Publishing the Scholarly Article

Why publish?

• Scholarship is meant to be shared.– How else will your work encourage social

change?– Publications are one of the primary venues for

scholarly conversation.

• Critical for career and professional development.

• Establishes your academic authority.

How do I decide where to publish?• Read a wide range of publications.

• Identify your audience.

• Read a wide range of publications.

• Identify your style.

• READ A WIDE RANGE OF PUBLICATIONS

• Identify the scope of your work.

• READ, READ, READ.

Editorial mission/policieshttp://www.bbsonline.org/Instructions/aboutbbs.html

Editorial Mission/Policieshttp://www.guilford.com/cgi-bin/cartscript.cgi?page=pr/

jnco.htm&dir=periodicals/per_psych&cart_id=

Publication Process• Submission to journal• Some journals may have pre-screening process.• Peer review.• Acceptance of the submission (contract).• Author revisions (may involve a LENGTHY back and forth

with the editor).• Copyediting.• More author revisions (at this stage, surface-level things).• Typesetting.• Page proofs.• Printing!

Submission

• What are journals looking for?

• How do I make my work stand out?

Sample of Submission Guidelineshttp://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/apl/index.aspx

Sample of Submission Guidelineshttp://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/apl/index.aspx

Sample of Submission Guidelineshttp://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/apl/index.aspx

Sample of Submission Guidelineshttp://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/apl/index.aspx

Making an impression• Be certain that your work is appropriate for

the journal.• Be able to very concisely and compellingly

articulate your study and your argument.• Be sure your manuscript is free of typos

and is formatted according to the journal’s guidelines.

• Have a trusted colleague (or two or three) read your work closely before submission.

Cover letter

• Indicate to editor that you are submitting your work.

• Depending on the journal, you may wish to articulate the topic and scope of your paper.

• You may want to articulate how your paper fits the editorial mission of the journal.

Peer Review“Refereed publications”

– Double-blind review process.• Author does not know identity of reviewers.• Reviewers do not know identity of author.

– Follow journal guidelines, but in general, DO NOT put identifying information on the manuscript (only on cover letter, or cover page).

– In some cases, journals may ask for one “signed copy” and one “unsigned copy.”

Acceptance• Several possible outcomes of submission:

– Acceptance.– Provisional acceptance.– Revise and resubmit.– Decline.

• Contract stuff:– Read carefully. Most journals are ethical, but you need

to be your best advocate.– Look for policies regarding republishing and reprinting

rights. – Don’t expect compensation!

Exerpt from contract letter (Women & Music to Kevin Schwandt)

Revisions

• Both you and the press have a vested interest in producing the best possible publication.

• Be open to changes suggested by your editor.

• BUT, don’t be a pushover!

• Pick your battles. Does a suggestion substantially alter the piece?

Copyediting

• Your copyeditor will get into the nitty-gritty of your manuscript– Grammar– Spelling– Formatting

• Examine your copyedited manuscript very carefully to ensure that the meaning hasn’t been altered.

Example• Original phrase: “. . . the Grammy and Pulitzer

Prize-winning show . . .”• Copyeditor’s revision: “. . . the show, which has

won both a Grammy and a Pulitzer Prize . . .”– The show has won more than one Grammy.– Minor issue, but the alteration places an

inaccuracy in MY piece (not the copyeditor’s fault, but it impacts my credibility).

• Revision of revision: “. . . the show, which has won multiple Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize . . .”

Pause for Questions!

Do you want to head

in a different direction?

What can I do to help you at this stage?

A few thoughts

• The review/editing process can take a very long time. Don’t get discouraged!

• Don’t be afraid to ask a press or editor for more information.

• Speak to people who have published with a journal you are interested in.

• Be passionate about any study you seek to publish.