Deew Developing a publication strategy to increase teaching scholarship output: Swinburne University 2009

1. DeewDeveloping a publication strategy to increase teaching scholarship output:Swinburne University2009 Catherine McLoughlin ACU National, Canberra catherine.mcloughlin@acu.edu.au

2. Evaluating your skills Key features of conference papers vs. journal articles Getting started: preliminary work Targeting journals The process of writing a paper Commonly used editorial criteria Dealing with feedback Overview

3. How to plan for publishing by targeting appropriate journals in your fields How to find out what editors and referees really want: what criteria are applied in assessing the worth of a paper? How to prepare, develop and polish a paper for journal publication How to overcome blocks to the composition and writing process How to ensure that your paper will not be rejected How to present your paper and match your writing style with that of the journal chosen How to plan ahead and develop a publication strategy Some skills you need

4. Why are you not publishing as much as you want? What are your current goals for publishing in 2010-2011-2012? What are the obstacles? Write 3 things you want to learn from this workshop (or write 3 questions) Some questions for you

5. Some facts about writers

6. SW�s revise more than novices are better at detecting problems in their text & diagnosing problems Plan for longer and more elaborately Review and reassess their plans Consider the reader�s point of view when composing Revise in line with global goals rather than editing small local chunks Skilled VS unskilled writers

7. Strategy 1: Do a self-audit

8. What obstacles hinder your writing? How are you addressing them? Your attitude matters: do you find writing a chore, a punishment or a pleasure? Do you plan well ahead and manage your time well? What sparks you, what deters you? What would make you a great writer? Strategy 1: Identify your obstacles

9. Writing? Searching? Managing your time? Collaborating with others? Networking? Looking for opportunities? Learning to use software that can help? What skills could you improve?

10. Make a synthesis that has not been made before Be cross disciplinary and use different methods Test someone else�s idea Use already known theory but with new application and interpretation Find new evidence on an old issue Continue with an original piece of research Carry out empirical work that has not been done before Respond to a major problem idea or finding Do a meta-analysis of the literature Strategy 3: Find an angle, a topical issue or question

11. Strategy 4: Look for good models & examples

12. Read widely in the top ten journals in your field Which journals are the source of most of the articles you refer to? Do the journals publish work similar to yours? Who are the members of the editorial board and do you know their work? Will the editors be receptive to your theoretical perspective and the methods you employ? What types of articles reflect your interests How are these articles structured? Focus your reading

13. Are the journals you want to publish in listed on the DEEWR/ERA site? http://arc.gov.au/era/journal_list.htm What is their impact factor? Band A, B or C? Checkpoint!

14. List 10 peer reviewed journals in your field where you could publish. If you do not know where to start, talk to your librarian Task 1

15. Strategy 5: Focus on and target a specific journal

16. Does the journal favor quantitative over qualitative & mixed methods? Does it adopt an international, comparative approach? What instructions are given to authors ? Would your work appeal to their readership? Analyze the journal style

17. Strategy 6: Polish your writing skills

18. Interplay of authority, style, evidence, attention to audience expectations Hallmarks of good writing: clear, specific, meaningful, concise, polished and thorough Have something to add to the ongoing conversation Gather and present evidence about your own ideas/research Finding your scholarly voice

19. Planning & thinking of your main argument Brainstorming Drafting Redrafting Getting feedback Editing Polishing, refining Attend to the writing process

20. What plan do you follow for writing the first draft? Question

21. What are you adding to the conversation?- new perspective-argument or challenge to existing view- theoretical perspective- alternative viewpoint- make connections - expand, clarify, synthesise Your contribution

22. Strategy 7: Be strategic

23. Contents alerting services Use Endnote Learn how to use software to analyse data ( SPSS, NVivo, et) Look out for special issues Calls for papers Professional journals Make your life easier!

24. New ideas presented at conferences Ideas/work in progress Innovations requiring feedback Projects, works in progress Cutting edge ideas Nature of a conference paper VS a journal article

25. Substantial changes More data, deeper analysis and discussion of findings Use of tables, charts, diagrams Clear findings and new directions Thorough review of recent literature Links to existing research Point to new areas of investigation Converting the conference paper to a journal

26. Strategy 8: Pay attention to editorial criteria

27. How will your paper be judged by the editor?

28. Recency: fresh, current ideas Relevance: balance audience appeal with scholarly substance Rigour: style and in substance Requirements of editorial board Readability: overall coherence of the paper The five R�s of good publications

29. Value or usefulness to field or profession. Adequacy of design/accuracy of analysis. �Presentation and interpretation of findings, discussion, and conclusions. Important and timely. Consistency with existing literature. References to relevant existing work. �Overall clarity of ideas and expression.Inclusion of appropriate implications for practice and/or policy. �Grammatical construction; writing style; use of non-sexist language. Criteria commonly used

30. Catchy- topical Must have a clear meaning and appeal Not too long Avoid jargon The title

31. Task one: Think of a good title for an article you want to write Start with key words Make it clear, catchy and provocative Write it down and share it Some tasks for you!

32. Presents a brief summary States area under investigation Poses main questions Outlines method, findings, conclusions Implications for practice Abstract: 2nd point of contact

33. Helps define the area of study Establish what has already been asked and what needs to be investigated Look at similar and related investigations Looks for theoretical models to help define the area of interest Concludes with a statement about purpose of the research or set of research questions Literature review

34. http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/postgrad/litreview/home.html Uni of Melbourne http://library.ucsc.edu/ref/howto?literaturereview.html Uni of California Some useful URL�s

35. Be selective Ensure that they support your points Choose the most recent Use correct formatting Do not try to impress by over-referencing References

36. Connect the article together Relate questions to findings Report results clearly Sequence findings to match questions Write a good discussion section- apply findings Implications for other studies Overall

37. Strategy 9: Be a perfectionist!

38. Sloppy referencing Bad grammar/incomplete sentences Dated references Cramming too many ideas into one article Writing about � what we did at my university� Exceeding the word limit Things to avoid

39. Why is the article interesting? Are the goals of the paper clear? What does it add to the knowledge base? Is evidence presented for the claims made? Is the article coherent and well written? Does it belong to the journal to which it is sent? Is the journal style adhered to? Questions for the self or peer review of your draft

40. You�ve posted your paper to a journal of repute,and you�re hoping that the refereeswon�t send you down the chute! Dealing with reviewer feedback

41. Accept feedback that is intended to help you Work on it- improve the paper Reply to the editor with a list of all the changes you have made If rejected, try another journal Don�t make enemies

42. Attend conferences, network, build linkages Editors and book companies often attend conferences in their speciality area, so look out for opportunities Network and collaborate with others in the field Look our for invitations to special issues Build links with researchers in your area Form a writing group/pair/triad to ensure feedback on your drafts Strategy 10: Get connected

43. Take your writing seriously and practice it just like any other skill Try to become a reviewer of papers for a journal or conference Read widely, look out for new ways of expression Share your writing with others � seek feedback, ask for opinions, keep trying to perfect your style Some final words

44. And don�t forget to develop a publishing plan for the next 2-3 years! Set your goals and stick to them.

45. Goals Deadlines Selected Journals Selected Conferences Your writing teamKey questions: What am I doing that is worth going public about? What teaching/assessment strategies have I used that are innovative and productive? Your publication strategy

46. Questions? catherine.mcloughlin@acu.edu.au