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Tips for success in academic publishing

Advice on how to get started, publish and thrive when sharing your research and expertise in the world of academic publishing

Whether you’re an early career researcher just starting out or an experienced professor with a high h-index, you'll be familiar with the highs and lows of academic publishing and could probably benefit from a bit of advice on how to improve your writing and publishing skills. From journal submissions to book proposals, dealing with rejection to understanding peer review, this collection provides tips and insights for use on every step of the journey from bright idea to polished output.

By Miranda Prynne, 12 May, 2022

Writing about the day job: levelling up scholarship across higher education

Image of a university tutor answering a student question during lesson

Tutors with full class schedules have little capacity for research but by focusing on the scholarship of teaching and learning, they can contribute valuable insights supported by their day job, write Russ Woodward and Tim Veal

Reading time

5minutes

Writing tips

Resources

By dene.mullen, 27 May, 2022

The ‘25 method’ for forming a writing routine when you have limited time

Timing your writing and breaking it into 25-minute chunks can be very useful for time-poor academics

Olivia Burgess shares her abbreviated form of the pomodoro method for being productive in only 25 minutes a day

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 31 May, 2022

You’re a content producer now, part one: how to write articles for a mainstream audience

How does a scholar, trained thoroughly in academic style for academic journals, enter the wider world of general publishing?

Reading time

3minutes

By dene.mullen, 11 October, 2021

If peer feedback was good enough for the Brontë sisters, it’s good enough for us

Peer to peer feedback, as used by the Bronte Sisters, is a crucial tool for improving writing skills in university students

The shift online provides new ways to harness the power of peer feedback to improve writing skills, say Sherry Wynn Perdue, Pam Bromley, Mark Limbach and Jonathan Olshock

By dene.mullen, 1 June, 2022

How to enhance your chances of serendipitous research discoveries

Serendipity plays a big part in much scientific discovery - and researchers can increase the chances of it happening

Five approaches that will help researchers prepare for and make the most of serendipitous opportunities

Reading time

4minutes

By Miranda Prynne, 11 May, 2022

Coordinating co-authors

Image showing co-authors working on a paper

Co-authoring with other researchers can result in more ambitious and exciting papers than solo endeavours but is also fraught with potential hiccups. Steven Bateman and Jie Zhang share advice on keeping collaborative work on track

Reading time

3minutes

Feedback and reviewing

Resources

By Eliza.Compton, 2 March, 2022

Understanding peer review: what it is, how it works and why it is important

Peer review is the lifeblood of good science. But understanding the process can take time, and gaining review experience can be daunting. Marc Gillett explains the key elements of this critical component of science

By Miranda Prynne, 9 March, 2022

Using literature reviews to strengthen research: tips for PhDs and supervisors

Advice on using literary reviews to create a narrative and context for new research projects

Anne Wilson explains how to develop a narrative and context for new research through your literature review, with tips for early career researchers and their supervisors

By Eliza.Compton, 31 May, 2022

Don’t worry about journal acceptance rates – and here’s why

Deciding where to submit a manuscript? A journal acceptance rate is a useful signal to prospective authors of the probability of acceptance of their manuscript – no more and no less than that

Reading time

3minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 11 May, 2022

Why does open access make publishing more complicated?

The shift towards open-access publishing can leave students and researchers confused. Here, a group of research facilitators answer the most common questions about the new publication landscape – and sum up where we stand

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 9 May, 2022

What to do when an academic journal rejects your article

Nobody likes negative feedback but rejection is not all bad. Here is how to see rejection of your article by a peer-reviewed journal as an opportunity

Reading time

3minutes

Promoting your work

Resources

By Miranda Prynne, 17 May, 2022

Tips for sharing your research and professional expertise with consumer media

Academics can offer insight based on research and professional experience that is applicable far beyond the scope of academic journals. Samuel Kim Kwong Kwok shares a guide to engaging with the mainstream consumer media

Reading time

3minutes

By dene.mullen, 31 May, 2022

How to be proactive when amplifying research papers

Amplifying your research paper can be achieved if you are ready to be proactive

Conferences might be the first thought, but there are many options for furthering your paper’s reach – and they usually require you to take the lead

Reading time

3minutes

By dene.mullen, 27 October, 2021

Researchers: fight back against your struggle with self-promotion

Megaphone shouting. Researchers at universities must overcome the struggle with self-promotion

Postdoc or professor, the self-promotion struggle is real. So, how can we promote ourselves without sounding too ‘sales-y’? Emma Williams has the answers

By Miranda Prynne, 19 May, 2022

How to get a book published outside academia

Image of a book to illustrate ways to get published beyond academia

Lexi Stadlen shares advice on how to turn your academic research into a commercially published book and reach audiences beyond academia

Reading time

3minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 7 March, 2022

Six tips for writing a successful book proposal

Man at laptop with symbols of academia, how to write a successful book proposal

An interesting concept is not enough to guarantee your book will get published. In crafting a pitch, it helps to be succinct and targeted and to show an ability to deliver

Reading time

4minutes