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? • Disciplinary requirements? • Range of publishing options: conference proceedings, media articles, book reviews, journal articles, book chapters, books, reports, policy papers, etc • Sole authored and co-authored Peer review • What is it? • Why does it matter? • How does it operate? 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 • • • • • 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 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