Ginny Smith

Managing Editor:

Planning and Urban Studies

Taylor & Francis Ltd.Email: ginny.smith@tandf.co.uk

Publishing in Academic Journals

Tips to Help you Publish Successfully

July 2007

Key topics

• Audience and Type of Publication• Choosing the Correct Journal• Assessing the Best Journal for your Article• Writing for your Chosen Journal• Preparing the Journal Manuscript• Top Ten Reasons Why Journal Articles are

Rejected• And Finally!

Audience and Type of Publication

• Local, UK, international• Teachers, researchers, general public• Magazine article• Books• Research note• Literature review• Journal article: Do you

– Write an article for a specific journal– Find a journal for your article

Choosing the Correct Journal

• Research the journals in your field– Library– Websites– Talk to Peers

• Type of journal– General– Niche

• Familiarise yourself with the aims and scope of journals in your area

• Choose the ‘Best’ journal for your article

Assessing the Best Journal for Your Article

• What is the readership and usage?• Is it international?• Is it peer reviewed: how long will this take?• Who is the editor?• Who is on the editorial board?• Who publishes in the journal?• Is it on the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI)

Citation Database?• Available online and printed?• Is it published by a major publisher or association?

Writing for Your Chosen Journal

• Look at previous papers to get a feel for what is accepted

• Check the aims and scope again• Take note of maximum extent of the submission• Follow any submission guidelines

– Check if the submission is to an online editorial office, many now use Scholar 1 or Editorial Manager

• Quote from previous papers published in the journal• Send an abstract to the editor? (some editors do not

encourage this)

Preparing the Journal Manuscript

• Read the note to contributors• Write an abstract: this is a skill, it shouldn’t be the

same as the conclusion!• Ensure references cited in text, appear in bibliography• Expand any acronyms, remember it is an international

audience• Check spelling and grammar• Take care when choosing the title, remember

academics may find it via a search engine

Manuscript Preparation Cont’d.

• Figures, tables and photographs– Check they are ALL present

– Place in a separate file on the disk

– Do not embed in the text of the manuscript

– Consider how they will appear in the journal

– Ensure you have the correct copyright clearance

• Ask a colleague to read paper prior to submission

Top Ten Reasons Why Journal Articles are Rejected

1 Sent to wrong journal2 Not a proper article (i.e. too journalistic, or clearly a thesis chapter, or

a consultancy report)3 Too long (ignoring word limits for the particular journal) or too short4 Poor regard to conventions of journal (failure to consult Notes for

Contributors) or to conventions of academic writing generally5 Bad style, grammar, punctuation; poor English (not corrected by

native speaker)6 Fails to say anything of significance (i.e. makes no new contribution

to the subject) or states the obvious at tedious length7 Not properly contextualised (e.g. concentrates on parochial interests

and ignores the needs of an international or generally wider readership)

8 No theoretical framework (including references to relevant literature)9 Scrappily presented and clearly not proofread10 Libellous, unethical, rude

Top Ten Factors Influencing Authors*

1. Right kind of readership2. A&I Coverage3. Impact Factor4. Prestigious editorial board5. E-journal available6. Size of readership7. Speed of refereeing8. Hard copy available9. Easy to publish in the journal10. Price of the journal

*Source: CIBER survey, University College London (www.ucl.ac.uk/ciber)

And Finally!

•Do NOT get disillusioned by rejection•Be prepared to re-write or alter your paper•Make use of the referee’s comments•Try again•Good luck!

– There IS a journal out there for you!