Transcript Understanding Service Failure and Recovery: A Customer

Successful publishing
managing the review process
Professor Janet R. McColl-Kennedy, PhD
2004 Services Doctoral Consortium
Miami, Florida
28 October
Step 1: Prepare well
Do your homework on the journal
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aim for a journal before writing
who is on the editorial board?
who are the readers?
philosophy of the journal
look at some recent issues
check the guidelines for submission
what type of paper is it? (eg. conceptual,
case study, meta analysis, empirical)
What is the contribution?
• the “wow” factor
• how does the paper add to our
understanding?
• you need to argue that you have done
something unique and significant
• you need to identify the gap(s) in the
literature and show clearly where and how
your paper adds significantly
What is the contribution (cont)?
• it must have
– a strong conceptual development
– precise definitions
– compelling argument
– technically correct (method and
analysis)
• it needs to be better than all the others
that are compelling at that time!
• journals have limited space
As a reviewer what do I look for?
• significant contribution (several studies)
• “Wow”…this is something very interesting
and worth publishing!
• appropriate methodology and analysis
• thoughtfulness and completeness in the
paper
• compelling argument
• clarity of writing
• appropriate to the journal
Compelling argument
• demonstrate why this paper should be
published
• how does it add to what we know (what’s
unique?, contrary findings?)
• state purpose clearly and right at the
beginning (in the first page)
– “In this study we seek to extend…by
addressing the gaps…”
Presentation
• write clearly (clear thoughts = clear
writing)
• “Don’t write merely to be understood.
Write so that you cannot be
misunderstood” (Summers, 2001).
• checks
– contribution to length ratio
– are all figures/tables included?
– numbered and named correctly
Reviewer’s check list
• is there a clear structure?
• do I know what this paper is about in the
first page?
• does the paper flow well?
• is the length appropriate? (eg. typically 2025 pages)
• are all the figures included? relevant?
• are the tables and figures correctly
numbered and named?
Peer review
• before you send off your paper have a
couple of colleagues read it over and give
you honest feedback
• have the reviewers in mind when you
write. They like to be cited!!!!
• check that you have written (rewritten) for
the particular journal (check format again)
Why articles are rejected?
Prof Bob Lusch’s view (Editor of J of Marketing at that
time)
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poorly written
not scholarly and/or not literature based
fatal flaws
research mis-positioned for the journal
weaknesses outweighed strengths of the
article
• insufficient contribution
• too new/unique that reviewers did not
have frame of reference to effectively
review the paper
Communicate with the editor
• cover letter- show how the paper is unique
(key areas - should help identify
reviewers)
• key words are very important
• follow up for a progress report (but be
polite!)
• “Revise and resubmit” is good news! Do
just that. Some people send it to another
journal and it may be reviewed again by
the same reviewer(s)!
What to do with reviewers comments
• do not ignore them!!!!!!
• take a walk
• ask a colleague to read the paper and give
their view of the comments
• consolidate the recommendations
• do not take the comments personally
• make every effort to incorporate all the
suggestions
What to do with reviewers
comments(cont)
• show exactly how you have addressed
each comment one by one
• show how the revisions have strengthened
the paper
• remember that your response will be sent
back to the reviewers
• don’t put the reviewers or the editor
down!!!!!
• be professional, tell them that you
appreciated the comments!
Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite
• writing journal articles is a process
• even the very best researchers have to
rewrite their work.
• sometimes it takes years to get the paper
published
• try to see it as a process and enjoy the
process. You learn by doing!
• stay positive
The reject letter!
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take a walk!
come back re read the comments
go for another walk!
re read the comments - maybe they have
a point!
learn from and build on rejection!
most comments are worth thinking about
give another angle…something you hadn’t
considered
rework and resubmit…
Recognise that it is a process
• remember you are an artisan – crafting a
masterpiece …it takes time (lots of time)
and hard work
• quality pays off
• be persistent
• learn to enjoy writing
• you want to be proud of your work several
years later
• architects have opera houses (buildings)…
artists have mona lisas… good researchers
have great papers