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7/30/2019 Doing Successful Publishable Research
1/22
Raj Aggarwal 1
Doing Successful PublishableResearch: Some Guidelines
Raj Aggarwal [email protected] Frank C. Sullivan Professor of International Business and Finance
University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325
April 12, 2007; Youngstown State University
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Raj Aggarwal 2
Introduction
Thank you for inviting me I am honored Three part presentation
Why do Publishable Scholarly Research?
How to do Scholarly Research?
How to Make it Publishable?
Q and A
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Raj Aggarwal 3
Why do Research-Societal?
Professors are supposed to add to knowledge notjust distribute it; We are trained to create new
knowledge
AACSB requires it schools need mission drivendefinition of AQ; 50/65/80% AQ requirement
Faculty research is important for society for the
efficient functioning of social institutions, as theknowledge capital of a society (basis for wealth
creation), and for the progress of humankind
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Raj Aggarwal 4
Why do Research-Personal?
As professors, we are expected to do so our
teaching loads are not those of high schools orcommunity colleges; we owe it to the taxpayers
Keeps us engaged in our fields avoids boredom
over a long professional life Keeps us demonstrably current in our fields
Unfair to our colleagues who do what we do and
also do research; Personal Pride Social Responsibility, AACSB/Job Requirement,
Professionalism, Fairness, and Pride
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Raj Aggarwal 5
Types of Acceptable Research
Scholarship ofDiscovery Scholarship ofApplication
Scholarship ofTeaching
However, all scholarly output must have the same
distinct characteristics; it must be
A unique contribution
Blind Peer Reviewed and is
Published after an Editorial Process
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Raj Aggarwal 6
Why the Publication Process?
Like any well-read person, faculty can just read in
their fields and keep up. But, the publication process:.. Reflects a higher/deeper level understanding and
knowledge than just reading
Is based on judging by peer experts and is independentof possible biases by local evaluators
Is similar to teaching (you are just teaching peers) and
can improve teaching skills
Ensures uniqueness of contribution
Is verifiable and auditable
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Raj Aggarwal 7
Changes over Professional Life Cycles Should all faculty members have to have the samepublication requirements? In a word, NO.
Changes in the mix of the three types of scholarshipover a professional life-cycle are very appropriate notgood to straightjacket professors at different life-cyclestages with the same set of requirements.
E.g., an Assistant Prof can have an 80/20% mix ofdiscovery/application scholarship, a full professor mayhave a 10/40/40% mix of discovery/application/teaching
scholarship However, it is reasonable to expect a minimum level of
discipline-based discovery/application scholarly outputfor each faculty regardless of other responsibilities
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Raj Aggarwal 8
Goal Setting for Scholarly Work
It is important to set your professional goalsfor achievements in scholarly output
consistent with your life cycle stage and
other responsibilities and in consultationwith your department chair and the dean
It is best if these goals are also sharedpublicly with colleagues
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Raj Aggarwal 9
Commitment to Deliver
So far we have discussed why do publishableresearch and what type of research is best for each
professor
We have also seen why we must share our goalswith our chair and dean and perhaps even with our
colleagues so we are committed!
How do we go about it, i.e., how best do wedeliver on our commitment to publish?
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Doing Scholarly Research My Comments Focus on Non-Fiction/Scientific
Research, Writing, and Publishing Strategies
Perspective of a Scholar, Writer, and Journal Editor:Ex-Finance Editor,Journal of InternationalBusiness Studies; Ex-Editor, Financial Practice &Education and Corporate Finance Review;
Associate Editor, Financial Review, EuropeanJournal of Finance, International Business Review,Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, andother journals
Focus here is on How toDo Good Research and theSuccessful Publication of such Research
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Raj Aggarwal 11
Defining the Topic/Problem
Starts with a critical Reading and Understanding of theTopic area; Identify and assess gaps in the literature
Select an Important gap that you can fill This isCritical and can be very difficult but is an ExtremelyImportant step
Collect the necessary data, analyze it, and assess and
describe the results Assess the extent to which you have filled an important
gap in the literature;
Repeat this process as necessary, i.e., do some more re-search until you clearly fill an important and interestinggap
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The Plan/Goals for the Paper
Focus on a Research Idea that is ofInterest toboth you and the Profession
This Research Idea Should Focus on an important
Gap in the Literature that You Can Fill Your Lit Review Should Identify this Gap Clearly
The Rest of the Paper Should Show How this Gap
Has Been Filled (i.e., the Contribution)
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Writing the Paper
Write a readable paper that presents the results ofyour efforts Title, Abstract, Introduction,
Literature Review, Data and Research Design,
Findings, Conclusions, References, Tables/Figures Start writing the easiest part first; perhaps starting
from the middle and expanding in both directions
to get a finished paper The abstract, the introduction, and the conclusion
are the most important and should be finalized last
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Effective Writing
Do Not Obscure Good Research with PoorWriting - Only Good Writing is Published
Follow an Outline and Write Clearly and
Precisely Using Short Sentences
Tables, Figures, Exhibits are all Very Useful
Make a point, the main point, clearly;eliminate even pet ideas that are distracting
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Raj Aggarwal 15
Revising and Seasoning a Paper
Revise sections as necessary and as you completeeach section; revise the completed first draft.
Leave the completed draft alone for a while and
then go back and revise it again. Prepare a presentation based on the paper and
revise the paper after you finish the presentation
presentations give YOU a chance to think clearlyabout your paper; in addition to other comments
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Polishing the Paper
Present the Completed Paper to an InterestedAudience; Edit, Revise, Rewrite and Season;Repeat this Cycle a Few Times as Necessary BeforeSending the Paper for Publication
Select the Appropriate Journal; Modify the Paperto Fit Its Content and Style as Necessary
Start with the best journal for your paper (not toohigh or low); Academic/Research Journals are
Generally Ranked Based on Citations Quality requirements are generally lower for first
movers and higher for replications and extensions
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Executing the Publication Plan
Need to React Constructively to Reviewer Comments,i.e., Overcome Initial Emotions; Filter and balancecomments with your assessments; Must preparewritten responses addressing ALL reviewer comments
At some point it may be wise to move on to a differentjournal not re-submit a revision to a given journal
Do Work on Multiple Projects Over the Course of aYear BUT Work on each Project Long Enough and
Document its Progress Before Moving On to the Next Stay Positive It Really Helps!
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Organizing to Do Research is Important
Unlike Teaching and Service, Research is UsuallyNot in a Routine; Set Definitive Times andSpecific Goals for Research Each Week
Read the Literature for ideas and take notesVolunteer to Referee, Do Book Reviews, or OtherWork for Journals/Associations; learn how thesystem works from the other side
Discuss your Research Ideas with Your ownCommunity of Scholars, Many of Whom may beOutside Your Home Institution
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Ensuring Continuing Success
Now that we know what to do and how todo it, what will it take to actually do it?
Disciplined time commitment; e.g., one
hour every day, and/or two 3-hour sessionseach week (say M&W afternoons), etc.
Periodic reporting requirements; e.g.,
reporting to your friends, spouse, chair,commitment to present at a conference, etc.
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Ingredients for Continuing Success
You need a disciplined weekly commitment of
time for scholarly work You need a thick skin and an ability to takecritical reactions and convert them to somethinguseful to you peer reviews need not be but can
be brutal You need persistence very few if any papers get
accepted the first place they are submitted
You will get better with each round of thepublication cycle (btw, how did you do the firsttime you taught?)
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Conclusions
Scholarly output is a requirement for allfaculty members
Decide on the right mix of scholarship in
discovery, application, and teaching It will take disciplined commitment and a
thick skin to actually produce scholarly
output Good Luck and Best wishes!
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Conclusions 2
Thank you for your time and attention I hope at least some of what I said was
useful to you
Glad to answer any questions you may have