Writing for Academic Publication

www.maynoothuniversity.ie/library

Writing for
Academic
Publication
Helen Fallon
Deputy Librarian,
Maynooth University
Helen.b.fallon@mu.ie
@helenfallon

Learning Outcomes
• Increased confidence and motivation to write
• Learn how to structure a piece of writing
• Develop writing and editing skills
• Understand the peer-review process and the difference
between peer-reviewed and professional publications
• Better knowledge of how to write publishable articles
• Piece of writing advanced

Task 1 - Introductions
Write for five minutes, in sentences not bullets,
using one of the following prompts
• I am interested in writing about…
• An area of my experience which
I would like to write about is…
• A really interesting project that
I think people would be interested
in reading about is…
• I feel at my most creative
when I’m writing about…

What can you write about?
• Your practice/everyday work/a
project you were involved with
• Your research/thesis
• Topic that interests you/topic you
know a bit about
• Other – book you read,
conference you attended, course
you undertook etc.
• Consider what information you
have
• Consider what topics are popular
Literature
review
Statistics
Survey
Quotes
Feedback
forms
Photos
Reflective
journal

Where can you Publish?
• This depends on your audience and purpose
• Books and book chapters are usually commissioned
(template)
• Journals are generally not, although some articles may be
invited – do the key journals in your area have a twitter
handle?
• Peer-reviewed journals/academic journals
• Blog post
• Conference papers
• Professional journals
• Popular media including radio

Professional Journals
Practice-based Monthly /
bimonthly
500 to 2,000
words
Short lead-in
time
Editor/editorial
board make
decision

Professional Journal - Structure/Outline
Who, What, When, Where, How, Why
What Happened?
What was my role in it?
What was the outcome?
Professional journals often use case studies

Peer reviewed Journals
Academic/Scholarly
Articles
5,000 words plus
Literature review
(research context)
Quarterly/
bi-annually
Lead-in time
Peer Review
Process

Peer-reviewed journal
Title and Keywords
Abstract
Introduction
Background/Context
Literature review
Method/Approach
Results/Analysis
Discussion
Conclusion
References

Examples
Professional journals Peer reviewed journals

Layout and structure
Professional Journal Peer review journal
Title Title and keywords
Introduction Abstract – informative or structured
Background / Context Introduction
What happened? Background / context
Outcome / results Literature review
Reflection Method / Approach
Conclusion Results / analysis
Possibly some references Discussion
Often include case studies Conclusion
References

Task 2 - Defining Audience and
Purpose
• Answer the following questions in single
sentences
– Who is the audience for your writing?
– What is the purpose of your writing?

What evidence/data do you have?
• Literature review
• Library statistics
• Survey
• Blog
• Feedback
• Evaluation forms
• Quotes
• Photographs
• Reflective journal

Selecting a Journal
• Talk to your supervisor - authorship
• Look at the references in your thesis. What journals did you
use?
• Select some titles, study journal guidelines and scan past
issues
• Open Access – Directory of Open Access Journals – doaj.org
• Ascertain copyright position www.Sherpa.ac.uk
• Is it a trusted journal (predatory publishers) -
https://thinkchecksubmit.org/
• Send a query e-mail to a named person
I am writing an article on…
This is a topic I have just completed a Masters/PhD on
I think readers of your journal would be interested in this
because…

Open issue or themed issue?
• Themed issues usually have a call for
papers
• May be on a topic of particular interest
to you
• Themed issue – 500 word abstract
• Possibly higher chance of acceptance in
open issue

Titles that get noticed
• Stimulate reader’s interest
• Working title/final title
• Attract and inform the reader
• Stand out
• Be accurate
• Facilitate indexing
e.g. Self and Peer Assessment as a method of
improving quality: the Maynooth University
Library experience

Task 3 - Title and keywords
• Give your article a working title
• Allocate three keywords to help people retrieve
your article

Journal Article Abstract
• Normal in peer reviewed journals
• Details essence – tells what the article is going to do
• Length determined by journal
• Generally between 100 and 200 words – shorter than
thesis abstract
• informative or structured

Informative Abstract
This article explores the integration of a Special Collection –
the Ken Saro-Wiwa Archive -into the undergraduate
curriculum at Maynooth University (MU). Following
background information on the archive, the Development
Theories module on the BA in Community Studies is briefly
described. The rationale behind the decision to use the
archive in the module is presented; learning outcomes are
given; the content of the module is described; student
feedback is presented and the method of assessment
outlined. The article concludes with a discussion on how
Special Collections and Archives might be further integrated
into the undergraduate curriculum.

Structured Abstract
• Purpose
• Design/Methodology/Approach
• Research limitations
• Practical Implications
• Originality/Value
• Paper type
• Keywords

Verbs
• Study abstracts in your target journal. What
verbs do they use?
Addresses, argues, asks, concludes, covers,
demonstrates, describes, discusses, elucidates, enhances,
evaluates, examines, expands, explains, explores,
identifies, maps, outlines, presents, proposes, reports,
reviews, shows, suggests, summarises, surveys,
synthesizes, touches on

Task 4 - Writing an Abstract
• Write an abstract for your article using one of the
following models
– Informative
– Structured

Outlining/Structuring
• Work from an outline –
model your article on an
article in your target
journal that works well
• View structure at a glance
• Order ideas/ Sift &
eliminate ideas
• Contextualise/Give
framework
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

Narrative/Story
• 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
• Try not to edit, just write
• No new stories/just new angles

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

Task 5 - Outlining
• Draw up an outline for an article for a professional
journal and begin each section with “This section will
cover…”
OR
Draw up an outline for a peer-reviewed journal article
and begin each section with “This section will cover…”
OR
Write your article as a story with a beginning, middle
and end in no more than 500 words

Headings and subheadings
• Act as signposts
• Break up text
• Make the structure clearer
• Allow the reader see at a glance the main themes of the
paper
• Help organise ideas
• Help readers anticipate key points and track the
development of the article

Paragraphs
• A new paragraph signals a move from one clear idea to
another or change of direction
• Should relate logically to the previous paragraph and
relate to the overall theme of the text
• The first sentence or two usually present the topic or
theme and the following sentences expand on this
• Short paragraphs, surrounded by white space, can be
very effective in keeping attention and creating a visually
attractive manuscript

Language
• Short sentences
• Use positive rather than negative constructions
– The lecturer did not believe the test was harmful
– The lecturer believed the test was safe
– Did not remember/Forgot
• Use concise language
– A majority of/most
– Due to the fact that/because
– Gave rise to/caused

Writing
• Put a fence around your writing – what you
leave out is as important as what you put in
• Have one main theme
• Always write with the publication/outlet in mind
• Look at articles in the journal/blog etc
• If an article works well, try to work out why it
works well, is it the content? is it the structure?
Is it the style of writing?

Writing
• Don’t look for perfection, just write - Give
yourself permission to write badly
• All writing is rewriting
• Read aloud
• Put aside for a week then reread
• Spell check

Task 6 - section
• Write a section of your article
• You can start at any point - generally not the
conclusion
• Scientists often start with results – could start
with case study
• Background/Context often a good starting point

Editing
• Cut unnecessary words and phrases
• Delete repetitive words
• Delete unnecessary adjectives e.g.helpful
tips, terrible tragedy
• Delete unnecessary adverbs e.g. very,
really, quite, basically, generally

Editing
• Date and save drafts
• When finished put aside for a period then
reread
• Date and File preprint
• Let Go! (80%)
• If you have already sent a query e-mail to
the editor refer to that in your submission

Peer Review
• Double Blind
• Accept as is
• Accept with minor changes
• Accept with major changes (revise and resubmit)
• Reject
• If rejected, need to reconsider and possibly rewrite
to some degree to match new journal
style/guidelines for authors (citation styles)

Responding to Peer Review
• Do not despair!
• Acknowledge receipt
• Go systematically through
suggested changes
• Make changes where feasible
• Reread complete article
• Resubmit explaining changes you have
made and explaining why you have not
acted on certain suggestions

After Publication
• Check Sherpa for journal guidelines on
depositing in an institutional repository
http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/
• Accepted Manuscript Online (AMO)
• Free downloads (50 T&F)
• Social media - Tweet link to your
article/create link in your e-mail
signature
• Altmetrics
• Can you develop this topic further?
• Celebrate success

Moving on with your writing!
• Set goals and devote some time to writing
• Write from your practice but situate in context of
literature
• Read (Different angles?)
• Collect potentially useful data
• Notebook/Journal – ‘Snack & Sandwich Writing’
• Collaborate (first author etc.)
• Give and look for peer support
• Keep writing!

Conference Papers
• Call for abstracts – social media
• Follow submission guidelines
• Audience/Purpose
• Title must reflect what paper is going to do
• Title – maximum twelve words
• Opportunity to develop one or two main themes
• Visual
• Make a note of the questions people ask
• Ask for feedback on what areas people would like to see
developed
• Opportunity to write up paper
• Follow guidelines on style word count etc.

Blog Posts
• Plan your post – introduction, body, conclusion
• Audience & Purpose
• Title/Headline – functional and engaging
• Writing style “I”
• Maximise blog functionality – images, hypertext
links etc – to enhance your post
• Check copyright on images and credit images
• Use your blog post to describe your publication
• Create link to your publication in your blog post

Books & Articles
• Day, Abby (2017) How to get research published in journals. 2nd
ed. Gower.
• Fallon, H. (2011). The Academic Writing Toolkit
http://eprints.maynoothuniversity.ie/1387/1/HFSconul20.pdf
• Kitchin, R. & Fuller, D. (2005) The Academic’s Guide to
Publishing. London: Sage
• Morris, W (2018) Superhero Writing Tips for Librarians
http://bit.ly/2zxwFIn
• Murray, R. (2006) Writing Articles, Books and Presentations IN
Gilbert, N (ed.) From Postgraduate to Social Scientist: A Guide
to Key Skills. London: Sage, p. 149-170
• Murray, R. (2009) Writing for Academic Journals. 2nd ed.
McGraw Hill/Open University
More resources on getting published including a comprehensive bibliography are
available on my blog

http://academicwritinglibrarian.blogspot.com/

Thank you!
Helen Fallon, Deputy Librarian, Maynooth University
Helen.b.fallon@mu.ie
@helenfallon
@library_MU

Writing for Academic Publication

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