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Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell University

Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

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Page 1: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

Increasing the Odds of Publishing

Academic Research

2008 AAEA Annual MeetingsGrad Student Section Symposium

Brent A. Gloy

Cornell University

Page 2: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

Increasing the Odds of Publication

Peer review publication is the cornerstone of academic research

Key for sharing knowledge Most journals today have an acceptance

rate less than 30% Submit 10 articles to publish 3? Many articles will be submitted multiple times Reducing the amount of churn is key to getting

your work out, read, and used How can one increase these odds?

Page 3: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

The Publishing Process

1. The research project

2. Writing the papers and documenting the effort

3. Submitting the paper for peer review

4. Responding to peer review

Identify key things that can be done to increase likelihood of eventual success

Page 4: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

1. The Research Project

The Most Important Step Sound design is key to eventual publication Invest in the literature to find opportunities

and build a sound project Get input from colleagues (AND LISTEN)

Present research early on to allow for adjustment and identification of obvious problems

Identify and utilize collaborators Listen to suggestions from senior colleagues

Page 5: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

1. The Research Project

Start with the end in mind Every research project you do should be

designed for publication in peer reviewed journals (as well as other outputs)

Don’t be afraid to make investments in well conceived big projects

Diversify and be opportunistic

Page 6: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

2. Writing the Papers and Documenting the Results

JUST DO IT! Manuscripts are required in order to publish Research is not done until it is written for peer

review We are in the business of creating AND

disseminating knowledge Writing is hard work

Start with research and extension bulletins to document the project completely and build the text

Page 7: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

2. Writing the Paper for Peer Review

Get feedback early and often Meeting presentations Multi-state projects Departmental seminars Department internal review

LISTEN TO FEEDBACK Utilize collaborators effectively

Page 8: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

3. Submitting the Paper for Peer Review

Avoid temptation to achieve ultimate perfection

Choose journal wisely Publishing papers on the topic Appropriate content for journal

Page 9: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

3. Submitting the Paper for Peer Review

Quality matters but so does volume Not all quality work winds up in journals

universally perceived to be highest quality Marginal difference in perceived quality levels off

very quickly Remember ultimate goal is to have your work

read and used Good research should eventually be published Peers will find and use high quality work

especially if it is part of a stream of work

Page 10: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

3. Submitting the Paper for Peer Review

The “little things” are often taken for granted and can cause big problems Well written – get help if you need it No typos Appropriate motivation Organization Results CLEARLY described Conclusions appropriate and well thought out Be able to clearly articulate your contribution

Page 11: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

4. Responding to Peer Review

If you get your foot in the door DON’T take it out – always resubmit if offered

Respond in a timely manner – within a month

Take reviewer comments seriously and use them

Engage colleagues for advice If rejected see if you can use points from

review to make the paper better Get it back out to another journal quickly if

rejected

Page 12: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

4. Responding to Peer Review

Don’t let up before the finish line -- write a thorough and thoughtful response Use tact Point by point is best Be specific on how you changed the paper as a

result of review If you don’t understand a point explain why you

don’t understand – don’t just ignore it Reviewers spend time on this and feel good

when you carefully address their concerns Response may be nearly as long as the paper

Page 13: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

4. Responding to Peer Review

Spot on comments – make the changes Confusion/miscommunication – fix the

manuscript Disagreements – pick which battles to fight

Style – only marginally important Conceptual – worth arguing Model nuances – do the work and show the

reviewer that it either does or does not matter

Page 14: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

4. Responding to Peer Review

Strategies for responding to major point of contention Must clearly lay out to reviewer why your

opinion is different (and more correct) Put burden back on reviewer -- where

can this data be found, what literature am I missing, etc.

Page 15: Brent Gloy, July 2008 Increasing the Odds of Publishing Academic Research 2008 AAEA Annual Meetings Grad Student Section Symposium Brent A. Gloy Cornell

Brent Gloy, July 2008

Summary

Publishing is hard work Get the paper written and off your desk Get input from peers throughout the process LISTEN TO PEERS Much of the work occurs after initial

submission Shorten the time that the paper is on your

desk – top priority is always responding to reviews