Transcript Document
Coming to terms with the
publishing landscape:
Postgraduate students & ECRs and
the imperative to publish
Source of Image: http://countryroads.wordpress.com/;
Introduction to academic
publishing system
Some personal anecdotes
Source of Image: http://eternalpostdoc.blogspot.com.au/2007/05/publish-or-perishmeh.html
Introduction to academic
publishing system
• What is academic publishing?
• For whom do we publish? (Audiences)
• Why do we publish?
– Tradition?
– Disciplinary requirements?
– Critical dialogues?
– University requirements?
– Love of writing?
What matters in the university
today?
• Securing employment: teaching and research
the norm for academics
• Institutional reputation, nationally and
internationally
• Funding
• Government policies, eg ERA (Excellence in
Research in Australia) ranking of journals and
assessments of research clusters
• Personal reputation in particular fields
University’s expectations of
publishing during and after
postgraduate studies
• Pressure for results
• Competitiveness in job market
• Establishing reputation as a
researcher in a field or discipline
• Contributing to the university’s own
reputation
Types of publishing
• What is valued?
• Range of publishing options: conference
proceedings, media articles, book
reviews, journal articles, book chapters,
books, reports, policy papers, etc
• Sole authored and co-authored
• Disciplinary requirements?
DISCIPLINES ARE
DIFFERENT!
• Learn from other disciplines but fully
understand publishing protocols in your
own first!
• Some examples
Peer review
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What is it?
Why does it matter?
How does it operate?
Understanding the rejection, revision,
acceptance process
Comparisons between print publishing and
open access (electronic publishing
PRINT
ELECTRONIC
Traditional venue
Growing phenomenon
Normally attached to University presses or
commercial publishers (profit motive)
Once up and running, lower costs
Wide range of options and qualities
Some require payment
Time frame from submission to publication can
be long
Depending on journal, authors may only have
one or two opportunities to check or amend
their articles before publication
Two types:
a)traditional journals moving to digital
repositories, retaining look and feel of print
b)electronic journals born digital, some
experimenting with format and mode of peer
review
Also attached to University presses or
commercial publishers, but not always
Time frame in theory quicker than print
Authors may have more opportunities for
amendments, both before publication and after
How an electronic journal
works
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•
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Software controls process
Authors submit on line
Peer review process tracked
Editing and galleying process tracked
Authors can check progress, as can
editors and reviewers
• Communication is standardised
BEWARE
• Predatory Journals
• Titles as compelling as Golden Research
Thoughts, Advances in Forestry Letter, People’s
Journal of Scientific Research, and Tactful
Management Research Journal
• Associate Professor Jeffrey Beall, Uni Colorado:
Schlarly Open Access website:
http://scholarlyoa.com/
Some basic editorial tips for
meeting journal requirements
• Select the right journal
• Do some sleuthing: read the journal and
get a sense of its publishing contents
and internal discussions
• Follow the journal guidelines to the
letter!
• If new to publishing sound out the main
editor
• Follow the journal guidelines for
authors!
• Understand referencing systems
• Proof and spell check
• Don’t rush to publish
• Seek advice from people in your field
Essential resources
Style
Guides
The
Value
of
Writing
Guides
ALL OF US
CAN
WRITE
BETTER
REGULARITY
WRITING IS
A CRAFT