Getting published (during your PhD studies)

1. Getting published(during your PhD studies) Professor Jennifer Rowley Department of Information and Communications Manchester Metropolitan University

2. Why publish during your PhD? • Because learning to communicate with other researchers and professionals is an important part of learning to be a researcher. • To share your ideas, and participate in research and practitioner communities • To receive feedback, critiques and endorsement, and to enhance your learning • To increase the chances of your research actually being published! • To protect yourself against external examiners! • To enhance your CV and career prospects (publishing delay)

3. What to publish? • Get your supervisor on board and ask them for advice… • During your PhD, your main findings/contribution is probably not complete, so you are likely to have to look elsewhere. • Other options: • Masters thesis research • Literature review/theoretical context • Early stage study e.g. desk research, first case study. • Small ‘side’ study with another student

4. Where to publish? • It is unlikely, but not unknown that you will be able to publish your first piece in a top ranking journal – be realistic • The objective is to: learn to write for an academic or perhaps a professional journal • Think about what you have to say, and identify an audience, and then select a journal accordingly, and write for that journal. • Aim for a short piece – say 4000 words – greater length means greater scope for getting something wrong!

5. Working with a journal • Journals have communities – editors, editorial boards, referees, and authors. • Most of these people are busy volunteers (academics and practitioners). • They are experienced and have seen a lot of articles, but are often sympathetic to newcomers. • If your supervisor or someone you know can advise take this advice. • Getting an article accepted is about joining the journal community – and a member of the community will look at your work and decide that it is good enough to allow you to join.

6. Play the game • Check that your paper is within scope for the journal • Adhere exactly to the author instructions (especially word length, and reference format) • Master the manuscript submission system (and take time to write a short covering letter to the editor) • Don’t expect too fast a response, but enquire politely if you do not hear anything after 3-4 months. • Respond constructively and politely to any comments from the editor or referees. • Seek out opportunities to learn and ‘give back’ by refereeing or writing book reviews.

7. Some things are likely to need help with • Being clear about your contribution – not just of your thesis, but of this specific article. • Understanding the difference between writing a thesis and writing a journal article • Writing an abstract, and the first section of the introduction. • Writing recommendations. • Keeping to word limits • Dealing with some referees’ comments

8. Any questions???