Publish or be damned… building your publication record

John Germov

Zlatko Skrbis

Overview

The publication process TASA & professional development Experiences with publishing Choosing the right journal Common journal referee comments How to get a book published Q&A

Making informed choices

Measures of journal prestige and journal citation reports

– What is the audience for my work?– Which journal to approach?– How can I evaluate my choice?

Understanding the significance of citation reports– Evaluating your own standing in the academic community– Making a case for appointment or promotion

No. of articles in a particular year

No. of articles in a particular year

The citing half-life is the number of publication years from the current year that account for 50% of the current citations published by a journal in its article references.

The citing half-life is the number of publication years from the current year that account for 50% of the current citations published by a journal in its article references.

The journal Immediacy Index is a measure of how quickly the "average article" in a journal is cited. The Immediacy Index will tell you how often articles published in a journal are cited within the same year.

The journal Immediacy Index is a measure of how quickly the "average article" in a journal is cited. The Immediacy Index will tell you how often articles published in a journal are cited within the same year.

The journal impact factor is a measure of the frequency with which the "average article" in a journal has been cited in a particular year. The impact factor will help you evaluate a journal’s relative importance

The journal impact factor is a measure of the frequency with which the "average article" in a journal has been cited in a particular year. The impact factor will help you evaluate a journal’s relative importance

Common journal referee comments

Incorrect format: paper structure & references Fuzzy introduction: unclear aim/argument Literature review: over-citing & under-citing Methods: lack of detail & justification Results & discussion: supporting evidence &

links to the literature Conclusion: claiming too much General advice: honing skills & networking

Book publishing: myths & realities

The academic publishing environment– It’s a business! You need to convince them your

book has a market – who will buy it?– Royalties: range from 5% to 15%. Few authors do it

‘for the money’ Approaching publishers

– Know their interests: check their web sites– Conference networking: talk to publishers at

conferences and email them to gauge interest– Follow their submission guides

Key aspects of a book proposal

Most publishers have proposal guidelines on their websites Generic proposal format:

– Rationale & working title for the book – List of contents with a brief overview of what each chapter will cover– Pedagogic features (where relevant) – Estimated word length – Target market: Is it a text book? What is the audience (secondary schools,

undergraduate students, postgraduates, practitioners…)? What courses may use the book? Where could the book be marketed (professional associations, conferences, overseas markets)?

– Competing books: a list of any existing books on the same/similar topic & their limitations

– Biographical & professional details about yourself (and any co-authors) – Referees/readers: include the contact details of 3 referees or readers

whom the publisher could approach to evaluate the proposal – Sample chapter: as evidence of your writing and scholarly ability