WRITING A PUBLISHABLE EMPIRICAL PAPER

1. WRITING A PUBLISHABLE EMPIRICAL PAPER BiodunOgunyemi Dept. of CurriculumStudies & InstructionalTechnology, OlabisiOnabanjoUniversity, Ago-Iwoye Email: ogunyemi_biodun@yahoo.co.uk Being a presentation at the«WorkshoponWritingforPublication» organisedby Social StudiesAssociation of Nigeria (SOSAN) held at theObafemiAwolowoUniversity, Ile-Ife, onTuesday, 27th November, 2012

2. INTRODUCTION • Challenge for academics: “Publish or Perish” – to underscore our role as academics i.e. “to assist in advancing the disciple through research and writing” (Parasuraman, 2003: 314). • Ill-equipped academics - rat-race, game of number, poorly conceptualized and badly written journal articles. • Reports: About 80% of articles submitted to reputable academic journals are not publishable (Summers, 2001), “with up to 9 of every 10 manuscripts being rejected by leading journals” (McKercher, Law, Weber, Song & Hsu, 2007). • Consequences: Frustration, decline productivity, “a lower perception towards research and publishing by younger lecturers compared to the older academics” (Migosi, Muola & Maithya, 2012: 115). • Why are papers rejected?

3. WHY DO EDITORS REJECT EMPIRICAL PAPERS? • Theresearchquestions - notveryinteresting, no theoreticalimplications. • Contributiontoliterature – lowor non-existent, merereplication of familiar reports. • Conceptual framework – poorconceptualisation of constructs, no compellingrationaleforhypotheses/questions. • Methodology – highlyflaweddesign, validity of measuressuspect. • Write-up – confusing, unclear, unsystematizedmaking a goodrevisionalmostimpossible. (Summers, 2001)

4. POSERS FOR THIS PRESENTATION • What is an empirical paper? • What preparations go into a publishable empirical paper? • How does one see the paper through into an academic journal?

5. DEFINING EMPIRICAL PAPER • Empiricalpapersassignnumericalvaluestothe variables understudy. • Three (3) researchdesignsgenerally define quantitativepapers: • Descriptivequantitativestudies - observations, tests, surveys. • Mixedmethod – qualitative plus quantitative, data analysed in verbal-transcribedform (qualitative) combinedwithsurvey data, tests, etc. e.g. actionresearch, phenomenologicalresearch, case studyresearch, ethnography, comparativehistoricalinquiry. • Experimental research – involvingthemanipulation of independent variables toanswerthequestion of causationi.e. measuringtheeffect of theindependent (orinfluencing) variables onthedependent (theactedupon) variables.

6. PREPARING FOR EMPIRICAL PAPER • 12 Guidelinesforaspiringto do scholarlyresearch (Summers, 2001): • Develop a broad set of methodologicalskills • Learnto be a criticalreader of theLiterature • Focusondevelopinghypothesesto be tested • Use theliteraturetostimulateyourthinking • Putitonpaper • Don’twork in isolation • Develop precise conceptual definitionsfortheconstructs • Evaluatethehypotheses • Identifytheintendedcontributions • Designtheempiricalstudy • Pretestquestionnaires • Pretestexperiments

7. WRITING THE MANUSCRIPT Table 1: TypicalStructure of anAcademicArticle • Title8 -15 words • Abstract200 -250 words • Keywords6 – 8 words • Literaturereview (Alternatively: Background, • conceptual developmentor conceptual framework) 1,000-2000 words • Methods(Alternatively, Methodology) 500–1000 words Sampling - Target population and researchcontext - Sampling - Respondentprofile • Data collection • - Data collectionmethods • Measures (Alternatively: Measurement

8. WRITING THE MANUSCRIPT-contd • Results (Alternatively: Findings) 1000-1500 words Descriptivestatistics (Alternatively: Preliminaryanalysis) Hypothesistesting (Alternatively: Inferentialstatistics) • Discussion 1000-1500 words • Summary of findings • Managerialimplications • Limitations • Recommendationsforfutureresearch • Total 4000 – 7000 words

9. TITLE • Attractthereader’sattention • Short, specificbasedrestrictedlengthby target journal (usually 10-15 words) • Researchdesign+ population + geographicalarea (e.g. Valuesprofiles and susceptibilityto interpersonal influence: A survey of studentsmokers at theUniversity of Pretoria) (Grober, 2003) • Bringsouttherelationshipbetweentheindependent and dependent variables of thestudy(Effects of twoproblem-solvingmethodsonlearningoutcomes of junior secondaryschool social studiesstudents) • AddressesthequestionsWhat, How, WithWhomand where of thestudy • N.B: Itisbettertowritetitle, keywords and abstractonthecompletion of thearticle.

10. ABSTRACT Seven (7) elementsrecommended (Perry et al., 2003) • A briefthemesentenceontheoverallissueaddressed • Mainaimorpurpose of thestudy • Academic and/orpracticalimportance • Themethodologyused • Themainfindings of thestudy • Thecontributionmade • Implications of findingsforfutureresearch

11. KEYWORDS • Central concepts and termsthatarousetheinterest of thereader • Provide links toyourarticle in theelectronicdatabase • Should «reflectthe discipline, sub-discipline, theme, researchdesign and context» (Kotze, 2007) • Usuallybetween 5 and 8 words • Present in sentence case and in italics

12. INTRODUCTION • Likeanexecutivesummarywithfour (4) goals: • Toestablishtheimportance of the general area of interest. • Toindicate in general termswhat has been done in this groad area. • Toidentifyimpartant gaps, inconsistencies, and/orcontroversies in therelevantliterature. • Toprovide a concisestatement of themanuscript’spurpose(s), thecontributionsthemanuscriptmakestotheliterature.

13. LIT. REV/CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK • Anessential guide-post tomeaningfulresearch. • Done withsix (6) goals in mind (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005): • Tofindtherelationshipsamongthevariousreportsthatyouread (e.g. definition of constructs and variables). • Tofindoutdifferences in existingreports. • Toidentify gaps to be filled. • To examine therelevance of themethodologywhichothershaveused. • Tohighlightthefindings and limitations of previousstudy. • Todraw a link betweenwas done and yours (ANOTHER BLOCK ON THE WALL?)

14. RESEARCH QUESTIONS/HYPOTHESES • Questionsthatserve as posersbasedonthepurposeof thestudy. • Formulatemajor and minorRQs. • Descriptive and mixed-methods can make do withRQs • Experimental studiesaim at testinghypotheses. • Hypothesis – tentativeexplanationfortherelationshipbetweenthe variables of underinvestigation. • Nullhypotheses – Stating no «effect» or «relationship»; Rejectordo notreject. • Formulatemajor (e.g. maineffect) and minor (effect of moderator variables) in empiricalresearch.

15. METHODOLOGY • Describe in detailhowtheresearchwasconducted • Theresearchdesign - theparadigmforconductingthestudy – descriptive, mixedmethod, experimental? • Sampling – describe the target population, researchcontext and unitsof analysis; sample and samplingtechnique; and profiles of therespondents. • Instrumentation – surveyquestionnaire, achievement test, attitudescale, IDI protocol, FGD guide, etc. • Data Collection – Whatprocedure– personal, fieldassistants, etc. • Procedurefor data analysis – Chi-square, t-test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, etc.

16. RESULTS • General guidelines (Kotze, 2007): • Be concise, yetprovideenoughdetailtojustifyconclusions. • Explainadvancedmultivariatestatisticalmethods (e.g. repeatedmeasures ANOVA, twoorone-way ANOVA, multipleregressionanalysis and factor analysis) in non-technicalterms. • Use figures and tablestosummariseinformation. Golden rule:Ifyou can sayit in a sentenceorparagraph, do so. Reserve figures forthereallyimportantstuffthat has to be portrayedvisually. • Interprete allresearchfindingsforthereader. • Use acceptablestatisticalabbreviationse.g. ANOVA, df, f, Ho, etc

17. DISCUSSION/conclusion • This can have a largeimpactontheimpressionsthereaderhave of yourmanuscript. • Should be done with a viewto(Summers, 2001): • BuildingontheIntroductionsection. • Reaffirmingtheimportance of thestudybyshowinghowthestudyreportedfitsintotheliterature. • Communicatingthestudyimplicationsfortheory and practice. • Supportingconclusionswith data-evidence. • Identifying new issuesraisedbythestudyfindings and orprovidinginsightful (nonobvious) directionsforfutureresearch.

18. REFERENCING/DOCUMENTATION • Generate a list of allmaterials – published, unpublished, electronic, archival, etc. – consulted in thecourse of theresearch. • Don’tincludematerialsnotusedwithinthebodyunder Reference List. • Followstipulatedguidelinesoncitingreports/writings and otherforms of documentationbythe target journal e. g. APA, Chicago Manual of Style. • Trackallmaterialsfrombodytothelisttoavoidanyomission

19. FROM CONCEPTION TO PUBLISHING • Hintsforsuccess: • Research can be learned, it can also be unlearned – to be a goodwriter, keepwriting! • Master therequirementsforyour target journalto reduce tension and frustration. • Thegoodwriteris a goodreader; so continuetoreadwhatothershave done. • Toimproveskill, do notwork in isolation – embrace dyadic, triadicinteractionsfor critique. • Do personal criticism of yourresearchreports. • Learnto be mentored

20. PUBLISH AND FLOURISHThankyouforyourattention!!!