Writing for the Community Development Journal (and other

publications)

Mick CarpenterEditor CDJ, plus CDJ Board members -

IACD Conference Presentation, Glasgow 2014

Structure of the Workshop

• 1 Introducing the Community Development Journal, and publishing possibilities available through it

• 2 Workshop Proper– Questions about CDJ and article writing generally– Working through some possible article outlines

with willing (or dragooned) participants here today

Introducing the Journal• Leading journal in the field, distributed in more than 80

countries• Launched in 1966 and 2015 is our 50th year• Published by OUP, a world leader and ‘responsible’

publisher• Work in partnership with IACD – including offering a

reduced subscription rate• Part of the International Social Science Citation index –

impact score 0.602 in 2013• Peer review all relevant articles above a certain quality

threshold• We’re moving towards ‘freer access’

Publication policy

“The leading international journal in its field, covering a wide range of topics, reviewing significant developments and providing a forum for cutting-edge debates about theory and practice. It adopts a broad definition of community development to include policy, planning and action as they impact on the life of communities. It seeks to publish critically focused articles which challenge received wisdom, report and discuss innovative practices, and relate issues of community development to questions of social justice, diversity and environmental sustainability”

CDJ Publication Possibilities

• Standard Articles, 6k words – often more ‘academically’ focused and ‘research based’

• Reflections Articles, 2k words – often more ‘practically’ focused or ‘think pieces’

• If you don’t have access to CDJ through a personal or institutional subscription, you can access a free trial until September 2014 here:

Sign up (or sign in) My Account at www.oxfordjournals.org and enter code IACD2014 in Subscriber Number box

Reflections articles• Reflections articles – report on practice or debate

particular issues – approx 2k words• Often more up-to-date than standard articles• Recent examples– Jazz and Community Development– Ingrid Burkitt’s reflective article on IACD Appreciating Assets

report– Community responses to austerity in Ireland– Golden Dawn’s far right and divisive approach to community

organising in Greece– Community development in Pittsburgh USA

• By all means get in touch with Editor and float suggestions before submitting

Standard articles

• Looks in depth at an issue in theory and/or practice (preferably both – 6k words)

• Recent (selected) examples: – Campaign to save a local swimming pool in Australia– Inclusive Community Development for gypsies and

travellers in UK– Using poetry as a community development tool– Tottenham Riots and Big Society in the UK– Colonial Legacy of International Voluntary Service

Special Issues and Supplements

• We are always open to suggestions for Issues, usually 1 a year

• Recent Examples– Latin America– Feminism and the Politics of Everyday Life– Mental Health– Extractive Industries– The Commons Movement and Community Development

• Usually free access for limited period, but Commons Special Supplement permanently free

Key Criteria – some or all of the following

• Relevance to Community Development theory and/or practice (preferably both)

• Well written, structured and argued, showing awareness of relevant literature and displaying robust use of evidence

• Bears CDJ’s international and cross-disciplinary audience in mind

• Links theory to practice or vice versa, avoiding poles of theoretical abstraction and purely descriptive case study

• Addresses issues such as social justice, inequality, diversity, environmental sustainability

• Originality: Adds something new or distinctive to current knowledge

Further Information

• The Community Development Journal Website: http://cdj.oxfordjournals.org/

• CDJ Plus website , wholly free – including The Lisbon Papers, set of papers from the last IACD Conference in 2012: http://oxfordjournals.org/cdjc/

• 50 Years Special Issue call: http://cdj.oxfordjournals.org/

Final Advice

• Get writing, paying attention to basics: good English, referencing, etc

• Clear Structure:INTRODUCTION – raise themes and issuesSUBSTANCE – present evidence and review argumentsCONCLUSION – resolve themes and issues

• Say something new and/or address a different theme• Make clear relevance to community development at

beginning and end• Remember audience and publication policy• Even if your article is rejected this time you will get valuable

feedback from your peers