Publishing Academic Papers Dr Andy Wilson UK Staff

Publishing Academic Papers Dr Andy Wilson UK Staff Development Advisor

Research isn’t really research until it is…

The Need to Publish § § § Publications determine… Institutional status etc Departmental income etc Personal promotion etc Getting the job!

The RAE and the REF § Assessments of the quality of research in every department in every university in the UK § Determine funding for several years § Critical to careers and institutions’ status § Based largely on quality of publications.

This Little Piggy… § Journal editors operate in a marketplace just like any other editor § Serials costs are a major drain on library resources § So you’re helping the editor sell her/his journal… § …by getting staff to tell their libraries… § …to buy the journal.

What Gets Published? § On the basis of your experience… § What is it that leads to papers being published in your field? § What characteristics do they have to have? § Please share your thoughts with your neighbour(s).

Your Publications Plan § What are you going to publish over the next few years? § Where? § When?

The Steps to Publication 1. Research base 7. Wait…. . . for referees’ reports 2. Topic for paper 8. Revise and/or 3. Select your resubmit journal/conference 9. Publish 4. Further (eventually). research 5. Write your paper 6. Submit

1 Research Base § This will be your Masters or Ph. D § As you do these, keep publications in mind.

2 Topic for Paper § Talk to your supervisor § Look for a market niche § Try ideas out in seminars.

3 Select Your Journal/ Conference § Tricky judgment § Done alongside choice of topic § Different journals/conferences require different types of paper § Consider risk, uncertainty and profit § Consider timescale § Talk to your supervisor.

Journal Matrix § Berridge and Wilkinson suggest… § Select a list of some six journals, and make up a matrix of their objectives, such as topic, length, treatment, intended audience, and refereeing process.

Planning Activities § Visit the library often § Look at journals – ones you know and ones you don’t § See which journals publish what § Read – and copy – journals’ missions and notes for contributors § Read your subject-specific articles.

Strategic Questions § § § § What is your story? Who is your audience? What is your preferred outlet? Does your paper fit their needs? Have they published it already? Who is/are the editors? What is your/their timescale?

4 Further Research § Focus this on the proposed paper and the proposed journal/conference.

5 Write Your Paper § Your paper will be read by a couple of referees § So it’s critical to know what they’re looking for § We’ll examine this later § At this stage, let’s just talk about the business of writing…

Notes for Contributors § All journals worth publishing in issue Notes for Contributors § These tell you about stylistic conventions § Get these for your target journals.

How Do You Write? § What works for you? § Please share your ideas with your neighbours.

Advice on Writing § Conflict between the general advice on clarity, simplicity, etc… § …and the style sometimes seen in journals § Our work with directors of major social science research centres… § …identified the ability to write in different styles as a rare and valuable skill.

Academic Style Although solitary under normal prevailing circumstances, raccoons may congregate simultaneously in certain situations of artificially enhanced nutrient resource availability.

Fowler on Writing § § Be direct, simple, brief, vigorous, and lucid. Prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched. Prefer the concrete word to the abstract. Prefer the single word to the circumlocution (use of many words where one will do). § Prefer the short word to the long.

Punctuate WOMAN WITHOUT HER MAN IS A MONSTER

Writing Sins § Commission – what you’ve written that you shouldn’t have § Omission – what you haven’t written that you should have § Sins of commission are much easier to spot than sins of omission.

Using Your Word Processor § Learn to use (probably) Word well § If you’re not using Styles you are writing with one hand tied behind your back § Styles offer you… § Consistency § Easy movement of chunks of material § Tables of contents.

6 Submit § Get the details right… § …or it’ll get thrown back § Use the journal’s conventions for references… § …else it looks like a reject from somewhere else.

7 Wait…. . . for Referees’ Reports § § § The job of the referee is to recommend: Acceptance with revisions Rejection We’ll look at things from the referee’s perspective… § …then you can act as a referee on a paper.

8 Revise and/or Resubmit § Read the comments § Go through the pain barrier § Decide whether you can revise for this journal… § …or whether you should offer it somewhere else.

9 Publish (eventually) § (Note that there can be long delays throughout the process) § Celebrate!