Transcript Writing for Publication: OT6026 Occupational Therapy Project 3

Writing for Publication:
OT6026 Occupational
Therapy Project 3
Íde O’Sullivan
Regional Writing Centre
Reflection
• Why write for publication?
• Implications of publishing/not
publishing?
• Misconceptions about writing and
publication
• Common problems among new writers
• New writers’ worries/fears
• Difficulties associated with writing
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Difficulties associated
with writing
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Anxiety and fear of writing
Lack of confidence and motivation
Cracking the codes of academic writing
Getting started
Lack of guidance, practice and feedback
Misconceptions of writing
– Good writing skills are innate X
– Think first, then write X
• The writing process is recursive
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The process
• Decide on the writing project
• Choose a target journal
• Get information about the journal
– Mission/vision of the journal
– Identify categories of submission
– Identify key subject areas
• Analyse the journal
• Select a sample paper from the target
journal
• Follow the guidelines for authors
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The journal
• “The British Journal of Occupational Therapy
(BJOT) is the official journal of the College of
Occupational Therapists. Its purpose is to publish
contributions of papers relevant to theory,
practice, research, education and management in
occupational therapy.”
• “Vision: A monthly journal presenting high quality
international research and practice related
papers that informs the knowledge and evidence
base of occupational therapy and is easily
accessible through online searches.”
• British Journal of Occupational Therapy,
February 2008, 71(2): 77
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Types of publications
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Scholarly Papers
Short Reports
Research Articles/Papers
Practice Analysis/Evaluations
Critical Reviews
Case Histories/Reviews
Opinion Pieces
Editorials
Letters to Editor
Book Reviews
Guest Editorials
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Key areas
1. Clinical (a) Assessment (b) Adult Physical
(c) Adult Psychosocial (d) Learning
Disability (e) Elderly (f) Paediatrics
2. Equipment and Technology
3. Education
4. Professional Development
5. Theory and Philosophy
6. Management
7. Research Methods and Methodology
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Analysing the journal
• Cracking the codes
• Analysing the genre/text and modelling
• Generate a list of the important criteria
which will make your writing more
effective
• Ask yourself the following questions:
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How is the paper structured?
How is the contribution articulated?
What level of context is provided?
What level of detail is used?
How long are the different sections?
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Analysing the journal
• What organisational features/patterns are
in evidence?
• How are arguments and counterarguments
presented and structured?
• What types of evidence are important?
• What stylistic features are prominent?
• Is the text cohesive? How does the author
achieve such cohesion?
• What kind(s) of persuasive devises does
the author employ?
• Voice?
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Guidelines for authors
• Categories of submission
• Preparation of the manuscript
– Copyright
– Ethics
– Layout
– Presentation
• Submission of the manuscript
• The review process
– Editorial process
– Editorial decisions
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Key considerations
• The Occasion
• The Topic
• Your Purpose
• Audience
• You – the writer
NB: Joining the conversation
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The manuscript
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Abstract
Introduction
Literature review
Method
Results/Findings
Discussion
Conclusions
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Reasons for rejecting manuscripts:
Brown, Rodger and Brown (2005:88)
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Methodology or research design problems
Poorly developed idea
Poorly written
Data interpretation problems
Literature review not
relevant/comprehensive/up to date
Content undocumented
Statistical problems
Term-paper type article
Issues of validity, reliability and
trustworthiness not addressed
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Reasons for rejecting manuscripts:
Brown, Rodger and Brown (2005:88)
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Poorly referenced
Content not important/significant
Discussion not based on results/findings
Content inaccurate
Content not consistent with journal
purpose
Implications of findings and results on
practice not included
Submission format guidelines not followed
Manuscript too lengthy
Key terms and concepts not clearly
defined
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Reasons for rejecting manuscripts:
Brown, Rodger and Brown (2005:88)
• Aim/purpose of paper not clearly stated
• Limitations of research study not
included/acknowledged
• Content not current or timely
• Clinically not applicable
• Too technical
• Manuscript submitted concurrently to
another journal
• Subject/topic covered recently
• Content already scheduled for future
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Overview: Reasons for
rejecting
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Poor writing skills
Poor research skills
Failure to consider the journal’s audience
Failure to follow the journal’s guidelines
Before you start establish familiarity with
– The journal
– The audience
– The submission guidelines
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Strategies to Develop
Writing
Getting started
• Writing is a process
• Create time and space for writing
• Freewriting
– Keep writing non-stop for 5 minutes
– Write in sentences
– Do not edit or censor your writing
• Prompt
– “How I go about writing…”
• How do you feel?
• Other prompts:
– “The aim of this research paper…”
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Dialogue about writing
• Peer-review
• Generative writing
• The “writing sandwich” (Murray, 2005:85):
writing, talking, writing
• Writing “buddies” (Murray and Moore,
2006:102)
• Writers’ groups
• Engaging in critiques of one another’s work
allows you to become effective critics of
your own work.
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Strategies that work
for you
• Writing is a personal process
• Learning diary (Moore and Murphy,
2005:61) / Process journal (Elbow and
Belanoff, 2003:19)
– When do you feel most/least motivated to
write?
– What strategies have/have not worked in the
past?
• Write a little bit every day (Moore and
Murphy, 2005:117)
• Writing can be a positive experience
• Get stuck in
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Works cited
• Brown, T.G., Rodger, S. and Brown, A. (2005) ‘Publication
Practices of English Language Occupational Therapy
Journals’, British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(2):
85-92.
• Elbow, P. (1998) Writing without Teachers (2nd edition).
New York: Oxford University Press.
• Elbow, P. and Belanoff, P. (2003) Being a Writer: A
Community of Writers Revisited. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Moore, S. and Murphy, M. (2005) How to be a Student: 100
Great Ideas and Practical Hints for Students Everywhere.
UK: Open University Press.
• Murray, R. (2005) Writing for Academic Journals. UK: Open
University Press.
• Murray, R. (2006) How to Write a Thesis (2nd edition). UK:
Open University Press.
• Murray, R. and Moore, S. (2006) The Handbook of Academic
Writing: A Fresh Approach. UK: Open University Press.
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