Publishing the Scholarly Article

Why publish?

• Scholarship is meant to be shared.

– How else will your work encourage social change?

– Publications are one of the primary venues for scholarly conversation.

• Critical for career and professional development.

• Establishes your academic authority.

How do I decide where to publish?

• • Read a wide range of publications.

• Identify your audience.

• Read a wide range of publications.

• Identify your style.

• READ A WIDE RANGE OF PUBLICATIONS • Identify the scope of your work.

READ, READ, READ.

Editorial mission/policies http://www.bbsonline.org/Instructions/aboutbbs.html

Editorial Mission/Policies http://www.guilford.com/cgi bin/cartscript.cgi?page=pr/jnco.htm&dir=periodicals/per_psych&cart_id =

Publication Process

• Submission to journal • Some journals may have pre-screening process.

• Peer review.

• Acceptance of the submission (contract).

• Author revisions (may involve a LENGTHY back and forth with the editor).

• • Copyediting.

• More author revisions (at this stage, surface-level things).

• Typesetting.

• Page proofs.

Printing!

Submission

• What are journals looking for?

• How do I make my work stand out?

Sample of Submission Guidelines

http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/apl/index.aspx

Sample of Submission Guidelines http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/apl/index.aspx

Sample of Submission Guidelines http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/apl/index.aspx

Sample of Submission Guidelines http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/apl/index.aspx

Making an impression

• Be certain that your work is appropriate for the journal.

• Be able to very concisely and compellingly articulate your study and your argument.

• Be sure your manuscript is free of typos and is formatted according to the journal’s guidelines.

• Have a trusted colleague (or two or three) read your work closely before submission.

Cover letter

• Indicate to editor that you are submitting your work. • Depending on the journal, you may wish to articulate the topic and scope of your paper.

• You may want to articulate how your paper fits the editorial mission of the journal.

Peer Review

“Refereed publications” – Double-blind review process.

• Author does not know identity of reviewers.

• Reviewers do not know identity of author.

– Follow journal guidelines, but in general, DO NOT put identifying information on the manuscript (only on cover letter, or cover page).

– In some cases, journals may ask for one “signed copy” and one “unsigned copy.”

Acceptance

• Several possible outcomes of submission: – Acceptance.

– Provisional acceptance.

– Revise and resubmit.

– Decline.

• Contract stuff: – Read carefully. Most journals are ethical, but you need to be your best advocate.

– Look for policies regarding republishing and reprinting rights. –

Don’t expect compensation!

Exerpt from contract letter (

Women & Music

to Kevin Schwandt)

Revisions

• Both you and the press have a vested interest in producing the best possible publication.

• Be open to changes suggested by your editor.

• BUT, don’t be a pushover!

• Pick your battles. Does a suggestion substantially alter the piece?

Copyediting

• Your copyeditor will get into the nitty-gritty of your manuscript – Grammar – Spelling – Formatting • Examine your copyedited manuscript very carefully to ensure that the meaning hasn’t been altered.

Example

• Original phrase: “. . . the Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winning show . . .” • Copyeditor’s revision: “. . . the show, which has won both a Grammy and a Pulitzer Prize . . .” – The show has won more than one Grammy.

– Minor issue, but the alteration places an inaccuracy in MY piece (not the copyeditor’s fault, but it impacts my credibility).

• Revision of revision: “. . . the show, which has won multiple Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize . . .”

Pause for Questions!

Do you want to head in a different direction?

What can I do to help you at this stage?

A few thoughts

• The review/editing process can take a very long time. Don’t get discouraged!

• Don’t be afraid to ask a press or editor for more information.

• Speak to people who have published with a journal you are interested in.

• Be passionate about any study you seek to publish.