Guides

Guides for writing and publishing research

Practical academic research guides, from a literature review and a first abstract to source checks, citations, journal selection and submission. Choose your task; each guide links to its sources and the next useful tool.

Research workflow

Plan & discover

Build a literature review, understand a field and turn reading into a clear research question.

How to write a literature review, step by step
Plan, search, screen, synthesise and write a literature review: narrative vs systematic reviews, a theme matrix and common mistakes.
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What is the h-index, and how do you calculate it?
What the h-index measures, how to calculate it step by step, why Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science differ, and what a good h-index is.
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Tools for this task: AI Research Assistant · Research Paper Summarizer

Research workflow

Write & refine

Explain the contribution in your own words and use writing assistance responsibly.

How to write an abstract for a research paper
How to write a research paper abstract: the five-part structure, word limits, structured abstracts, keywords and highlights, and the mistakes editors notice.
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How to paraphrase in a research paper without plagiarizing
A step-by-step method for paraphrasing sources in academic writing, with examples of patchwriting, when to quote, and how to cite a paraphrase.
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Can you use AI to write a research paper? What journals allow
What COPE, ICMJE and major publishers allow when you use ChatGPT or other AI tools in a research paper, and how to disclose it properly.
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Tools for this task: Academic Grammar Checker · Paraphrasing Tool · AI Humanizer · Academic Translator

Research workflow

Originality & integrity

Read similarity reports as evidence, understand AI-text signals and check your institution's policy.

How ResearchGuru.AI checks manuscript similarity and AI text
How PlagLab finds sources, counts exact overlap and separates reworded leads from AI-text signals. Understand coverage, evaluation and report limitations.
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How to reduce similarity in a research paper — the right way
Read a similarity report properly and fix what matters: quoting, paraphrasing with citation, method phrasing, self-overlap and reference lists.
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How much plagiarism is acceptable in a research paper?
There is no universal safe percentage. What editors actually check in a similarity report, where formal limits exist, and how to read your score.
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Are AI detectors accurate? What a score can and cannot tell you
How AI-text detectors work, why they flag human writing, who is most at risk, and what to do if your own work is marked as AI-generated.
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How to check a paper for plagiarism without Turnitin access
Turnitin and iThenticate are licensed to institutions and publishers. How individual researchers can check a manuscript before submitting.
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UGC plagiarism rules: similarity limits for theses and papers in India
What the UGC 2018 plagiarism regulations allow: the 10/40/60% similarity levels, what the check excludes, and the penalties for theses and papers.
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Tools for this task: Plagiarism Checker · AI Content Detector

Research workflow

Citations & credit

Trace claims to sources, format references and give credit for reused work and AI assistance.

How to cite a DOI in APA 7, MLA, Chicago, IEEE and BibTeX
Turn a DOI into a correct reference in APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago, IEEE or BibTeX — with worked examples and the mistakes that get references rejected.
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How to cite ChatGPT and other AI tools in APA, MLA and Chicago
Copy-ready formats for citing ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and other AI tools in APA, MLA and Chicago, the 2025 updates, and how to disclose AI use.
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What is self-plagiarism in research, and when is reuse allowed?
When reusing your own published text is self-plagiarism, what counts as duplicate publication, and how to reuse a thesis or conference paper safely.
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Tools for this task: Citation Generator · BibTeX Cleaner

Research workflow

Format & submit

Prepare the journal template, respond to reviewers and present the research clearly.

How to format a paper with the IEEE LaTeX template
How to format a paper with the IEEEtran LaTeX class: conference vs journal mode, authors, abstract and keywords, figures, tables, equations and references.
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How to convert a Word manuscript into a journal LaTeX template
Move a Word or PDF manuscript into an IEEE, ACM, Elsevier, Springer, Nature, MDPI or Wiley LaTeX template — structure, figures, references, compile.
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How to respond to reviewer comments
Write a point-by-point response to reviewers: structure, a template, how to disagree politely, conflicting reviewers and a resubmission checklist.
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Tools for this task: Online LaTeX Editor · AI Presentation Maker

Research workflow

Choose a venue

Check scope and publishing evidence before choosing a journal or conference.

How to choose the right journal for your research paper
Shortlist journals that publish work like yours, check indexing, fees and timelines, rule out predatory titles and pick where to submit first.
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How to check if a journal is predatory
A practical checklist for spotting predatory journals before you submit: the red flags, the databases to verify against and what to do if you are unsure.
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How to publish a research paper in a Scopus-indexed journal
Choose a journal that fits, verify it is really indexed in Scopus, avoid hijacked and predatory titles, and send a submission editors will review.
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Tools for this task: Journal Finder · Predatory Journal Checker

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