The process of publishing a scientific paper is twofold. Most important, it involves the attainment, integration, assessment and correction of knowledge, a process more commonly known as the 'scientific method'. But it also requires navigating a minefield of administrative and bureaucratic issues.

Scientists pride themselves on a systematic approach to discovering the natural world. “The scientific method is a potentiation of common sense, exercised with a specially firm determination not to persist in error,” wrote Peter Medawar, the 1960 Nobel laureate in medicine. My experience as a postdoc in infectious diseases for the past nine months has shown me this method at work. It has been a privilege. But although conducting the science that goes into writing a paper is rewarding, publishing has, unfortunately, as much to do with exasperating administrative issues.

At times, a bustling top-tier academic lab can be likened to a war zone. Research projects, grant applications and papers under preparation are often elbowing each other for position at the front line. Postdocs are scrambling to collect, enter and manage data while simultaneously analysing completed studies and writing manuscripts. Principal investigators are charged with immense responsibilities, including funding and staff issues, as well as collaborations that take them far beyond the borders of the home lab.

For principal investigators and postdocs alike, it can all start to seem a bit like madness. Yet, despite the piles of unentered data, half-written abstracts and unanswered e-mails, researchers can and must make sense of the chaos — so that their findings can be distilled into a cogent, cohesive and engaging scientific article.

This conundrum does have solutions. The key to getting things done in a lab, it seems, is quality communication. A ten-minute face-to-face conversation can get things moving more effectively than an hour-long exchange of e-mails, which are painfully susceptible to misunderstandings. Regular and on-demand research meetings are also essential tools for receiving comments and guidance from mentors and other scientists. When physical attendance is impossible, videoconferencing is a valuable option. However, when the workload overwhelms all lines of communication, my experience has taught me to be patient. No amount of rushing or panicking will help. Eventually, the tide will recede, leaving the paper ready to be picked up.

Every researcher hopes to navigate the road to publication. It is a validation of years of training and a recognition of contributions to a field. As a budding scientist, I realize that the industry of publishing, while paying homage to the scientific method, is riddled with bureaucratic madness. The method is a privilege and the madness is a challenge — but one that we must embrace.