Writing for Publication
Dr. Mark Matthews
Student Learning Development
http://student-learning.tcd.ie
Path to Publication
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Research
Identify Venue
Title / Abstract / Editor
Outline
Writing
Submit
Getting your paper published
Why Publish?
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Increase human knowledge
Writing is improved
Sense of completion
Work is promoted
How do I know what I think until I see what I say?
E.M. Forster
1 / Research
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Clarity beforehand saves time
Generate Ideas
Publon
2 / Identify Venue
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Become familiar with journals
Identify 1 or 2 possible venues
Read 1 issue of journal
Read Author Guidelines
Admin tasks – registration, template
Email Editor an abstract
3 / What do editors want?
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Follow journal’s guidelines
Originality
Clarity of message
Structure, flow, tone
Research methodology
Theoretical and practical implications
Good Title & Abstract
References
3/ Main Message
The message is the single most important
point you need to make to express your
purpose.
Step 1: “I want this paper to….”
Step 2: Write your message sentence, the most important
point you want to make.
Evaluating Driving as a Valued Instrumental Activity of Daily
Living
The World of Everyday Occupation: Real People, Real
Lives 1
Spirituality within dementia care: perceptions of health
professionals
Occupational therapy to optimise independence in
Parkinson's disease: the designing and recording of a
randomised controlled trial intervention
Look through the table of contents of papers
1. Which paper would you like to read?
2. Which title is most interesting to you?
3. What makes a good title?
3 / Title
• Advertising
• Tool to help focus
• What makes a good title?
Think about your thesis
1. Think of a title if you were to write a
paper
3 / Abstracts
• 100-300 words
• Structure
• Precise, clear & interesting
Avoid generic statements like:
“The results we be discussed”
“Methods are presented”
“Future research is discussed”
Your are the editors
1.Read the 3 abstracts
2.You can only accept 1
3.Which one will you pick?
SPSE Technique
• Situation: Describe the general background /
setting in which your research takes place
• Problem: Describe a problem that the research
addresses.
• Solution: What did you do or try to address this
problem?
• Evaluation: How did you evaluate the proposed
solution and what were the results?
For your paper
Continuing on from your title, use the SPQR
technique to write an abstract
3 / Abstracts
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Who are the intended readers? (name 3-5)
What did you do? (50 words)
Why did you do it? (50)
What happened? (50)
What do the results mean in theory? (50)
What do the results mean in practice? (50)
What is the key benefit for readers? (25)
What remains unresolved? (50)
(Brown 1994/95)
4 / Outline
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Before you start writing
Structure
Flow
Logic
Meaningful titles
Feedback
Level 1
Background
Objectives
Method
Findings
Conclusions
Level 2
Level 3
5 / The Habit of Writing
Writing at the end of a long list of tasks – no
fixed deadline
“I can’t find the time for writing….”
“I have no energy for writing…”
10 ways to not write
1. Open your email at the start of the day and never quit it.
2. Keep your writing goals quite general.
3. Don’t talk about your writing-in-progress.
4. Only seek feedback when you have a full draft.
5. Don’t write unless you know exactly what you want to
say.
6. Wait till you’re ready to write.
7. Don’t bother defining sub-goals – you know what you
have to do.
8. Don’t bother with the 5-minute warm up for writing -- you
know what to do.
9. Always write in large chunks of time.
10. Try and find more time for writing.
Rowena Murray
5 / Final Touches: Take the time
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Permanent
Proofread
Spell-check
References
Feedback
If your paper is rejected …
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Find out why
Rework your paper
Target a different venue
Re-submit soon
6 / After Submission
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If asked for revision – celebrate!
Revision means the journal is interested
Address ALL reviewer’s concerns
Don’t take it personally
Referencing
• Harvard referencing system
• Endnote
• Library video
– http://www.tcd.ie/Library/support/referencing.php
• Cite2Write
– http://www.cs.qub.ac.uk/emm/10170987/cite2write/
More
http://student-learning.tcd.ie
https://podcast.tcd.ie/users/studentlearning/
Other useful resources
1. www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk (a general
resource for academic writers with academic
phrases etc.)
2. http://successfulacademic.typepad.com/ writing
blog, tips
3. Writing for academic journals / Rowena Murray
4. IDRC
http://www.idrc.ca/IMAGES/books/WFC_English/
WFC_English//sitemap.html
5. Freewriting: Elbow, P. (1973) Writing without
teachers. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Student Learning Development
Thank you for your time
Visit our website at:
http://student-learning.tcd.ie