Publish or Perish Inspiration, perspiration, publication Jean-Marc Dewaele Deptm of Applied Linguistics

Structure Introduction Obtaining data, analysing results Getting feedback Finding journals Submitting Revisions Establishing networks, attending conferences Moral and ethical standards

How much is enough? Under the academic adage "publish or perish," would Galileo receive tenure at the University of Pisa today? Sure, he was smart- he proved Copernicus's theory that the earth moves around the sun. But what about his publishing record? Galileo took 6 years to write his treatise, The Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems: Ptolemaic & Copernican. Church censorship, peer review, & plague caused further delays, & 3 more years passed before the book was published (not by a university press). How original was The Dialogue anyway? Was Galileo simply proving Copernicus's ideas? Donna Euben (2002) Publish or perish: The ever-higher publications hurdle for tenure. Academe

The importance of publications Academic career depends on publication list Young PhD graduate: a few publications may convince potential employer of research potential Something is better than nothing Yet, avoid publishing crap Strategic plan is useful: publish what, where, at what pace, with whom?

How to get published Is the research topic hot? Do you belong to a network of people interested in the topic? => go to conferences, talk to major researchers in the field, contact authors if paper if not easily accessible (a little flattery can help) Keep an eye on call for papers of conferences or special issues or edited books

Create your own network If you work on a novel topic: organise workshops, colloquia at international conferences Have contributors agree on submitting their papers for special issues in international refereed journals, or an edited book Plant the flag and establish your own little turf => one criterion for later promotion is whether you are recognised as a leading figure in one (sub)field

Become a “node” in networks Become a member of professional organisations Be present at their annual meetings Stand for election of executive committees Accept invitations to become member of editorial boards of journals (after regular reviewing) Accept invitations to become actively involved in the running of journals and bookseries (but don’t overdo it)

What to publish? Small research project =>pilot study MA thesis findings Critical review of literature on topic Critical analysis of popular concept “Discussion forum” TYPE? Book reviews => good way to get free books!! Research paper (typically (6000-12000 words) Short paper (research in progress) (3000-4000 words) Review paper Position paper

BEFORE WRITING The research paper starts with an intuition, a gut feeling that something original is worth investigating, and that you are the best person to do it This intuition needs to be formalised, a research design needs to be developed and the hypotheses need to be spelled out Do the literature review, collect the data, do the analysis, see to what extent it dis/confirms previous research, adds a grain of sand to the pyramid of knowledge Assemble all the data BEFORE writing the paper, rather than during the process Just start writing the data as if you were describing them to your colleagues

Co-authored or single publications? Depends on field Co-authoring with experienced researchers can be great experience Combination of specific skills of authors

Finding the right journal: Aim high or low? Quantity or quality? Aim for balance: some quick “low” level: conference proceedings, web-based journals. Invest time & energy in at least one/ a few prestigious publication/s => “if you can do one, you can do more!” Get your best work in the best journals (check them out: impact factor?) Avoid non-refereed journals (unless it’s reviews or opinion pieces for general public) Avoid volumes with low-prestige editors &/or authors, &/or publishers Avoid editors that work slowly

What to avoid in the paper Superficial literature search Don’t claim that “very little” research has been done in an area if you’re not 100% sure! => reviewers may react negatively Sloppiness in presentation of text: stick to style sheet, make sure the references are in the right format, double-check the list of references, make sure the spelling of surnames is correct Sweeping generalisations Claims that cannot be substantiated A rhetorical style that does not match that of the journal

Getting your paper accepted Keep it simple (focus on one specific theme): better to explain one idea in detail than many superficially! Announce that idea in abstract, intro & conclusion: refer to it in title Follow style, structure of papers published in journal you have in mind If more ideas or themes come to mind: split it off for future publications Think hard about title after finishing paper

Tips Good intro! 1st paragraph is crucial for catching attention of readers & for conveying the importance of the questions addressed in the paper Text can be written in either the past or present tense Past tense is OK for describing results of an experiment but use present tense for a general conclusion (be consistent). Keep sentences short. 15-20 words is about right but shorter ones can be used for impact or emphasis. Avoid complex ways of saying a simple thing

Good introductory sentences 1: The purpose of this paper is to draw on recent studies of bilingualism and emotions to argue that future models of the bilingual lexicon need to acknowledge – where relevant – not only linguistic and cognitive but also affective aspects of the lexicon. Pavlenko (2008) Emotion and emotion-laden words in the bilingual lexicon

Good introductory sentences 2: In this article I will attempt to provide an overview of recent research in crosscultura intimate relationships. Of course, such an undertaking immediately poses the question: what is a cross-cultural intimate relationship? I will focus on only one type of intimate relationship, namely romantic and sexual couple relationships with various degrees of duration, commitment and exclusivity, ranging from life-long monogamous marriage on the one hand to short-lived prostitution encounters on the other. Piller (2008) Cross-cultural communication in intimate relationships

Re-writing Be prepared to re-write ad nauseam Go through several revisions, feedback from colleagues, supervisors, native speakers (if you are not), reviewers, editors. Follow suggestions from editors Welcome useful suggestions but make sure you remain coherent & consistent Be self-critical, but not to the point of paralysis

What to do with rejected papers? Read rejection letter (or first para), take deep breath, don’t send angry impulsive emails Return to it when you’ve calmed down (couple of days?) Take criticism into account, maybe change angle of the paper, focus on strongest points, if necessary rework design & analysis Submit to another journal See it as new project Aim for a slightly less prestigious journal

Don’t put all your eggs in the same basket Work on different projects simultaneously If one “fails” it isn’t a total disaster! Have studies at different stages of completion Collaborate in other people’ projects (but don’t end up doing all the work)

Moral standards Establish a reputation of a reliable & honest researcher (always acknowledge your sources) Be prepared to give advice to those who seek advice from you Accept to review papers from journals or chapters in edited volumes Stick to deadlines Don’t be pretentious, don’t take your work too seriously Be optimistic and friendly with colleagues

Ethical standards As a reviewer, make sure your give constructive criticism together with your honest opinion Never be nasty or dogmatic If you guessed who reviewed your paper and you meet that person: don’t start talking about the paper unless the reviewer starts about it Don’t cite or use data of a paper you have been asked to review If you wish to contact the author/s, ask the editor to pass on the message

Final recommendations Research is fun! Publish and flourish! (it’s a game really) Writing up requires patience & perseverance: it is worth the effort! Nobody is perfect: everybody sweats! Be thankful of the reviewer who sends you a 10 page report with criticism & comments: that person has spent a lot of time and effort on your work (and it may be a major name, who might start referring to your work)