Academic Writing & Publishing A NASIG workshop presented by

Maria Collins, North Carolina State University & Editor, Serials ReviewEleanor I. Cook, East Carolina University

Thursday, June 9, 2016 9 am-Noon

NASIG 31stAnnual Conference

Embracing New Horizons

June 9-12, 2016Albuquerque, New Mexico

Agenda9:00-9:10 – Welcome and Introductions9:10-9:30 – Getting Started9:30-9:50 – Writing Activity 19:50-10:20 – Writing for Journals10:20-10:30 – Writing Activity 210:30-10:40 – break10:40-11:00 – Help and Support11:00-11:20- The Mechanics of Writing11:20-11:30 – Writing Activity 311:30 – 11:50 – Advanced Topics11:50-12:00 – Wrap up

Why Write?

• Are you expected to do it for promotion and/or tenure?

• If not expected for your job, are you nevertheless interested in writing and enjoy doing it?

• Think about your professional experiences and what you have to share: How can others benefit from your contribution to the literature?

• Will you work better alone or collaboratively? • Pick research projects that interest you and those with

which you think you can do a good job.

How to get started

• Start with something doable: If you don’t enjoy writing &/or feel you need more practice, start small:

• Book reviews• Guest columns or blog postings• Letters to the editor• Conference reports• Interviews• Group projects• (Just don’t expect these to “count” as much! – if that

matters)

Where do I get the time? • Writing is like exercising: fit it in where you can • Some institutions provide "research" leave but this is

rare • Carve out a place at home if possible • Morning writing as an exercise to keep you going • Use the book The Right to Write for ideas and inspiration • It is not necessary to have the perfect set-up, it is not

required that you be "in the mood" and it is not necessary to be perfect

• JUST DO IT.

Types of Scholarly Writing

Traditional PublicationsOriginal works: • Journal articles• Book chapters• Full-length books• Column within a journal• Published proceedings • Book reviewsDerived works: • Annotated bibliography• Review article (The best of…) • Translations

Newer Types of Scholarship

• Multi-media works (such as tutorials) • Blog posts• Self-published book• Digital product• Video product• Listserve post• Social media notes & posts• Others?

Answering Calls for Proposals

• Answering calls for proposals (Caveat…)• Proceedings proposals• Calls for articles/chapters• Special themed issues• Publications derived from professional

committee work• Invitations to publish

Time management depends on the type of project

• Set realistic goals for yourself• If collaborating with co-authors, build in more time• Working to the deadline• Be mindful of the timeliness of your topic• Create an outline of the steps to complete• If promotion/tenure is dependent on acceptance vs.

publication, be aware of that expectation• Honoring deadlines, communicating with editors• If working within IRB timeframe, factor that in as well

Promotion & Tenure expectations• Know what is expected! • If your library has specific expectations for publishing, it

is your responsibility to understand these and produce accordingly

• Read the promotional documentation and ask questions! • Work with your supervisor and/or a mentor to develop

ideas for publication• If collaboration is encouraged, then find colleagues to

work with• Get to know the culture!

Pay attention to the local culture• Quality vs. quantity• The ability to successfully collaborate• The importance of solo efforts • Relevance to your job performance• Can you publish on topics not directly related to your

job? • Ask to look at successful colleagues’ dossiers who have

recently received promotion and/or tenure• Maintaining balance• Will you be expected to establish a “research agenda?”

If your library doesn’t expect you to write:

• Realize that you may not stay at your present job forever, so if you start publishing now, this may help you land a position at another academic library (if that is your goal)

• Writing exposes you to a wider network of professionals in your area of expertise

• You can write what you want if no one is expecting you to do it!

Writing Activity 1Topics: What to write about….

ALA Blogs, RSS Feeds, and Wikishttp://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=News&template=/cfapps/xml/pr_inst.html

NASIG bloghttps://nasig.wordpress.com/

75 of the Coolest Librarians to follow on Twitterhttp://librarysciencelist.com/75-of-the-coolest-librarians-to-follow-on-twitter/

Happenings at OCLChttp://www.oclc.org/research/people/follow.html

NISO bloghttp://www.niso.org/blog/

Scholarly Kitchenhttps://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/

Examples of Sources to Follow for Topic ideas

Academic Writing and Peer-Reviewed Journals

Steps Involved in Publishing

• Initial feedback from editor about idea (optional)

• Submission process• Peer review• Revision• Acceptance • Determination of author rights• Compositor work /proof stage• Publication (pre/post issue assignment)

Where to Publish

Nixon, Judith M. "Core Journals in Library and Information Science: Developing a Methodology for Ranking LIS Journals" (2014). Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research. Paper 61. http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/lib_fsdocs/61

Journals related to Serials, E-resources and/or Technical Services• Against the Grain• Cataloging & Classification Quarterly• Library Resources & Technical Services• Library Collections, Acquisitions & Technical

Services• Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship• Serials Librarian• Serials Review• Technical Services Quarterly

What to expect when writing different kinds of journal publications beyond peer review

• Columns• Book reviews• Editorials• Invited articles

The Peer-reviewed Article

Research methods to consider• Surveys• Research studies and statistical

analysis • Case studies; how we do it papers• Literature review• Interviews

IRB, You Will

• Office of Sponsored Research - Institutional Review Board

• Purpose:• Protect rights and welfare of

human research subjects• Ensure compliance with

institutional policy and federal regulations

• Educate researchers on ethical use of human subjects

Is it worth it?

Cons:• IRB review not suitable for social

science studies, especially ethnographic (interview) studies

• Overkill for low-risk studiesPros:• Going through the review forces

you to clarify your goals and procedures

• Human subject research is useful to many disciplines

The Peer-review process

What to expect from Peer Review• Anonymity

Blind or Double Blind review• Objectivity• Expertise• Honesty• Constructive feedback• Timeliness (within the journal’s

parameters)

What NOT to Expect From Peer Review

• Copy editing• Extensive assistance • Infallibility

A Peer Reviewer will…

Assess the quality of the writing • Is the article interesting to

read?• Does the target audience

understand your point?• Does the content flow

logically from one section to the next?

• Does your style match the journal in which you hope to publish?

A Peer Reviewer will…

Assess the quality of the writing • Have you eliminated filler

words, phrases, and sentences?

• Have you considered and addressed dissenting points of view?

• Do you have an effective conclusion?

• Can you impose an outline on your completed draft?

Roles and Responsibilities

Reviewer• Timeliness• Provide constructive

feedback• Suggest a decision back to

the editor• Be willing to review

revisions• May have access to other

reviewer comments

Roles and Responsibilities:

Editor• Managing scope of the journal• Initial review of manuscript • Assign and follow up with reviewers• Formalize feedback to the author• Final decision on manuscript• Submission of manuscript to

compositors• Proof work• TOC assignment

Roles and Responsibilities

Author• Submit article publication

ready• Respond to reviewer

comments• Submit revisions in a timely

manner• Proofs

Example of Response to Reviewer Comments

Journal Management SystemsDescription of various systemshttp://www.sparc.arl.org/resources/publishers/journal-management

General features• Manage submission workflow• Can retrieve attached documents from

reviewers or editors• Store communications associated with the

submission• Provide status updates and notification

Example of Editorial System for Submission

Submission Requirements

Author Rights Options• Copyright assignment• Exclusive license to publish• Creative Commons

Writing Activity 2Framing your writing

What do you want to write about? What is the main purpose of your writing project?

Why do you want to write about your topic?

How do you want to write about your topic?

What is the connection between what you want to write and yourself?

Help & Support

Networking

• Take advantage of your connections in the field• Many excellent writing opportunities can come

from “who you know,” or your willingness to get to know new connections

• Working with colleagues at your own institution vs. others elsewhere

• Establishing a mentor (for writing, but also in general)

Developing good habits• Meeting deadlines & time

management• Procrastination & writer’s block• Working with co-authors and

editors• Plagiarism & other ethical

issues• Participating in a writing

support group• Having trusted colleagues read

your draft

Writing Support Groups

• Campus group already established?• Independent group already in your region?• Colleagues from your own library and/or

those nearby? • Go virtual? • Start your own?

Writing Group etiquette

• Stay on task, but be flexible• Know what the group’s goals are• Be accountable• Learn how to both give constructive feedback

and take constructive feedback

The Mechanics of Writing

Writing best practices-Writing about what interests you-Making time to write-Organizing and providing structure to your thoughts-Sharing with others - Soliciting feedback-Testing surveys -Using statistics (or not)-Meeting your deadlines-Writing with a co-author

The Mechanics of Writing

Writing best practices-revise, revise, revise

Should be able to answer the questions:

What am I trying to say?Have I said it? If someone new to my fields reads this, will they understand it?

Common Writing Mistakes• No defined purpose• Waiting too long to identify

the purpose• Too much detail; lack of

focus• Lack of structure • Local story with no global

context• Fails the “so what” test–

why is this important?• Overly opinioned or agenda-

driven• Inaccuracies

Common Writing Mistakes

• Making the reader work or guess• Failure to follow journal guidelines

and/or suggested style guide• Submitting an unfinished manuscript• Changing person throughout the

paper (I, you, they)• Inconsistent use of tense (past and

present)• Inconsistent mood (both casual and

formal

General Expectation of Editors and Publishers

• OK to consult with editors ahead of time to shop idea

• Pay attention to style manuals, instructions to authors

• Be sure to properly cite your sources; it you are not sure, cite it.

• Articles submitted should be ready to review

General Expectations• Your article should only be

submitted to one journal at a time

• Author is responsible for making copy readable

• Editor/compositors will likely edit (often minimally) your accepted version to comply with journal formatting or style.

Making scholarly writing enjoyable

“If you write about subjects you think you would enjoy knowing more about, your enjoyment will show in what you write”

William Zinsser. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction

Writing Activity 3- Writing Plan • Writing goal• Topic and purpose• List of ideas to cover

• Writing approach• Mood – formal or informal• Research method• Publications to target

• Resources required• People to consult or interview• Tools• Time• Research and investigation

• List of tasks to do• Tentative time line and schedule for project

milestones

Advanced topics

• Tackling larger writing projects• Writing a book• Literature reviews

• Changes in scholarly communication – Open Access

• Other…

So You Want to Write a Book?

Considerations before taking the plunge

• Sole author or co-author? • Traditional publisher or self-published

(Amazon or similar) • Time commitment • Editorial support• Contract, copyright considerations• Consider joining NWU for contract assistance

Organizational considerations with a book

• Literature review• Outline of chapters• Writing schedule• Edit, edit, edit, edit• Documentation• Who will do the index? • Working with the publisher• When things don’t go as planned• Back it up!

Questions?