In 2024, many authors make outstanding contributions to our journal. Their articles published with us have received very well feedback in the field and stimulate a lot of discussions and new insights among the peers.
Hereby, we would like to highlight some of our outstanding authors who have been making immense efforts in their research fields, with a brief interview of their unique perspectives and insightful views as authors.
Outstanding Authors (2024)
Courtney Monroe, University of South Carolina, USA
Gabrielle Salvatore, Rowan University, USA
Outstanding Author
Courtney M. Monroe
Dr. Courtney Monroe is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina (USC), USA, in the Arnold School of Public Health's Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior and a faculty member in the Technology Center to Promote Healthy Lifestyles. She is a certified American College of Sports Medicine exercise physiologist and behavioral scientist with expertise in the design, implementation, and evaluation of electronic and mobile health technology-based behavioral interventions targeting physical activity for chronic disease prevention in adults. She has leveraged various technologies as intervention delivery mediums and assessment tools, including websites, social media, smartphone apps, and wearable physical activity trackers. Her most recent projects have focused on leveraging gamification to activate social support for physical activity promotion among insufficiently active adults. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, and she has earned recognition by USC for her research mentorship in science and technology. Connect with Dr. Monroe on Twitter/X @MonroeMovement.
mHealth: What do you regard as a good academic paper?
Dr. Monroe: A good academic paper is characterized by several important features. It is reflective of a well-conducted and ethical study, meaning it addresses at least one significant gap in the existing evidence in a way that is innovative and methodologically sound. It acknowledges limitations and conveys both practical implications of study findings and ideas for future research. From a stylistic perspective, it also tells a cohesive and compelling story, from the contextualization of the public health issue and specific research question(s) to the interpretation of the findings and overarching implications.
mHealth: Science advances rapidly day by day. How do you ensure your writing is up-to-date and can give new insights to the field of research?
Dr. Monroe: I use several practical strategies to ensure I stay up to date on the evidence in my field and subsequently generate, study, and communicate research ideas that are novel, timely, and significant. I have retained knowledge of numerous studies that I acquired inherently by conducting research over time in my field. As new evidence emerges, I am constantly considering how it relates to that existing knowledge base while also determining how I can help the field advance. I stay abreast of the latest research and technological advancements not only by conducting literature searches via respected search tools and attending professional meetings but also by scanning popular press and social media posts. My students and collaborators help with these tasks. Ideas for how to address persistent issues in my field of study in ways that will yield new insights can be inspired by this established and emerging evidence we come across, as well as by formative work with the target population of interest. Ideas can also be inspired by slightly unconventional ways (e.g., conversations with professionals and laypersons outside of the field, learning about approaches meant to solve completely different issues that might have relevancy for my research area, etc.). As technological capabilities continue to advance (e.g., artificial intelligence), it will be interesting to see its impact on research as a whole.
mHealth: What is fascinating about academic writing?
Dr. Monroe: Academic writing is fascinating because it follows certain scientific conventions while also allowing for creative expression. It is fun to determine how best to situate a study within a larger body of evidence and know that it is contributing to the advancement of a field in a way that will collectively result in a real-world impact. If done well, academic writing can reach and influence a variety of persons, including emerging and established scientists, journalists, and laypersons. It contributes to new discoveries, helps inform and inspire future research and policies, supports advocacy efforts, and holds a place in the arc of an ever-evolving scientific field in perpetuity.
(by Brad Li, Alisa Lu)
Gabrielle M. Salvatore
Dr. Gabrielle Salvatore is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Clinical Health and Social Experiences (CHASE) Lab at the Department of Psychology at Rowan University. She received her Ph.D. in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Springfield College. Her research program is focused on women’s health and the development and testing of health promotion interventions for women, with a specific interest in examining temporal relations between women’s menstrual cycle experiences and their physical activity cognitions and behaviors in the natural environment. She is interested in the use of mHealth to promote PA among this group to ensure physical activity promotion interventions are accessible and optimized in daily life and that findings are applicable to the large and heterogenous population of women at risk for cardiometabolic and cardiovascular-related chronic conditions. Connect with her on Twitter/X @GSalvatore0923.
Dr. Salvatore believes a good academic paper has a structure that supports readability. It is important for the message to be clear and concise, and the content is easily dissectible by the journal’s intended audience as well as those without content-level expertise. As a reader, she tries to make sense of the research question herself by attempting to understand who the target audience is, that there is sufficient information in the methods section to ensure replication, and that the interpretation of the results is convincing. In her opinion, a good paper does not make the reader extrapolate, avoiding broad claims about study significance without sufficient evidence.
Science advances rapidly day by day. Dr. Salvatore admits that it could be overwhelming to stay up to date with science, especially when one sets up too many alerts in his/her email inbox. In her own practice, she has found it helpful to set up article alerts for keywords related to her line of research. It is also beneficial to create an online research network using social media, like X, LinkedIn, or ResearchGate, to stay up to date with researchers and academic journals that align with one’s research interests – she often sees academic journals share news of manuscripts that are in-press, researchers sharing news of grant funding or pre-prints, and even opportunities for professional development on topics like academic writing or peer review. She adds, “Most importantly, communicate what your interests are or what projects you are working on – both internally, to members of your research team and institution, as well as externally at scientific meetings. When others know what your research interests are, they can alert you of papers or ongoing projects that you may not have otherwise known about!”
“Finding time to devote to the writing process or idea conceptualization can be critical – and you don’t have to do it alone! It is often easy to procrastinate or fill your time doing other things, but keeping yourself accountable, orally to your mentor or lab members, through an accountability buddy, or even a writing group can be very beneficial. I have recognized that if I do not block my calendar for writing time, it will not get done as I am balancing data collection, participant interaction, and other day-to-day tasks as a postdoc. My goal is to make at least one writing appointment for myself each week at a time when I know I can think clearly. When it is scheduled on my calendar ahead of time, and I think about it as an appointment, I am able to advance my scientific progress,” says Dr. Salvatore.
(by Brad Li, Alisa Lu)