Writing for Publication

Dr. Mark Matthews

Student Learning Development

http://student-learning.tcd.ie

Path to Publication

1. Research

2. Identify Venue

3. Title / Abstract / Editor

4. Outline

5. Writing

6. Submit

Getting your paper published

Why Publish?

• Increase human knowledge

• Writing is improved

• Sense of completion

• Work is promoted

How do I know what I think until I see what I say?

E.M. Forster

1 / Research

• Clarity beforehand saves time

• Generate Ideas

• Publon

2 / Identify Venue

• Become familiar with journals

• Identify 1 or 2 possible venues

• Read 1 issue of journal

• Read Author Guidelines

• Admin tasks – registration, template• Email Editor an abstract

3 / What do editors want?

• Follow journal’s guidelines• Originality• Clarity of message• Structure, flow, tone• Research methodology

• Theoretical and practical implications

• Good Title & Abstract

• References

3/ Main Message

The message is the single most important

point you need to make to express your

purpose.

Step 1: “I want this paper to….”

Step 2: Write your message sentence, the most important point you want to make.

Evaluating Driving as a Valued Instrumental Activity of Daily Living

The World of Everyday Occupation: Real People, Real Lives 1

Spirituality within dementia care: perceptions of health professionals

Occupational therapy to optimise independence in Parkinson's disease: the designing and recording of a randomised controlled trial intervention

Look through the table of contents of papers

1. Which paper would you like to read?

2. Which title is most interesting to you?

3. What makes a good title?

3 / Title

• Advertising

• Tool to help focus

• What makes a good title?

Think about your thesis

1. Think of a title if you were to write a paper

3 / Abstracts

• 100-300 words

• Structure

• Precise, clear & interesting

Avoid generic statements like: “The results we be discussed”

“Methods are presented”

“Future research is discussed”

Your are the editors

1.Read the 3 abstracts

2.You can only accept 1

3.Which one will you pick?

SPSE Technique

• Situation: Describe the general background / setting in which your research takes place

• Problem: Describe a problem that the research addresses.

• Solution: What did you do or try to address this problem?

• Evaluation: How did you evaluate the proposed solution and what were the results?

For your paper

Continuing on from your title, use the SPQR technique to write an abstract

3 / Abstracts

1. Who are the intended readers? (name 3-5)2. What did you do? (50 words)3. Why did you do it? (50)4. What happened? (50)5. What do the results mean in theory? (50)6. What do the results mean in practice? (50)7. What is the key benefit for readers? (25)8. What remains unresolved? (50)

(Brown 1994/95)

4 / Outline

• Before you start writing

• Structure

• Flow

• Logic

• Meaningful titles

• Feedback

Level 1 Background

Objectives

Method

Findings

Conclusions

Level 2

Level 3

5 / The Habit of Writing

Writing at the end of a long list of tasks – no fixed deadline

“I can’t find the time for writing….”

“I have no energy for writing…”

10 ways to not write

1. Open your email at the start of the day and never quit it.2. Keep your writing goals quite general.3. Don’t talk about your writing-in-progress.4. Only seek feedback when you have a full draft.5. Don’t write unless you know exactly what you want to say.6. Wait till you’re ready to write.7. Don’t bother defining sub-goals – you know what you have

to do.8. Don’t bother with the 5-minute warm up for writing -- you

know what to do.9. Always write in large chunks of time.10. Try and find more time for writing.

Rowena Murray

5 / Final Touches: Take the time

• Permanent

• Proofread

• Spell-check

• References

• Feedback

If your paper is rejected …

• Find out why

• Rework your paper

• Target a different venue

• Re-submit soon

• If asked for revision – celebrate!

• Revision means the journal is interested

• Address ALL reviewer’s concerns

• Don’t take it personally

6 / After Submission

Referencing

• Harvard referencing system

• Endnote

• Library video– http://www.tcd.ie/Library/support/referencing.php

• Cite2Write– http://www.cs.qub.ac.uk/emm/10170987/cite2write/

More

http://student-learning.tcd.ie

https://podcast.tcd.ie/users/studentlearning/

Other useful resources

1. www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk (a general resource for academic writers with academic phrases etc.)

2. http://successfulacademic.typepad.com/ writing blog, tips

3. Writing for academic journals / Rowena Murray 4. IDRC

http://www.idrc.ca/IMAGES/books/WFC_English/WFC_English//sitemap.html

5. Freewriting: Elbow, P. (1973) Writing without teachers. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Student Learning Development

Thank you for your time

Visit our website at: http://student-learning.tcd.ie