THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
presents a workshop
SOCIOLOGICAL JOURNAL WRITING: AN EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
Publication in refereed journals is one of the key ways that sociological knowledge is disseminated and
publishing in these outlets is a key for a successful sociological career. As a former editor/co-editor of two
major sociology journals (and a person who is about to be named as the new editor of a specialty journal in
our discipline), I have some insight into how this process works. In a brief presentation, I will explain how
the editorial processes worked, first at Contemporary Sociology (the American Sociological Association
sponsored book review journal) and then at Social Problems (the flagship research journal of the Society for
the Study of Social Problems). Since the latter is a refereed research outlet, I’ll focus more on that process
and discuss how editorial decisions are made to review manuscripts, select referees, allow authors to “revise
and resubmit,” and, finally, to accept a paper for publication. When is the right time to send a manuscript to a
journal? What are some key elements to consider when you are in final manuscript preparation? How does
one prepare a manuscript for resubmission? How important is the cover letter or letter explaining your
revisions? What are the expectations for manuscript reviewers? In this presentation, I will try to outline
some things that authors should do – and some other things that they may want to avoid – to increase the
chances that their work will be published, as well as discuss what responsibilities all of us have as responsible
scholars who participate in the evaluation process. Please come with questions!
by
Prof. David A. Smith
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Room 1118, K.K. Leung Building
The University of Hong Kong
ALL ARE WELCOME
Prof. David A. Smith is a Professor of Sociology and Planning, Policy and Design at the University of
California at Irvine. He is the former Editor of SOCIAL PROBLEMS and Co-Editor of CONTEMPORARY
SOCIOLOGY. His research focuses on world cities, comparative urbanization and development (with an
emphasis on East Asia), international networks of travel and trade, and global political economy; he is author
of THIRD WORLD CITIES IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE, editor/co-editor of several other books, and has
published many articles in top sociology and urban studies journals.