One thing about Writing for Publication

NOWAL: March 2009 Writing for publication

“One thing” about writing for publication

A workshop for library staff supporting researchers

Pat Gannon-LearyMoira Bent


Plan for the day

• Researchers– who they are – what they do

• Publication– Processes– Motivations– Barriers

• “One thing” research• The LIS role


Introductions

• Who we all are• One thing we want from

the day


What is research


What is research? Researchers said ..

Research is• Theory-led; Data-led; Scholarship• Grounded in disciplines; multi / inter

disciplinary• Investigation; interpretation; gathering

evidence• A holistic activity; a set of transferable

skills• Collaborative / solo activity• Related to self• Validated by peer group• Made meaningful by an external

audience


Who are our researchers?


Who are “researchers?”

“ a researcher is someone with

“enthusiasm, an almost insane desire to know more about what you are interested in”


The 7 Ages of research

• Masters students• Doctoral students• Contract researchers• Early career researchers • Established academic

staff• Senior researchers• Experts

New Review of Information Networking (2007) 13 (2) : 81-99


Early• Apprenticeship - influenced by

supervisors / tutors / mentors• Skills and competences are defined (also

funded and monitored)• Different levels of control• Transition from structured learning to

self-organization• Managing different roles e.g. other jobs,

developing teaching skills• Information consumer, objective is

production


Mid• Moving field / moving role / learning a different

landscape • Balancing teaching and research• support / info guiding work management in

different circumstances• situating yourself / making your name /

establishing credentials– locally (e.g. in department)– wider research community

• Need to be adaptable / avoiding isolation • Starting to supervise other researchers• Starting role in management / administration• Information production and consumption• Shift from systematic to pragmatic information

retrieval


Late / Senior• Developing into/ having a significant role

in research leadership and administration• Leading research teams / research

centres / research projects / mainstream management

• Supervising and examining theses• Teaching research methods• Plenary conference speaker• Editorial board of journals etc.• Refereeing / peer reviewer / specialist

assessor• Disseminating research practice or

defining their field• Different IL skillsets for range of

activities


Researcher needs- where do we fit in?


coffee


What is publication?

What is “publication”• a copy of a printed work offered for distribution• the communication of something to the public• making information generally known

wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn• To publish is to make content publicly known.

The term is most frequently applied to the distribution of text or images on paper, or to the placing of content on a website.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publication

• Publication is the action or process of publishing something.

• Publish : prepare and issue (a book, journal, or piece of music) for public sale.

• print in a book or journal so as to make generally known.

• (From The Concise Oxford English Dictionary in English Dictionaries & Thesauruses)



Types of publication• Book• Book chapter/section• Conference paper/proceedings• E-article• E- book• Book review• Journal article• Magazine article• Newspaper article• Wiki• Report• Thesis• Webpage• Presentation• Handout • Personal communication (letter, blog, email,

discussion list, chat room…)

Publication examplesMusic thesis:• http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?

osu991314575

Thesis as web site with updates, feedback form etc:

• http://www.rgu.ac.uk/nursing/research/page.cfm?pge=43921

Links to award-winning e-theses (includes film

clips, animations, software etc)• http://www.rgu.ac.uk/etd/awards/

How about this one - turn your thesis into a dance?• http://gonzolabs.org/dance/contestants/



Drivers and barriers to publication• Drivers

– What motivates people to publish?

– Is it the same for all?– What issues make it complex?

• Barriers– What hinders people?– Is it the same for all?– What issues make it complex?


Drivers• Expectation of the job• Condition of the funding• Pressure to publish• Contributing to debate/ body of

knowledge/ networking• Passion• Research informed teaching• Intellectual challenge• Personal profile• Sense of achievement/ enjoyable• Advance career• Income generation• Develop skills• Clarify thinking


Barriers• RAE/REF can skew priorities• Lack of motivation• Don’t have to do it• Other (work) commitments• Too busy to get started• Lack of support• Confidence in own ability• No ideas to write about• Fear of rejection• Fear of open criticism• Lack of knowledge of how to start• Language skills• Information Literacy ability


So publication can be:

• Subject based– Peer reviewed paper

• Philosophical– Opinion piece– Letter to editor

• Pedagogical– Audit of practice– Reflective piece

• Whimsical– Laurie Taylor in THE


Lunch


“One thing” The Editor’s Perspective

Be relevant to the readership “The paper has to be interesting to

the readership of the journal. I receive far too many papers from potential contributors who have not read the aims or scope of the journal and I return the papers without sending them out for review.”

Answer the ‘so what?’ question “Make sure that you stress what is

original or what the work contributes to what we already know. Emphasise why it matters!”



Quality/style of writing“ Most Editors will cheerfully (!)

correct a reasonable level of poor spelling and grammar… - but shoddy writing and semi-illiteracy, coupled with switching the spell-checker off, is a guarantee of rapid rejection.”

Structure “For us it's important that the

article is easy to read (not too complex or technical in its nature) and has a clear, logical structure. “



Instructions to authors/revisions “If an Editor asks for some

revisions, he is not (usually) doing this out of some perverse ego-trip. It means that there is probably something wrong.”

Citations“Read it through before submitting it, & make sure all sources are acknowledged appropriately.”

Support

• Get support


“One thing”The Researcher’s Perspective

Be concise, clear and convincingQuote from Pulitzer

“ Put it before then briefly so they will read it,

Clearly so they will appreciate it,

Picturesquely, so they will remember it

And, above all, accurately

So they will be guided by its light.”



Being pressurised to publish“ It can often appear to be a sort of 'game' and involves a degree of pressure: it's not necessarily about quality rather the pressure is often on quantity and aiming for journals which perhaps are not top rated but will publish an article - this is simply to ensure you have a publications list”



Co-authoring papers“Lots of 'politics' involved in publishing - as a researcher you often do a lot of the work but you may not be named as first author…”

Learning to say ‘no’ “I published in things that were

not great …because I was asked to. But probably could have got publications that would have done better for my CV if I'd taken more initiative.”


“One thing”The Researcher’s PerspectiveTurnaround times of journal “I would find it useful to have

access to information about the expected time between submission and publication, as this seems to vary widely between different journals…”

Finding ‘reputable’ journals “ I would like to know more about

how to identify journals which would enable my work to reach as wide a readership as possible, or which are particularly 'reputable' in the field”


“One thing”The Research Student’s Perspective

• Where to start – and why would I do it?

• Publication procedures• Practicalities• The ‘best’ journals• Matching your work to a

journal• Content/quality of info• Referencing• Ethical concerns


Publication stages

• Decide you have something worth saying

• Choose your target journal• Check out instructions to

authors/style guides & adhere to them

• Use colleagues• Be prepared for rejection• Be prepared to make

changes


How can LIS get involved in the publication process?

• What do we do now?– Personal examples?– Do we do it well?

• What else might we do?– Ideas/ inspirations

• What is stopping us– Barriers to effective support

• What do we need to help us?– Apart from more money….


“One thing”The Librarian’s perspective

• Advice & support, mentoring• Resources/collection

development• Services• Training opportunities• Promote yourself• Use of other services• Use of other academic staff• Networking• Lead by example


Case studies

• NUI Maynooth www.anltc.ie • MMU• Northampton Open Access

Journals• Newcastle Research Training

programmes• JISCiPAS IL researcher leaflet


Some more ideas

• Community of Writers (COW)

• WfP booklet


“One thing” to take away


Some further thoughts

• Who else is writing?• Who else is supporting?• Who else do we need to

talk to?

Thank you!

• Pat Gannon-Leary [email protected]

• Moira [email protected]


One thing about Writing for Publication

Education

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