There is much competition to publish research in a leading journal. Congratulations to lead author Giles Hamm, doctoral student in archaeology at La Trobe University, for his recent success in publishing a paper in Nature.

The paper, titled Cultural innovation and megafauna interaction in the early settlement of arid Australia, was published on 2 November 2016 in Nature 539, 280-283. It reported archaeological research at Warratyi rock shelter in the Flinders Ranges.

I worked with Giles on several iterations of the paper including identifying the key findings, interpreting the journal guidelines, advising on the submission process, and editing the text, references and supplementary information.

Publishing in a top scientific journal can be a long process and many people have a say in the final paper including the co-authors (13 for this paper), the reviewers and Nature editorial staff. Don’t be surprised if the paper goes through many changes. Accept that not everyone involved (including the editor) will agree on every word as published.

Consider these tips

• Read the journal guidelines and follow them.
• Use feedback to improve the paper.
• Be prepared for a long process.
• Persevere.

Read the abstract for free and check full access options here.