Writing for Publication Workshop
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Transcript of Writing for Publication Workshop
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Writing for Publication
WorkshopDr Rowena MurrayUniversity of
Strathclyder.e.g.murray@stra
th.ac.uk
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Two types of approaches to writing
1. Targeting journals, analysing journals, dialogue with editors and published writers, ‘callibrating’ your writing, dealing with reviewers’ feedback
2. Writing to prompts, freewriting, generative writing
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Writing for publication: principles
Using tried & tested strategiesDiscussion: rehearsing arguments‘Pre-peer review’ on writing-in-progress
Writing/revising time -- increasing
Analysing published writingDeveloping paper/chapter @ meetings
‘Binge’ and ‘snack’ writing
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Workshop format
Presentations: principles and rationales
Writing activitiesPeer & group discussion, plenary
Peer reviewAnalysing published writingWriting time: options …Goal-setting for writing
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Writing to prompts
What writing [for publication] have you done, and what would you like to do [in the long, medium and short term]?
5 minutes’ writingIn sentencesPrivate writing -- no one will read it
To be discussed in pairs/groups
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Prompts to make a paper’s ‘contribution’ explicit
• This research shows/reveals/confirms …
• This is a contribution in the sense that …
• This is a contribution to the extent that …
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Prompts for internalising the debate
•Some will argue that …•One interpretation could be …
•However, this could be taken as …
•This is not to say that …•Possible interpretations include …
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Prompts from journals: openers
‘During the last two decades the higher education system in the UK has moved from an élite to a mass orientation, while academic careers have become less secure and more demanding, and a greater accountability has been imposed upon the system.’
(Blaxter et al, 1998)
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Prompts from journals: contributions
‘The future development of these, and other, areas of writing on academic careers, is considered’(Blaxter et al, 1998).
‘… suggests an alternative to traditional … programs …’ (Boice, 1987).
‘These findings suggest that short writing courses can be of benefit … but that such courses should focus directly on … (Torrance et al, 1993).
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Active verbs for discussing ideas
Informs, reviews, argues, states, synthesises, claims, answers, explains, reconsiders, provides, maintains, outlines, supports, compares, lists, acknowledges, confirms, analyses, disputes, concludes, reveals, implies, reminds, suggests, considers, highlights, refutes, assembles, shows, adds, clarifies, identifies (Ballenger, 2009)
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Prompts for generating text
Warm up prompts, e.g. 5 minutes taking stock and goal-setting.
Generic prompts, e.g. ‘The purpose of this paper is to … This suggests that …’
Journal prompts, e.g. …? Questions, e.g. ‘What do I want to write?’
In outlines, i.e. as well as headings.
Revision prompts, e.g. ‘Define other approaches’.
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Notes on prompts
Use both formal and informal Try question and fragment forms Use 1st person (i.e. ‘I’ and ‘we’) Use verbs -- they make purposes explicit Use prompts for taking stock & setting new
goals As a warm up for writing To engage with/solve writing problems To build your confidence To vent emotions and/or analyse problems
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Preparing to write
Decide on specific writing project
Choose target journalEmail journal editor about your paper’s topic, contribution and appropriateness of your paper for that journal
Collect information about journalSelect sample paper from the journal
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Freewriting
Write for 5 minutes In sentences Without stopping Private writing -- no one will read it
Write about about the subject of your paper and/or about your target journal
Brainstorm in sentences Structure and coherence not required Explore many angles, do ‘open’ writing
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Generative writing
Same routine as freewritingBut more focused, more ‘closed’
Write about the verbs for your paper and/or for sections of your paper
Or use your freewriting as your focus
To be read by one other person in the group
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Free- and generative writingin writing for publication
To get started To explore possibilities To silence the ‘internal editor’ temporarily
To develop confidence To develop fluency To work out a complex argument To do rough drafting
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Pros & cons
‘Freewheelers’ like it; ‘structurers’ don’t.
It’s probably good to use both types of writing strategy.
You need to try it for a while to see whether it has benefit for your writing process.
It may be important to ‘write about your writing’ for some of the time.
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References
FreewritingElbow, P. (1973) Writing without teachers. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Generative writingBoice, R. (1990) Professors as writers: A self-help guide to productive writing. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.
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Brown’s 8 questions
To draft an abstractNot just for experimental workSet word limitsUsing generic structureGenerating text you can work on later
Write abstract first, revise it as you go
Construct/see the whole argument
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Brown’s 8 questions
1. Who are intended readers? (3-5 names)
2. What did you do? (50 words)3. Why did you do it? (50 words)4. What happened? (50 words)5. What do results mean in theory? (50
words)6. What do results mean in practice?
(50 words)7. What is the key benefit for readers
(25 words)8. What remains unresolved? (no word
limit)
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Outlining
3 levels of outliningAligning your outline with your abstract
Aligning your outline with target journal
Peer feedbackWriting your outline in sentences
Goal-setting for writing
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Level 1 outlining
Main headings = ‘broad brushstroke’
Easy to align with type of heading used in target journal
Checks coherence of your argument
Imposes word limit appropriate for your work and the target journal
Using key words of your topic
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Level 2 outlining
Sub-headings -- as promptsAs in your target journalBreak your main heading into parts
This helps you decide on contentMay help if you write in sentences: e.g. The purpose of this section is to …
Set word limits for sections and sub-sections.
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Level 3 outlining
Makes you really decide on content
Lets you check if it’s all neededCheck your sub-sub-headings ‘add up to’ your headings and draft abstract
Set word limitsWrite about content in sentencesRevise as you go along
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Signposting
Make explicit connections in advance ‘Forecast’ structure of your paper Say how sections link Define and justify proportions of your paper Link to your defined research question/gap Give readers a route through your paper Establish key terms for your paper
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Signalling
Make links explicit, as you go along Use link words at the start of section,
paragraphs and sentences Refer forwards and back in your paper Make the development of your argument from
section to section explicit Say what you are doing at each stage Repeat your key terms
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A combined strategy
Use both structuring and ‘freewheeling’.
Recognise your preference and use different strategies for different purposes.
Use a detailed outline to plan increments for your writing.
Defining writing tasks first -- may make it easier to find time for them.
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Common reasons why papers are rejected
• Study did not examine important issue.• Study not original; similar one already done.• Study did not test author’s hypothesis.• Different type of study should have been done.• Practical difficulties led authors to
compromise on original design.Greenhaulgh (2006)
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Common reasons why papers are rejected
• Sample size too small.• Study was uncontrolled or inadequately
controlled.• Statistical analysis incorrect or inappropriate.• Unjustified conclusions drawn from data.• Conflict of interest, e.g. financial gain from
publication, lack of safeguard against bias.• So badly written it is incomprehensible.
Greenhaulgh (2006)
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What do reviewers say?
Comment on your methodologyCritique of your conceptual framework
Challenging link between research aims & methods or data & conclusions
Gaps in your lit review/referencesDisagreeing with your use of termsQuestioning assertion of contribution
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Reviewer 1
My impression of the paper by Dr R Murray entitled … is very negative. A short, 2-printed-page statement would be useful as an invitation for discussion. The authors make many superficial statements, often clearly not based on any direct experience of curricular developments. I am convinced that our journal would not benefit from such a lengthy manuscript whose content is very limited.
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Reviewer 2
Cet article aborde la question de l’interactivité dans l’enseignement. C’est un problème important et l’exposé est très intéressant. Même si on n’y trouve pas d’éléments nouveaux ni de recette miracle, il me semble que le problème est bien posé et les considerations énumerées me semblent constituer un bon point de la situation. Ainsi par exemple, je trouve que pour organiser un débat sur la question, la lecture préalable de ce texte constituerait un excéllent point …
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Reviewer 2 continues …
… Moyennant ces quelques remarques, je crois que, par sa bonne synthèse d’une importante problematique, cet article mériterait une publication dans l’EJEE.
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The Editor decides
Two experts of the Editorial Board of the EJEE examined your paper … One of them is very opposed to the publication of your paper in its present form. Another one considers your paper interesting but claims for a re-writing of the document. You will see, attached, their comments…. Here are the most important points to take into account:
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The Editor lists the‘most important points’
• try to introduce the problem of interactivity within the title of the paper;
• avoid superficial statements not consolidated by some results of concrete experiences;
• try to reduce the length of the paper, limiting your text to the main points to be discussed;
• please avoid, in the form of the text, the use of discussions between people.
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The authors’ response
Thank you for your feedback on our paper … which we have found very useful (as suggested, we will change the title). We are revising the paper now and will resubmit later this month, or, at the latest, early next month. If there is a particular deadline that you would like us to meet can you let me know now? Thanks.
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Dealing with reviewers’ feedback
If it’s not rejected, revise and resubmit ASAP.
If it is rejected, revise, target another journal and submit ASAP.
Expect positives and negatives in reviews.
Analyse: what do they want you to do? Ignore emotive, ‘overheated’ language.
List your revision actions: e.g. cut, add, reduce, expand, make more explicit.
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Strategies for the long term
Writer’s group: inter-disciplinary, meeting twice a month, for 90 mins., with a facilitator, to progress projects
Writer’s retreat: off-campus, residential, all work in one room/not, non-surveillance, no email/internet, with peer discussions of work-in-progress
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Your next steps?
Define specific writing goal? Date? Define sub-goals for achieving that. Dates?
Set date to review these goals. Form/join a writer’s group or writer’s retreat?
Analyse articles in your target journal?
Find peer reviewers? Identify series of writing tasks? Submission date?
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References
Ballenger, B. (2009) The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers, 6th edition. NewYork: Pearson Longman.
Gilbert, N. (Ed.) (2006) From Postgraduate to Social Scientist: A Guide to Key Skills. London: Sage. See Chapter 9: ‘Writing articles, books and presentations’.
Greenhaulgh, T. (2006) How to Read a Paper: The Basics of Evidence Based Medicine, 3rd edition. London: BMJ.
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References
Murray, R (2009) Writing for Academic Journals, 2nd edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press-McGraw-Hill.
Murray, R & Moore, S (2006) The Handbook of Academic Writing: A Fresh Approach. Maidenhead: Open University Press-McGraw-Hill.
Murray, R & Newton, M (2009) Writing retreat as structured intervention: margin or mainstream?, Higher Education Research and Development, 28(5): 527-539.
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References
Murray, R, Thow, M, Moore, S & Murphy, M (2008) The writing consultation: Developing academic writing practices, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 32(2): 119-128.