Slides from a one-day workshop facilitated by Helen Fallon for librarians who wish to write for publication on Wednesday 26th June 2013, at National University of Ireland Maynooth

2. Goals of this workshop
By the end of the course participants will
• Have drafted an article or other piece of writing
• Understand the mechanics of writing (including
structure and style)
• Know more about the publishing process
• Know more about increasing the visibility of their
publications
• Have developed increased confidence and
motivation to write

3. Why Publish?
• To share your practice
with others
• To increase the
impact/visibility of your
work
• To disseminate your
research findings
• To explore topics of
interest
• To add to the existing
body of knowledge and
create new knowledge
• To gain recognition and
establish a track record in
a particular field -
credibility/expertise
• To enhance your
curriculum vitae
• To market the
Library/demonstrate
value
• To express yourself in a
creative way/personal
satisfaction

4. Mapping

5. Sources for writing
• Research/thesis
• A particular project
• Your practice/everyday work
• Topic that interests you
• Other
• Consider whether you want to collaborate (principal
author)

6. Different Types of Publications
• Newsletter
• Professional magazine
• Popular Magazine
• Academic (peer-
reviewed) Journal
• Hybrid Journal
• Poster
• Book Review
• Book Chapter
• Book (single author)
• Book (edited collection)
• Other opportunities –
conference
presentation, radio
broadcast, television,
social media

7. Professional Magazines
• Weekly/monthly/
Quarterly
• Frequently A4
• Increasingly electronic
• Editor’s role
• Specialist not scholarly
• Tone – first or third
person
• Professional (practice) –
• Lead in time
• Further reading
• Large audience

8. Identifying Professional Journals
• LIS Professional and Trade Publications
• http://slisapps.sjsu.edu/wikis/faculty/putnam/index.php/LIS_
Publications_Wiki
Primarily professional but some peer-reviewed titles
North American focus
Other titles – SCONUL Focus
http://www.sconul.ac.uk/page/sconul-focus
CILIP Update
An Leabharlann

9. Academic Journals
• Monthly/Quarterly/
Biannually/Annually
• Learned Society,
Academic Publisher,
University
• Peer-reviewed
(refereed)
• Hybrid – some content
peer reviewed
• Literature review
• Present results of
research
• References and
footnotes
• Tone - formal
• Lead-in time
• Specialised readership
• Assigned impact factor

10. Identifying Scholarly Journals
• LIS Scholarly Journals
http://slisapps.sjsu.edu/wikis/faculty/putnam/index.
php/LIS_scholarly_journals
• Do a database search on your topic to see where else
articles on this topic have been published
• Check Journal Citation Reports for journals in
information science
• Don’t confine yourself to librarianship – AISHE-J, The
Adult Learner etc.
• Ask colleagues in the Library and beyond

11. Practice-based article
• Based primarily on experience
• Give some background
• Describe what happened
• What was the impact
• Reflection – what worked, what didn’t work so well,
what could be done to improve it
• Conclusion
• (who, what, when, where, why, how)

12. Structure of practice-based article
• Introduction
• Background/Context
• Case Study
• Results/Reflection
• Conclusion
• Possibly some references

13. Journal analysis
 Who is the publisher?
 Who is the editor/on the
editorial board?
 Is the journal national or
international?
 What do the guidelines
for contributions
stipulate?
 Is some or all of the
content peer-reviewed?
 How many issues are
there per year and how
many of these are
themed?
 What types of material
are published?
 Are articles illustrated?
 How many references do
typical papers include?
 How long is the average
article?

14. Drafting a query e-mail
• Before writing/submitting
• Editor
• Single sentences
– I am writing an article on…
– My experience is this area…
– I think that readers of your journal would be
interested in… because…

15. Research-based article
• Abstract (informative or structured)
• Introduction
• Background/Context
• Literature Review
• Methodolgy
• Results/Analysis
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References

16. Outlining
• Order ideas
• Sift & eliminate ideas
• Contextualise/Give
framework
• View structure at a
glance
• Can work on different
sections – writing is not
a linear process
• Makes the process
manageable
The reason many aspiring authors fail
is that they throw themselves
immediately into the activity of
writing without realizing it is the
forethought, analysis and preparation
that determine the quality of the
finished product
Day, A. (2007) How to Get Research
Published in Journals. Burlington, VT.:
Ashgate. P. 9

17. Outlining/Structuring
• There are different ways to structure articles
• Study the structure of articles in your target
journal
• Read first for story then for structure
• Model articles on other articles that work well
(template)
• Different structures can achieve the same results
ways
• Be aware of your audience

18. Outlining
Murray, R. (2005) Writing for Academic Journals. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill/Open
University Press, p. 9
Context/Background
Literature review
Method/approach
Results/Analysis
Discussion
Conclusion
Topic 1 – 250 words
Topic 2 – 250 words
Topic 3- 250 words
Introduction

19. Title
• Stimulate reader’s interest
• Working title/final title
• Attract and inform the reader
• Stand out
• Be accurate
• Facilitate indexing and retrieval
For more on titles consult
Hartley, J. (2008) Academic Writing and Publishing: A practical handbook. London:
Routledge, p. 23-27

20. Abstract
• Generally only required with a peer-reviewed article
• Two types – informative and structured
• Synopsis
• Details essence (not the same as introduction)
• Length determined by journal
• Generally around 100 words

21. Informative Abstract
7/16/2013 21
By surveying reference practitioners on their
perceptions of chat reference training, this
study presents effective training techniques
that could enhance the professional
preparation for chat reference personnel.
Results indicate that the most effective
training techniques involve hands-on practice
among trainees and easy access...

22. Structured Abstract
7/16/2013 22
• Purpose
• This article explores the benefits of a writing support programme in developing the skills and motivation
of librarians to write for academic publication.
• Design/methodology/approach
• A brief review of the literature is presented. The model developed and implemented by this author is
outlined. Findings from a survey of participants are discussed.
• Research limitations/implications
• The formal programme commenced in 2007. The publication process takes time, particularly in the case of
peer-reviewed journals. This is exploratory work. It will take time to build up a body of information and a
community of librarians writing for publication. Initial evidence indicates there is significant value to the
programme.
• Practical implications
• The model is transferable and could help in building skills and confidence in academic writing. In addition
academic writing could serve as a bridge between lecturing and library staff, addressing issues of common
concern across the academy.
• Originality/value
• This is the first formal writing support programme for librarians in Irish universities. Models exist in the US.
A similar model is used in the UK and Ireland to support lecturing staff writing for publication.
• Paper Type
• Case Study
• Keywords
• Librarians, publication, academic writing, writing intervention

23. Keywords
• Indexing terms
• The way your article will be retrieved by
databases/search engines etc.
• Avoid unnecessary prepositions especially in and of -
use library marketing rather than marketing of library
• What terms do you use to do searches on this topic?

24. Introduction
• Introduces the
substantive content of
the paper/the research
question
• Sets the scene
• States the purpose
• States the scope
• States how issue is
addressed
• Usually starts from the
general and progresses
to the specific
• Generally quite brief -
no more that a sixth of
the total article length
• May include
context/background or
this may follow
introduction

25. Literature review
• Tells what others have
found on the topic
• Provides a context from
which to illustrate how
the work documented in
the rest of the paper
extends or advances
understanding and
knowledge
• Demonstrates that the
author is familiar with
thinking on a topic and
understands where their
work fits
• Highly selective and
specific, referring to
other pieces of work
most relevant to the
argument being made
• Link your findings and
conclusions back to the
literature review

26. Methodology & analysis/outcomes/results
• Methodology tells how the research was carried out
• The analysis states the findings and how they are
being interpreted
• Where required it should supplement the argument
made with evidence e.g. statistics, tables, charts,
maps, or quotes

27. Discussion & Conclusion
• Summarises rationale and findings
• Reaffirming how the research advances
understanding and knowledge
• Brings key points together
• Outlines how future studies could build on
and extend the research and argument
reported
• Try to link with introduction

28. References
Follow journal guidelines
Complete
Accurate

29. On Writing
If you’re clear in your mind about what you are going
to paint, there is no point in painting it (Picasso)
I have to start to write to have ideas (Françoise Sagan)
Writing is a process of discovery. Sometimes you don't
know what you know. You may know it but have no idea
how it fits together (Alice Walker)
7/16/2013 29

30. Writing
• To begin writing you
have to begin writing
• Writing generates ideas
• Don’t look for
perfection, just write
• Give yourself
permission to write
badly
• All writing is rewriting
I just put down any sort of rubbish,” a
celebrated critic once remarked about
his first attempts. And putting down
rubbish is good advice…the truth is
that once a sentence is lying on the
page, it is often shatteringly clear
what is right and what is wrong with
it. Put it down, and go on putting
more of it down. Everything can be
mended later
Watson, George (1987) Writing a thesis: a
guide to long essays and dissertations.
London: Longman, p. 39

31. Writing
• Can start at any point, but generally not conclusion
• Scientists often write the results section first
• Write in sentences
• Structure and Narrative
• Storytelling
• Tone (verbs, tense, first or third person)
• Sentences
• Logical movement from sentence to sentence
• Paragraphs

32. Writing
• Signposts
Headings & subheadings (official)
Endings of sections that hark back to what went
before, announce what comes next (unofficial)
• House style (journal style)
• Transitions
• Movement, coherence, clarity

33. Writing as Storytelling
• Writing as storytelling
• Beginning, middle and end (not necessarily in that
order)
• What makes a story interesting?
• A story has a theme
• A story has movement
• A story has a flow
• Something happens/changes
• Perhaps try to write your piece from start to finish
before beginning editing

34. Drafting and Redrafting
• All writing is rewriting
• Draft and redraft
• Number, date and save drafts
• Refer back to your abstract
• Ask a critical colleague to read
• Revise title, abstract & article
• Check references against journal guidelines

35. Drafting and Redrafting
• When finished put aside for a period then
reread
• Spell check
• Date and File preprint
• Let go
• If you have already sent a query e-mail to the
editor refer to that in your submission

36. Submission
• Professional Journal – editor
• Academic Journal – peer-review
• Usually double blind peer review
– Accept as is
– Accept with revisions
– Revise and resubmit
– Reject
Note: some content in academic journals may not be peer
reviewed e.g. book reviews, editorial content, some case
studies

37. Peer review
• Reply to editor indicating what you are going to do
• Make changes as quickly as possible
• Reread
• Resubmit outlining what you have done
• If you don’t take particular suggestions on board
explain why
• Keep postprint

38. Why editors reject manuscripts
• Author guidelines not followed
• Not thorough (little substance)
• Bad writing (lack of clarity and style) and/or
grammatical errors
• Subject of little/no interest to readers
• Poor statistics, tables, figures
• Subject or data out of date
• Unprofessional appearance
• Title
• Too simple – reporting
• Written at the wrong level

39. Writing for a themed issue of a journal or
edited collection
• Papers on a related topic
• Audience
• Guest Editor
• Invited contributors or call for contributors
• Brief
• Deadline

40. Publicising Your Work
Deposit in Institutional Repository
Policy available at www.sherpa.ac.uk
Set up slideshare account for presentations
www.slideshare.net
Create a profile using google scholar
http://scholar.google.co.uk/intl/en/scholar/ci
tations.html

41. Profile
• Create a Mendeley Profile
• http://www.mendeley.com/
• Create a profile on Academia.edu
• Publish in open access journals
• Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter

42. Moving on with your writing
• Write
• Describe, reflect and
evaluate
• Talk/Network
• Notebook
• Data
• Collaborate
• Be strategic – Have a
plan
• Cite key people
• Set realistic goals
• Give and look for peer
support
• Consider everything you
do as potential material
for a
presentation/paper

43. Bibliography on Academic Writing
Available at
http://www.academicwritinglibrarian.blogspot.ie/p/further-resources.html