How to Publish a Mathematical

Research Paper?!
Saeid Alikhani
Inspem, UPM, Malaysia
Shiraz University of
Technology, Shiraz, Iran
November 2008

About research
1) Professor Mahmood Hesabi: Life is research, and
learning of new things!

Saeid Alikhani

2) One of the purpose of training a PhD student is

training a person who is able to find new ideas and
produce new science! So, we must know how shall
publish our ideas and new results.
3) Albert Szent-Gyorgyi once said that ...
Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and
to think what nobody else has thought.

Saeid Alikhani

Why Publish?!
1. Publishing is an important part of research
communication! The foremost reason for publishing
research results is to communicate the findings to other
people. Within academia, publishing fulfils the aim of
communicating research results to other researchers and
potential users.
2. Publishing contributes to scientific progress. Publishing
assures that new findings get known as widely as possible
among a group of researchers dealing with a certain topic.
Other researchers benefit from the new findings and build
upon them in their own research.

Saeid Alikhani

3. Publications are academic currency. Researchers are

evaluated according to the number of publications they
have produced. Funds for research projects and travel
grants are allocated based on publication records. Career
promotion is also dependent on publishing.
4. Publishing is a quality control. Once research results are
published they are disclosed to the academic community
and can be evaluated and judged by other experts. This
helps to test the validity and reliability of research results.
This process starts immediately after submitting a paper to
a peer-reviewed journal or a book. At this point experts in
the field (the peers) review the submissions merit for
publication. Thus, once published, peer-reviewed
publications and thereby their authors have obtained a
certain quality label.
Saeid Alikhani

Finding an Idea
To obtain an idea, we have to read papers (and books
rarely) .
Can I extend these results to other fields?!
Can I solve these problems with weaker conditions?!
Is there shorter proof for these theorems?!
Can I find applications of these results in Physics and
Engineering?!
The converse of these results are correct?!
Participate in good conferences and workshops can help
us to find nice ideas.

Saeid Alikhani

Good questions in your research

To start a research, we need good questions.
What is a good question?!
A good question is solvable and not easy question!
Some times a good question produce many good
questions.

Saeid Alikhani

You have good questions but are not able to find new
results related to them!
Obtaining results is an important problem!
You should be patient, think about different cases of your
problems and attack to problem with different tools!
Always note that, difficult problems are better than easy
problems!! (Prof. Peng)
Daniel Kleitman once said that ...
The worst thing you can do to a problem is solve it
completely.
Saeid Alikhani

Contribute
Is it necessary to ask experts to help us?!
Yes! When we are not able to solve our problems
our self, we shall ask an expert who is one of the
best in our field.
I think supervisors and students should have
regular meetings, in these meetings student
present ideas to supervisor and.
Saeid Alikhani

Writing
After good results, we shall write a paper.
Every Mathematical Research papers include:
Title, Author and Address, Keywords, AMS 2000,
Abstract, Introduction, Main results (Sections),
and References.
Revise and read your paper with another authors
at least 10 times before submission!! (We have
revised a paper about 20 times!!!, every times
better than previous times. I have revised one
paper 20 times!! ).
Saeid Alikhani

Suitable Journals
LIST OF INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS
1) Elsevier
2) Taylor and Francis
3) Kluwer Academic Publishers
4) Balkema
5) Blackwell
6) John Wiley and Sons
Saeid Alikhani

7) McGraw Hill
8) Prentice Hall
9) Springer
10) Pearson
11) Imperial College Press
12) Oxford University Press
13) Cambridge University Press
14) CABI
Saeid Alikhani

15) Science Publishers

16) University Science Books
17) Harvard University Press
18) Stanford University Press
19) Princeton University Press
20) Pegasus
21) CRC Press
22) PennWell Books
Saeid Alikhani

23) Marcel Dekker

24) Wiley InterScience
25) AgriTech Publications
26) Thomson Publications
27) Gordon and Breach Publishing Group
Note that not every ISI journal is a good
journal!There are some bad journals.
See http://profs-against-plagiarism.blogspot.com/

Saeid Alikhani

List of ISI Mathematical Journal

Saeid Alikhani

About Impact Factor

The impact factor, often abbreviated IF, is a measure of
the citations to science and social science journals. The
Impact factor was devised by Eugene Garfield, the
founder of the Institute for Scientific Information, now part
of Thomson, a large worldwide US-based publisher.
IF=(the number of citations the articles in a journal
receive in a given year) / (the number of articles
published).
Do you think Impact factor is a good tool for measuring
the quality of journals?!

Saeid Alikhani

Choose good Journals for good

referees reports!

Saeid Alikhani

Please compare the previous report with the following:

Dear Mr. Alikhani:
We regret to advise you that the editorial board of Journal
of Combinatorial Theory, Series B feels that the results of
the paper "Domination Polynomial of Certain Graphs, II"
would not be of sufficient interest to the readership of our
journal. In view of this we are unable to accept your paper
for publication.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to consider your
work.
With kind regards,

Saeid Alikhani

Comments for the Author:

Dear Saeid Alikhani,
Thanks for submitting your paper to JACO.
Unfortunately the editors-in-chief felt that the paper
lacks algebra and is below the high standards of
JACO (as it deals with a restricted class of graphs).
We wish you best of luck in another journal!

Saeid Alikhani

Useful Links for Researchers

Electronic Journals Library-Oberwolfach (List of
Journals)
CIRS
Zentralblatt
Math Sci Net
European Research Center in Mathematics
KIAS (List of Journals)
Mathematik Zeitschriften in WWW
Link: http://alikhani206.googlepages.com/usefullinks
Saeid Alikhani

Notes about Math Sci Net

Note that a good Mathematical journals shall indexed
and review by Math Sci Net.

If journal X index and review by Math Sci Net, then X

index and review by Zentralblatt. But the converse isnt
true!!

Saeid Alikhani

Links to Some Journals

AKCE International Journal of Graphs and Combinatorics
Acta Mathematica Sinica
Acta Mathematicae Applicable Sinica
Advanced in Applied Mathematics
American Mathematical Monthly
Annals of Combinatorics
Applicable Analysis and Discrete Mathematics
Applied Mathematics and Computation
Applied Mathematics E-notes

Saeid Alikhani

Applied Mathematics Letters

Ars Combinatoria
Australian Journal of Combinatorics
The Bulletin of Australian Mathematical Society
The Bulletin of Iranian Mathematical Society
The Bulletin of Malaysian Mathematical Society
Choas, Solitons& Fractals
Combinatorica
Combiatorics, Probability and Computing
Comptes Rendus Mathematique, Elsevier

Saeid Alikhani

Congressus Numerantium
Contribution to Discrete Mathematics
Czechslovak Mathematical Journal
Designs, Codes and Cryptography
Discrete and Computational Geometry
Discrete Applied Mathematics
Discrete Mathematics
Discrete Mathematics and Theorical Computer Science
Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theory
European Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics

Saeid Alikhani

Experimental Mathematics
Far East Journal of Mathematical Sciences
Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
International of Pure and Applied Mathematics
International Journal of Applied Mathematical Sciences,
India
International Journal of Computer Mathematics
International Journal of Mathematics
International J. of Mathematics and Mathematical Science
Inventiones Mathematicae
Journal of Discrete Mathematical Sciences and
Cryptography
Journal of Inequalities in Pure and Applied Mathematics
Saeid Alikhani

Journal of Integer Sequences

Journal of Korean Mathematical Society
Journal of Sciences, Iran
Scientia Iranica, Iran
Southwest Journal of Pure and Applied
Mathematics(SWJPAM)
Southeast Asian Bulletin of Mathematics
The Asian Journal of Mathematics
The Electronic Colloquium on Computational Compexity
The Electronic Journal of Combinatorics
The Fibonacci Quaterly
Saeid Alikhani

Utilitas Mathematica
European Journal of Combinatorics
Graphs and Combinatorics
Global Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
IEEE Transacations on Information Theory
Information Processing Letters
Journal of Algebraic Combiatorics
Journal of Algorithms
Journal of Automata, Languages and Combinatorics
Journal of Combinatorial Designs

Saeid Alikhani

Journal of Combinatorial Theory, Seri B

Journal of Discrete Algorithm
Journal of Graph Theory
Linear Algebra and its application
Michigan Mathematics Journal
New zealand Journal of Mathematics
Online Journal of Analytic Combinatorics
Opuscula Mathematica
Osaka Journal of Mathematics
Pacific Journal of Mathematics
SIAM Journal on Discrete Mathematics
The Mathematical Gazette
Iranian Journal of Science and Technology
Saeid Alikhani

After Submission
Editor in chief
Choose a suitable editors Patient
at least 5-6 months write a letter to Editor in Chief
(Completely Politely! And ask him to let you know
the progress of papers submission) If accept, then

If reject do not be disappointed!,

Be hopeful!! Improve your
paper and submit to another journals
Saeid Alikhani

Example of patience:

Saeid Alikhani

Plagiarism!
Prof. Hwang Woo-Suk, (South Korea) barred
from teaching and research! Be careful!!
(See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asiapacific/4697210.stm)

Saeid Alikhani

Unbelievable Example of Plagiarism!

This is the original paper which another

author has stolen it and publish in 5 another
ISI Journals!!

Saeid Alikhani

A plagiarism finding tool!

One of the tools for the finding the plagiarism
is the Docoloc software. For more
information, refer to the following link:
http://www.docoloc.com/en/plagiat_anleitung.hhtml

Saeid Alikhani

Some of the worthless journals!!

Some of the well known Iranian Professors
investigated and announced the following journals
as worthless journals! (I have no idea!)
WSEAS Journals
GESTS Journals
IASTED Journals
Medwell Journals
IDOSI journals
Saeid Alikhani

American J of Applied Sciences--AJAS

World Applied Sciences Journal --WASJ
Journal of Applied Sciences
Int Journal of Comp Sci & Network Security--IJCSNS
Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences
AMC!
Asian Journal of Chemistry
To be continued or for someone !
Saeid Alikhani

Finding journals with impact factor

One way to check the journal has impact
factor is applying the following link:
http://lib.leeds.ac.uk/search/tjournal%20citati
on%20reports

Saeid Alikhani

Technical Research& ArXiv

In the web pages of most of good institutes in the
world, there is a page including technical reports of
researchers.
Also, you can publish your paper in the Math ArXive.
Note that the publication in ArXive is just for
announcing experts and getting help of another
experts.
http://arxiv.org

Saeid Alikhani

Some useful Links

1)

International center for Pure and Applied

Mathematics(CIMPA): www.cimpa-icpam.org

Dept of Math at Rice University: math.rice.edu

3) American Mathematical Society: www.ams.org
4) Math Center www.mat.uc.pt
5) Interesting subjects in Mathematics:
cut.the.knot.com/content.html
6) Mathematics and Statistics www.math.mun.ca
2)

Saeid Alikhani

7)
8)

(Application of Algebra) www.algebra.uni-linz.ac.at

Professors of Mathematics & Computer Sciences
www.wisdom.weizmann.ac.il
9) School of Math Linves.levels.unisa.edu.au
10) Dynamical systems and fractals:
Mercurio.mat.uniromal.it
11) Jobs in Mathematics: www.mathjobs.org/jobs
12) Geometry: www.cs.elte.hu/geometry
13) Laboratory of Mathematics www.cecm.sfu.ca

Saeid Alikhani

Links of some Mathematical Institutes

The Fields Intitute for Research in Mathematical Sciences
(Canada)
Max-Planck Institut fur Mathematik (Germany)
The Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical
Physics (Italy)
Inspem (Institute For Mathematical Research) (Malaysia)
IPM-Insitute For Studies in Theorical Physics and
Mathematics (Iran)

Saeid Alikhani

Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical

Sciences (UK)

Saeid Alikhani

This institute is the only institute in the world which

publish presented seminar as power point, audio and
video.
There are many useful videos of presentation of the
best ideas in your field in the following link:
http://www.newton.ac.uk/webseminars/

Saeid Alikhani

Mathematics Calendar
http://www.ams.org/mathcal/
List of ISI journals of all science with IF
http://www.bio21.bas.bg/ibf/IF2004.pdf

Saeid Alikhani

List of Elementary Mathematical

Journals
The American Mathematical Monthly
Publisher: The Mathematical Association of America
Place of publication: Washington, DC, USA
Language: English
ISSN: 0002-9890
Issues per year: 10
The Australian Mathematics Teacher
Publisher: Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers
Place of publication: Kenmore Hills, Queensland
Language: English
ISSN: 0045-0685 OCLC: 9930103
Journal began: 1945
Issues per year: 4
Saeid Alikhani

The College Mathematics Journal

Publisher: The Mathematical Association of America
Place of publication: Washington, DC, USA
Continues: The Two-Year College Mathematics Journal
ISSN: 0746-8342
Issues per year: 5
Fun with Mathematics
Publisher: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Place of publication: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Language: English
Issues per year: 8

Saeid Alikhani

Function
A School Mathematics Magazine
Publisher: Monash University
Place of publication: Clayton, Victoria, Australia
ISSN: 0313-6825
Issues per year: 5

IMSA Math Journal

Publisher: Illinois Mathematics and Sciences Academy
Indiana Mathematics Teacher
In the World of Mathematics
Publisher: TBiMC Scientific Publishers
Saeid Alikhani

Infinity
Journal of Online Mathematics and its Applications
Publisher: The Mathematical Association of America
Place of publication: Washington, DC, USA
Language: English
MathBlues
Mathematical Digest
Publisher: University of Cape Town
Place of publication: Rondebosch, South Africa
Language: English
Issues per year: 4

Saeid Alikhani

The Mathematical Gazette

A Journal of the Mathematical Association
Publisher: The Mathematical Association
Place of publication: London, United Kingdom
ISSN: 0025-5572
Issues per year: 4
Mathematics Magazine
Publisher: The Mathematical Association of America
Place of publication: Washington, DC, USA
Continues: National Mathematics Magazine
Language: English
ISSN: 0025-570X CODEN: MAMGA8 OCLC: 1756877
Journal began: 1947
Issues per year: 5

Saeid Alikhani

Mathematics Teacher
Publisher: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Place of publication: Reston, VA, USA
Language: English
ISSN: 0025-5769
Issues per year: 9
The Math Goodies Newsletter
Math Horizons
MathNEWS
Publisher: The University of Waterloo
Place of publication: Canada
Menemui Matematik

Saeid Alikhani

Publisher: Malaysian Mathematical Society

Place of publication: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Language: English and Malay
ISSN: 0126-9003 OCLC: 11857282
Journal began: 1979
Issues per year: 3
Pi Mu Epsilon Journal
Publisher: Pi Mu Epsilon Fraternity
Place of publication: De Pere, WI, USA
ISSN: 0031-952X Issues per year: 2

Saeid Alikhani

Plus Magazine
Praxis der Mathematik

Journal began: 1890

Issues per year: 10
School Science and Mathematics
Official Journal of the School Science and Mathematics
Association

Saeid Alikhani

With Paul Halmos 1916-2006

Saeid Alikhani

I'm not a religious man, but it's almost like being in touch
with God when you're thinking about mathematics.
Learning mathematics is always extraordinarily hard work - reading it, listening to lectures. I enjoy a kind of
mathematical 'gossip,' when people sit in easy chairs with
their feet up and tell me their mathematics; then I can
learn."
"All educable human beings should know what
mathematics is -- that mathematics is. They would enjoy
life more, they would understand life more, they would
have greater insight."
Saeid Alikhani








Saeid Alikhani

With thanks to my Dear Supervisor,

Professor Peng Yee-hock
Thanks for your attention!

Saeid Alikhani