Q: What is the easiest way to publish an academic article aside from publishing original research work?

Journals publish different types of articles such as original article, review article, opinion, perspective, and commentary articles, etc. Opinion, perspective, and commentary articles are less time consuming since they are short and do not involve original research.

Perspective pieces are scholarly reviews of fundamental concepts or prevalent ideas in a field. These are usually essays that present a personal point of view critiquing widespread notions pertaining to a field. A perspective piece can be a review of a single concept or a few related concepts. 

Opinion articles present the author’s viewpoint on the interpretation, analysis, or methods used in a particular study. It allows the author to comment on the strength and weakness of a theory or hypothesis. Opinion articles are usually based on constructive criticism and should be backed by evidence. Such articles promote discussion on current issues concerning science. 

Commentaries are short articles that draw attention to or present a criticism of a previously published article, book, or report, explaining why it interested them and how it might be illuminating for readers.

However, you need to have an in-depth knowledge of the subject to be able to write these articles. You should first read some of these articles to get an idea of how they are written and the level of subject matter expertise required to write them. If you feel you have the required level of knowledge, you can go ahead and give it a shot.

Related reading: 

• What types of articles do journals publish?
• A young researcher's guide to perspective, commentary, and opinion articles