Doctoral Training Workshops

Getting published and the reviewing process

Steve Potter, Alex Borda-Rodriguez, Sue Oreszczyn and Julius Mugwagwa

February 2014

Todays session will focus on the process of getting published and a key aspect - demonstrating rigour in your research. Slides will be placed on the VRE

Rigour:• applies to all your academic outputs• is always assessed in publications• will be assessed in your viva• is something you need to consider throughout your academic career

Rigour in Birdsong StudiesBBC Today Programme

7 February 2012

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16886717

Birds await proof of the medical benefits of their song

It's the bleedin' obvious

vs

Clinical measures of stress levels and neurological well-being to try and tease out whether it's going for a walk in the countryside or the birdsong itself that makes the difference.

PhD student Ellie Ratcliffe https://www.facebook.com/SurreyPsychology/posts/388164551298741

Activity: What is Rigour?

In threes or pairs consider:

What do you understand by rigour?

You need to:

show that you have evidence to:• justify your conclusions;• that the evidence has been obtained

properly • that contrary evidence has been sought,

but was either not found or found to be relatively unconvincing.

(From Research skills for policy: Finding Out Fast.

A. Thomas and G. Mohan)

Validity and ReliabilityRigour involves the principles of Validity and

Reliability• Validity is about the design of the research and

analysis – the use of an appropriate method, the sample or cases used etc.

• Are you actually measuring or studying the right thing to draw the conclusions you do?

• Reliability is about the accuracy and consistency of the research results.

• If your study were repeated would the outcome be the same?

Indicators of rigorous research

• Clear goals, well defined and feasible• Choice of valid methods for the study• Study conducted in a reliable manner• Significance of the results: positioning your

findings in the field of knowledge• Effective communication: sharing work with

others with a plan for reporting and dissemination

• A reflective critique in which one’s own learning is developed.

Activity:My rigour

What are the main ways that you will demonstrate rigour in your research?

Thinking about papers early on as a well as later

Publishing your research

Know your Research

Community

Before submission What are the recent lines of thought or arguments in

the journal? – can your work tap into these?

Take a look at the information pages for authors What are the aims of the journal?

Are you familiar with the work of the people on the editorial board?

Make sure you send the paper off in the required format

and have checked the refs.

Being reviewed

1. The eternal wait and the black box

2. Responding to comments

3. The boomerang effect – when it keeps coming back

4. Getting out of the rut

How Reviews are done

Usually electronically via journal’s website with email invitation

2 or 3 referees appointed

Blind vs. Revealed reviewing

Forms usually have section for editor and for comments to authors

Decisions are 1) Publish; 2) Amend (minor or major); 3) Not yet ready, and 4) Reject

Review process and revisions can take a good deal of time

Special Issues – Often 2 stages (e.g. select conference papers that then go to reviewers)

Evaluating Papers (and thesis)

It is essential that you do not make the reader work too hard.

Clear structure, easy to read, good English, diagrams easy to understand, good signposting.

Activity

In groups of 3-4 come up with 10 questions that a reviewer might ask of a paper that they have been given to review.

Open Access Publishing

• “Making research literature available online without price barriers and without most permission barriers”

• Green Open Access - eg. Institutional or subject repository, personal web site

• Gold Open Access – peer reviewed Journal open access

- journals charge authors – requires a publication budget