Writing and Getting Published:
An Arts Perspective
Dr Laura Swift
The Open University
Overview of session
• What makes good academic writing?
• Writing the PhD thesis.
• Disseminating and publishing your research:
why, when, how?
Academic writing
Think of a piece of academic writing you
particularly admire, or have enjoyed.
What did you like about it?
What made it better than other articles / books
you have read?
Academic writing?
What are the issues for new PhD students
beginning to write as scholars?
What is a PhD?
Can you describe your ‘core idea’?
Writing your PhD
Should I be getting published?
• Career reasons?
• Feedback
• Working on aspect of argument to publication
standard
When and where to publish?
• Peer-reviewed journals?
• Edited volumes?
A process of publication
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Identify idea
Give a paper
Redraft
Send article to supervisor(s), other colleagues
Redraft
Identify suitable journal and send article
Redraft following peer-review
Conferences/seminars
Integral to process of publication
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Graduate or ‘work in progress’ seminars
Graduate conferences
Advertised conferences (call for papers)
Specialist networks in your field
Big discipline-wide conferences
Journals and edited volumes
• Pros and cons of each
• Tips for making the process efficient
Other ‘traditional’ routes to
dissemination
• Book reviews
• Organise a conference and edit the
proceedings
What are your short-to-medium term
aspirations for disseminating your work?
Non-traditional methods of
dissemination
• Blogs
• Social media
• Public engagement activities
Examples of public engagement
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Events with local voluntary groups
Cafe scientifique
Work with museums, galleries, theatres
Involvement in local arts or cultural festivals
OU-specific resources (Platform, Sesame,
departmental magazines, etc).
NB importance of “impact” = availability of
funding towards this kind of work