Publishing: Some Advice

In Educational Researcher from 2005, Janette K. Klingner, David Scanlon, and Michael Pressley have a great article “How to Publish in Scholarly Journals.” It is only 8 pages long, and really worth a read, but here's a quick summary.

Planning Before Writing

• Consider Your Reasons for Publishing – yes, academia is “publish or perish” but you have to have something substantial to say.
• Determine the Scope of Your Manuscript – keep the focus narrow and align your data, research question and findings
• Connect Your Research to the Field – know the field, but don't try to summarize the entire field.
• Decide Early on the Target Journal – know the scope and style of the journal, which can vary widely, and read the current call for manuscripts and articles
• Consider Whether to Co-Author Your Manuscript – great for broader perspective and expertise, but be aware of your institution’s view on co-authorship and tenure

Writing the Manuscript

• Tell Them What You Set Out to Do – clearly state the purpose and importance
• Tell Them What You Did – explain your methods in enough detail that your reader can trust that your findings are warranted
• Tell Them What You Found – clear and concise – enough said
• Discuss What You Found – connect your study to broader issues, but don't overreach
• Don’t Forget About Style - know the style of the journal, use transitions to increase flow and clarity, avoid passive terms, don't anthropomorphize, and as William Strunk said, “Omit needless words”
• Get Help – form a writing group, ask colleagues to read, use your writing center

Submitting the Manuscript

• Create a Good First Impression – follow the journal's style guide, check your references
• Send in Your Manuscript - follow submission guidelines,

The Review Process

• Process - each journal is different, but it takes time, read the journal's guidelines
• Decision – pay close attention to editor and reviewer's comments – revisions are almost always required

If you are looking for the full article, here is the citation and a link to the pdf:

Klinger, J., Scanlon, D., & Pressley, M. (2005). How to publish in scholarly journals. Educational Researcher, 34(8), 14-20.