WRITING FOR
PUBLICATION
Thomas Baker
Writing for Publication
Thomas Baker
Colegio del Verbo Divino
profesorbaker@gmail.com
“...even in one’s native
language, academic writing
can be a formidable
undertaking.”
Bartholomae, D. (1986) Inventing the university. Journal of basic writing.
5, 4-23.
Outline
Why Should We Write?
The Writing Process.
The Publication Process.
Dealing with Rejection.
Q & A Session.
Conclusion.
WHY SHOULD WE
WRITE FOR
PUBLICATION?
Why should I write?
 Make contributions to the field.
 Expected / required.
 CV / Resume.
 Advancement.
 Enjoyment.
 Skill you have.
 Asked to do so.
Six Myths That Haunt Writers
Henson, K. T. (1995) The art of writing for publication.
Needham Heights: Allyn and Bacon.
 I am not sure I have what it takes.
 I don’t have time to write.
 I don’t have anything to write about.
 The editor will reject my work because
my name is not familiar to them.
 My vocabulary and writing
skills are too limited.
 In my field there are few
opportunities to publish.
Types of
Articles
Literature reviews
Experiential
Data-based research
Action Research
Theoretical
Case Study
Some Questions to Ask
when Choosing a Journal...
 Number of readers?
 Refereed?
 Themed Issues?
 Research?
 Rejection rate?
 Weeks for decision?
 Months required for
publication?
 Style?
 Electronic submission?
HOW MANY EDUCATION
JOURNALS ARE THERE?
 Answer: 7930
 How many are refereed?
 Answer: 1298 (16%)
 Corby, K. (2007) Technology and quality in
educational scholarly communication.
(Table 2, pg. 3)
 Paper presented at the Society for
Information Technology in Teacher
Education Conference (San Antonio, Texas,
Mar, 2007).
20 ELT-RELEVANT: JOURNALS
& NEWSLETTERS
The Writing Process
Questionnaire:
Aspect of writing most challenging (choose 3)
Searching for relevant information using academic
databases or journals
Paraphrasing from reading materials
Writing in an academic style
Structuring your written work
Using references and quotes in your written work
Presenting research results
Using correct grammar, vocabulary, spelling and
punctuation
Other
THE WRITING PROCESS
(for me)
PREWRITING
 DRAFTING
 REVISING

PREWRITING
 Topic / Audience / Purpose
 Brainstorming / Freewriting
 Outlining / Listing / Organizing
 Questioning
 Concept map
DRAFTING
 What works best for you?
 Do you have to write to see what you
think or do you write in your head?
 Do you need to wait until you are “ready”
and then write a “clean” draft or do you
write multiple drafts?
REVISING
 Meaning: Evaluate claims & evidence.
 Purpose: Evaluate audience.
 Organization: Evaluate order / logic.
 Style: Word choice / tone / syntax.
 Clarity: Look for wordiness/ambiguity.
 Coherence: Connectors used correctly.
Transitions between paragraphs.
 Mechanics:
Spelling/grammar/punctuation.
 Read the paper out loud.
PROFESSOR JOHN SWALES’
“CARS” MODEL (1990)
Create A Research Space
 1. Establish the significance and
centrality of the research area.
 2. Selectively summarize previous
research.
 3. Establish the need for their own
study. (The “gap” statement)
 4. Suggest that their own study will
rectify the problem.
 http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/
Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. Cambridge: CUP.
Parts of a Research Article:
IMRAD
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 Conclusion
 References
 Appendixes
http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/
Tips for Writing
up your Work
 Determine the type of physical
environment you need to be productive.
 Determine the time of day when you write
best, and the length of time needed.
 “Talk” your way through. Describe to
yourself or to others what you intend to
write.
 Before stopping, list what you intend to
do during the next writing session.
Tips,
(cont.)
 Set aside what you have written and reread
after some time has gone by (days).
 Don’t get bogged down in the technical
aspects of writing such as spelling and
grammar; these can be corrected later.
 Expect there will be times when conditions
are perfect, but you still cannot write: do
something else and try again later.
For More Engaging
Writing...
 Narrative of some personal experience.
 Open or close with a quotation / poetry.
 Use humor (appropriately).
 Begin with a controversial or debatable
statement.
 Use metaphors (implied comparisons).
The Publication
Process
The Publication Process
 Manuscript is submitted according to “author” or
“submission” guidelines.
 The editors may do a “pre-screening” for
appropriateness of the ms. for the journal.
 Ms. is sent out for review to 2 or 3 reviewers; the
review is “blind” in that the author does not know
who is reviewing the ms., nor do the reviewers
know who the author is.
 Reviewers return review to the editors who then
make a final judgment on its status.
Publication Process
(cont.)
 Author is notified with a cover letter from
the editors and comments from reviewers.
 An “accepted” decision almost always
requires some revisions.
 Author makes revisions and returns ms. to
the editors with a cover letter saying what
revisions were done.
 Author receives page proofs for editing.
_______________________
Increasing your Chances
 Present your work at a conference or workshop for
feedback before writing the article.
 Ask colleagues to read a draft of your article.
 Develop a writing/reading group to help each
other.
 Make a careful selection of the journal before you
write the article.
 Follow “author” or “submission” guidelines and
format according to the journal.
 Submit to one journal at a time. After 3 months
check on the “status” of your manuscript.
DEALING WITH
REJECTION
REVISE & RESUBMIT
This is not rejection!!!
 Articles are very rarely
accepted for publication
without revision.

PERSISTENCE
 “... authorial persistence, that is,
willingness to continue revising
and resubmitting when faced with
extensive critical commentary
from reviewers, can result in
publication.”
 Belcher, D. (2007) Seeking acceptance
in an English-only research world.
Journal of second language writing.
(16) 1-22.
_________________
_______________
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/13/4b/dd.pdf
6 Common Reasons for
Rejection of a Manuscript
 Lack of a theoretical framework.
 Tries to do too much, cover too many topics.
 Focus of ms. is unclear and/or inconsistent.
 Implications not explicit.
 No support for claims made.
 Ms. sent to wrong journal.
Plagiarism: What is it?
Plagiarism is defined as
presenting someone else’s
work, from any source
whatsoever, as your own.
www.ljmu.ac.uk/StudentServices/69038.htm
Plagiarism: How is it
detected?
 Knowledge of the discipline and
its literature.
 Changes in writing style,
inappropriate writing style.
 Electronically using “Turnitin”.
 Electronically using: “Google”.
WRITING TIPS
 The Art of Writing by Robert Louis Stevenson
http://www.mckinley.k12.hi.us/ebooks/pdf/artow10
 “Still the less they understand,
 The more they admire the sleight-of-hand...”
Advice from
Ray Bradbury
 Zen In The Art of Writing
by Ray Bradbury
 “Not to write, for many of
us, is to die.”
 “You must stay drunk on
writing...”
 “Zest. Gusto.”
 http://raybradbury.ru/stuff/zen_in_
the_art_of_writing.pdf
CONCLUSION:
Successful Writing
 Writing is hard work:
– Self discipline
– Self denial
– Rejection is high
 “Writing is hard work, even to those
for those who enjoy it.”

Henson, K. T. (1991, pg. 9) Writing for successful publication. ERIC Clearinghouse on reading and communication skills. Bloomington:
Indiana. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/23/16/73.pdf
A Final Thought
Successful
Writing...
is not easy,
but....
You Can Do It!