author":"Rodriguez","year":"2012","journal-title":"BioEssays"},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"Lebrun, J.-L. (2013). Scientific Writing: A Reader and Writer\u2019s Guide, World Scientific Publishing Co Pte. Ltd."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.1504\/IJTEL.2014.066856","article-title":"Basics of research paper writing and publishing","volume":"6","author":"Derntl","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int. J. Technol. Enhanc. Learn."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"299","DOI":"10.1016\/S0898-5898(96)90025-X","article-title":"Investigating academic texts with corpus-based techniques: An example from biology","volume":"8","author":"Conrad","year":"1996","journal-title":"Linguist. Educ."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"(2018, March 29). Assessment Criteria and Level Definitions. Available online: http:\/\/www.ref.ac.uk\/2014\/panels\/assessmentcriteriaandleveldefinitions\/."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"265","DOI":"10.1016\/0889-4906(89)90017-3","article-title":"The present perfect in the rhetorical divisions of biology and biochemistry journal articles","volume":"8","author":"Gunawardena","year":"1989","journal-title":"Engl. Specif. Purp."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Stoller, F., Jones, J., Costanza-Robinson, M.S., and Robinson, M.S. (2005). Demystifying disciplinary writing: A case study in the writing of chemistry. Across Discip., 2, Available online: https:\/\/wac.colostate.edu\/atd\/lds\/stoller.cfm.","DOI":"10.37514\/ATD-J.2005.2.2.02"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"429","DOI":"10.1038\/sj.bdj.2008.292","article-title":"Analysing and presenting qualitative data","volume":"204","author":"Burnard","year":"2008","journal-title":"Br. Dent. J."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"291","DOI":"10.1038\/bdj.2008.192","article-title":"Methods of data collection in qualitative research: Interviews and focus groups","volume":"204","author":"Gill","year":"2008","journal-title":"Br. Dent. J."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.1093\/applin\/15.2.169","article-title":"Corpus-based approaches to issues in applied linguistics","volume":"15","author":"Biber","year":"1994","journal-title":"Appl. Linguist."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Biber, D., and Conrad, S. (2009). Register, Genre and Style, Cambridge University Press.","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511814358"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gustavii, B. (2008). How to Write and Illustrate a Scientific Paper, Cambridge University Press.","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511808272"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Blackwell, J., and Martin, J. (2011). A Scientific Approach to Scientific Writing, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4419-9788-3"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"679","DOI":"10.1007\/s11192-012-0937-9","article-title":"Cluttered writing: Adjectives and adverbs in academia","volume":"96","year":"2013","journal-title":"Scientometrics"},{"key":"ref_38","first-page":"137","article-title":"How to write and publish a scientific paper","volume":"41","author":"Hosgood","year":"2011","journal-title":"Austral Vet. Pract."},{"key":"ref_39","unstructured":"Ware, M., and Mabe, M. (2009). STM: An Overview of Scientific and Scholarly Journal Publishing, International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers."},{"key":"ref_40","unstructured":"White, T. (2006). Principles of good research and research proposal guide. Policy, Performance and Quality Assurance Unit, London Council, Borough of Richmond upon Thames."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"251","DOI":"10.1080\/0304379031000098832","article-title":"Tuning engineering education into the European higher education orchestra","volume":"28","author":"Maffioli","year":"2003","journal-title":"Eur. J. Eng. Educ."},{"key":"ref_42","unstructured":"Duranti, A., and Goodwin, C. (1992). In another context. Rethinking Context: Language as an Interactive Phenomenon, Cambridge University Press."}],"container-title":["Publications"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-6775\/6\/3\/30\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T15:11:39Z","timestamp":1760195499000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-6775\/6\/3\/30"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,7]]},"references-count":42,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,9]]}},"alternative-id":["publications6030030"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/publications6030030","relation":{"has-preprint":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.20944\/preprints201803.0270.v1","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["2304-6775"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2304-6775","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,7]]}}}