I want to start with a disclaimer: I have not written or submitted a paper to a journal. 

However, even though I’m at the start of my PhD journey I know it is a big achievement when you can cross this off your academic bucket list. One thing I learned far too late on my academic pathway is that you actually don’t need to be an established academic to submit a paper and get published in a journal. One of my peers, very impressively, managed to get a reviewed and extended version of their essay published as an undergraduate student! So what do you need to get your first journal article? Well, I suppose you need a good idea, a lot of patience, a great deal of courage, and good friends who can be harsh critics as well. But more tips are welcome!

What's your tip for getting your research published in a journal? *

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Remember that subchapter you drafted many moons ago? Remember that part that just wouldn’t fit with the overall line of argument? Remember thinking ‘This would be worth looking into’ when you caught up on state-of-the-art research? Remember your supervisor telling you to never overwrite a draft? This is where paper ideas come from. Well, at least these are a few examples. You don’t necessarily need to start a fresh project to submit a journal article for review and consideration. You can often find inspiration, and maybe already a paragraph or two in old drafts that have been discarded since. That being said, sometimes you need to start fresh. Some journals publish a special edition for a specific theme or the journal has generally got certain thematic requirements.

 

Finding the right journal requires a lot of research. Once you found a few that you consider thematically suitable you have to work through pages and pages of formal requirements and explanations of review processes etc. But this is all important information and you should take your time reading all of this thoroughly – at least for the first time. 

 

Some of our School of Advanced Studies Institutes also publish some works. Why not speak to your supervisor about any opportunities that might be on offer? The IMLR, for example, has the Bithell Series Dissertations which is a great opportunity to get published as an early career researcher and the Warburg Institute publishes the Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes with long standing recognition. There is also a study online module on “Getting Research Published”. 

 

Why not take a leap of faith? I believe in you!

Written by Monja Stahlberger, IMLR PhD Candidate

 

Check out the other A-Z Challenge participants as well!

2 Comments

  1. OK. I’m having enough trouble with getting my A to Z out daily. I DO have some Research ideas, but time? Ha!
    It will come.

  2. The only scholarly journal I’ve been published in is “The Journal of Irreproducible Results.” I’m pretty proud of that, though! =)
    Black and White: J for Prester John

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