Title: Guidelines for Writing for Publication: Demystifying the Process.
Abstract: Background Faculty members and others write for publication for a variety of reasons. Among them are promotion of their discipline and sharing their research findings (Henson 1995), communicating or disseminating knowledge (Marsh 1992), and helping to advance their career (Hiemstra and Brier 1994). While contributing to the literature plays a crucial role in the development of a career as an academic, the process of getting published is steeped in secrecy and mystery, and often poorly understood (Murphy 1996). Nonetheless, . . publication is the primary basis of academic recognition (Bedeian 1996). More training in the art of writing for publication for faculty and doctoral students is advocated by Rippenberger (1998); and by extension to professionals such as readers of this journal. References to a variety of training opportunities related to writing for publication appear in the literature on an occasional basis. For example, Huff (1996) describes the integration of ideas on improving one's chances of getting published into a brief lecture for a class she offered. PageAdams, Cheng, Gogineni, and Shen (1995) report on a group that was formed to encourage publication by doctoral students at Washington University and to meet a need for more structured support in writing for publication. A similar program for faculty is described by Berger (1990). Presentations on writing for publication also are given at the annual meetings of professional associations (e.g., Blimling 1998). Nevertheless, these activities may not be as systematic as what might be required to prepare individuals for writing for publication. While professionals may assume that graduate students understand the significance of writing for publication, teaching graduate students the nuts and bolts of the writing process remains curiously absent from typical graduate school training in many fields. To address this gap in graduate training, the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program at Iowa State University offered a course on Writing for Publication during the Spring 1998 semester. The objectives of the course were to provide graduate students with an overview of the academic publication process as part of their professional development and to encourage students to make a contribution to educational literature. This paper highlights key elements of the writing and publication process. Graduate students from the course, together with the instructor, developed the following guidelines to prepare potential editors and contributors to the literature in their chosen field of study. Guidelines for Writing Writing and publishing represent activities essential to success and advancement in an academic career. Yet few graduate programs offer courses on the publishing process, leaving students and new faculty with little practical knowledge about transforming research ideas into publishable manuscripts. The following principles are designed to demystify the process and give readers (especially the records/admissions professional staffs) concrete advice on how to pursue article and book ideas. Why write for publication? Professionals write to help advance knowledge in their field. Publishing research gives colleagues an opportunity to share information with one another through manuscripts published in professional journals. Also, the writing process forces professionals to clarify their ideas and engage in meaningful dialogue with colleagues, keeping writers current in the field. Career and personal development Writers write for different reasons. Some people write to advance their professional career. Other people write to enhance their personal growth. Understanding one's own motivation to write helps bring clarity to writing projects and helps target appropriate journals and book publishers. Know your audience Authors must tailor their writing to suit the purpose of the publication. …
Publication Year: 1999
Publication Date: 1999-07-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 8
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