A Practical Guide to Scholarly Productivity: Tips for Becoming a Productive Scholar

1. Program for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Becoming a Productive Scholar: The Editor’s Perspective Texas State University-San Marcos February 2009

2. Patricia M. ShieldsProfessor Political Science • http://uweb.txstate.edu/~ps07/ • ps07@txstate.edu • EditorArmed Forces & Society • http://afs.sagepub.com/

3. New Faculty Problem Figure out how to become a productive scholar that contributes to the discourse of your field. Means publish in high quality scholarly journals

4. Goals for session • Challenges to successful scholarship • Developing a system to be productiveStep NotebookPurpose-conceptual framework • Understanding how journals workProcessTips

5. Interesting Finding 85% of all scholarly content written by 15% of the faculty Many Faculty not prepared to enter scholarly arena.

6. Common Problems • Can’t find time to work on it for more than an hour • After a while I lose my place and forget what I originally wanted to do

7. Addresses Binge Writing • Common Form of Writer’s Block • Wait till the last minute to do the paper • Stress, sleeplessness • Poor quality work

8. Causes Procrastination Feel overwhelmed Self doubt Need big block time Perfectionism Destructive self talk Perfect conditions Step Solution Planning Separate small activities Use time wisely Persistence Use every day Practice habit of writing Binge Writing

9. Tools of Scholarly Research Step by Step NotebookProject ManagementTime, Materials, Ideas Conceptual Frameworks Connecting research purpose to dataOrganize Ideas

10. Build a Research Paper : One Step at a TimeNotebook method for writing papers

11. The Step ProcessTransforms Writing a Paper Managing a Project Organizing • Materials • Time • Ideas

12. Organizes Materials • Three-ring binder • Tabs

13. Organizes Time Planning • Things-to-do list • Calendar

14. Organizes Ideas Integrated Outline • Before writing begins the outline incorporates the reading, notes, interviews • Entire notebook builds to create the outline • Conceptual Frameworks

15. Organization Step Notebook • Things-To-Do List & Calendar • To find & useful information • Bibliography • Notes • Integrated Outline • Drafts • Sources

16. Review - Organizing

17. Equilibrium with greater complexity Equilibrium Path of learning or understanding while doing a paper

18. As scholar confronts the unexpected while doing the reading- confusion-doubt Equilibrium with greater complexity Equilibrium with greater complexity Equilibrium • Unexpected doubt and reflective thought

19. Notebook is a tool to manage the ‘doubt and confusion’ stage Equilibrium with greater complexity Step notebook is a tool that brings order to the outer world while the inner world changes Equilibrium Transformations of Inquiry

20. Conceptual Frameworks and Research Papers • Literature ReviewHelp with the outline • Empirical ResearchMost useful - give the activities (choosing the topic, purpose, method, data collection, statistics, data analysis) coherence

21. What is a Conceptual Framework? Formal way of thinking (conceptualizing) about a process/system under study. Set of concepts linked to a planned or existing system of methods, behaviors, relationships and objects. Type of intermediate theory that connects to all aspects of inquiry (purpose, lit review, methodology, data collection, statistics). Conceptual frameworks act like maps that give coherence to empirical inquiry.

22. Sources: Conceptual Framework • Shields, Patricia, M. and Hassan Tajalli. (2006). “Intermediate Theory: The Missing Link in Successful Student Scholarship.” Journal of Public Affairs Education 12(3): 313-334. http://ecommons.txstate.edu/polsfacp/39/ • Shields, Patricia M. (1998). “Pragmatism as a Philosophy of Science: A Tool for Public Administration,” Research in Public Administration. Volume 4: 195-225. http://ecommons.txstate.edu/polsfacp/33/

23. Research Purposes (Chapter I) Exploration Description Gauging Decision Making Explanation/ Prediction Conceptual Frameworks (Chapter II) Working Hypotheses Descriptive Categories Practical Ideal Type Models of Operations Research Formal Hypotheses Connecting purpose and framework

24. Tips from the Editor • Editors Perspective • Manuscript processing • Additional tips

25. Editors Perspective New Scholars perspective

26. Processing Manuscripts • Manuscript arrives (assign number) • Editor Review (editors reject) • Find Reviewers • Send out for review • Reviews in • Decision Accept, Reject, Revise and resubmit • Revise and resubmit comments sent to author • Revised Manuscript and letter with explanation arrives • Re-review (could be 2-4 rounds) • Decision

27. Additional Tips • Make sure the paper is good fit for journal • Be familiar with the journal • Cite the journal (if nothing has been written on the topic in the journal how can it be a good fit?) • Contacting editor is okay (ask status of ms)

28. http://afs.sagepub.com/ • http://aas.sagepub.com/ • Investigate possible backlog Armed Forces & Society vs. Administration & Society

29. Additional Tips • Share your work widely – present at conferences • Develop cadre of research colleagues • Okay to contact editor with questions • Don’t take it personally

30. Additional Tips • Strong Introduction • Strong writing • Use ecommons