Charlotte Mathieson University of Surrey Early career researchers (ECRs) are keen to publish their work for many reasons, from becoming established in the field to improving employability in a competitive job market. At the same time, they face many and changing challenges, such as understanding the different routes into publication; having the time and resources to research and write; and navigating wider contexts such as the Research Excellence Framework and Open Access requirements. Publishers and librarians are well-placed to support ECRs, and in turn can benefit from better understanding the ECR experience of the publishing landscape, and in this talk I will suggest strategies for successful partnership.

1. Supportingearly career
researchers
in a changing publishing
landscape
Dr Charlotte Mathieson
University of Surrey
c.mathieson@surrey.ac.uk @cemathieson

2. OVERVIEW
 The broader context:
 Early career researcher experiences
 Challenges:
 Identifying and partnering to overcome
 Examples of best practice:
 Successful strategies for the future

3. 1.THE BROADERCONTEXT
Early career researcher experiences

4. What is an early careerresearcher?
 Funding council definitions = up to 8
years
(e.g. AHRC, ESRC)
 Postdoctoral fellowships = 3-5 years
(e.g. Leverhulme, British Academy)
 REF 2021= output reduction from overall
pool determined by
meets the core eligibility criteria for
category A staff (“significant
responsibility for research”) and
started careers as independent
researchers – i.e. undertaking self-
directed research rather than e.g.
research assistant – on or after 1st of
August 2016.

5. What is a typical ECR path?
My background
 2007-10: PhD, University of Warwick (viva 2011)
 Jan 2011 – Oct 2012: hourly-paid teaching, marking,
invigilation, academic writing and 1-1 tuition, A-level
tuition, short term research fellowship, research
assistant on project bid, work on University projects
supporting ECRs, freelance proofreading, etc etc…
 Oct 2012 – Sept 2013: 0.6 FTE project fellow at
Institute of Advanced Study, University of Warwick;
plus hourly-paid teaching
 Sept 2013 – Sept 2015: 2 years further in post at
100% FTE
 Sept 2015 – July 2016: 10-month teaching fellowship
at Newcastle University
 August 2016 – present: Lecturer in English Literature
at University of Surrey, permanent R&T position

6. Thechallenges of ECRcareerpaths
Key points
 A highly competitive job market;
 A period of precarity is common, and
increasingly longer;
 Multiple, short-term contracts across
institutions are typical; posts are often teaching
rather than research focused;
 Competing demands of long-term goals
(publishing, funding) vs short-term needs
(staying employed);
 Readjustment period into permanent post:
becoming institutionalised; increased teaching
and admin responsibilities; capacity for long-
term planning; opportunities for collaboration.

7. Motivations for ECRs to publish
What are the priorities?
 Employability: obtaining and
sustaining;
 Becoming known and established in
the field;
 Creating and becoming part of
networks;
 Making research visible.

8. 2.Challenges of ECRpublishing
Identifying and partnering to support ECRs

9. Challenge1: publishing strategy
What/when/where to publish
ECRs are balancing decisions that all
researchers face around:
 quality (peer-reviewed, high impact/prestigious
publisher)
 speed of publication (publisher turnaround)
 quantity (overall publication profile)
 the REF…

10. Challenge 1: publishing strategy continued…
Key changes from REF 2014 for ECRs:
 Decoupling: output reduction applies
at unit rather than individual level;
 Output requirements/adjustments
therefore less clear at individual
level;
 Portability: in place this time
but…proposed changes for next
cycle will have big impact on ECR
publishing strategy.
What does REF 2021 mean for ECRs?

11. Challenge1: publishing strategy continued…
REF complicating factors…
 Employability and REF integrally bound up;
 But: not a straightforward mapping of REF
requirements onto employability expectations:
 Publishing expectations vary across disciplines
 Arts & Humanities: monograph + 1-2 articles
 Sciences & Social Sciences: articles in high-impact journals
 ECR REF reduction vs. competitive job
market;
 Different institutional REF strategies;
 ECRs may receive conflicting/confusing
advice and lack time and resources to fully
understand.

12. Challenge1: publishing strategies continued…
So what do ECRs need?
 Clear and accessible/understandable information
relevant to career stage, and not institution
specific;
 Information about Open Access with a focus on
how-to;
 Advice that looks at how to map the REF against
other publishing factors (quality, quantity, timing);
 Information about the timescales and practices of
different publishers;
 Advice from “those in the know” as well as peer
experiences of the process.

13. Challenge1: publishing strategies continued…
Could you…
 Provide resources around the REF and
open access, e.g.: online resources,
running a workshop, hosting a virtual
Q&A?
 Offer one-to-one support e.g. a publishing
clinic or drop-in sessions?
 Provide resources for ECRs on the
publishing process at your publisher, or
advice from book series/journal editors on
getting published, or experiences of your
authors on their first publication?

14. Challenge2: time and resources
The challenge…
 ECRs need publications for employability
but lack the time and resources to get
them written…
 Time: fixed-term posts often teaching
heavy with little time for research;
applying for jobs is time consuming;
 Resources: access to library resources
can be difficult for non-affiliated
ECRs/those moving frequently;
 Costs for publication e.g. images can be
prohibitive if at the researcher’s own cost.

15. Challenge 2: time and resources continued…
Could you…
 Provide a small research grant for work towards
specific publication output e.g. article for your
journal?
 Help ECRs identify sources of funding for
research and writing?
 Help with access to resources e.g. library
affiliation?
 Provide small grants to cover publication fees?
 Use virtual platforms to support ECRs in carving
out research time e.g. run a weekly “just write”
session or a troubleshooting online chat?

16. Challenge 3: getting work visible
The challenge…
 ECRs have the skills to research and
write but don’t necessarily know how to
make their work visible;
 Visibility is important for increasing
publication impact for all researchers,
and especially so for ECRs looking to
increase employability;
 ECRs can benefit from guidance and
training in maximising the reach and
impact of their publications.

17. Challenge3: getting work visible continued…
Could you…
 Provide resources around maximising
publication visibility e.g. how to
increase title/keyword impact, using
social media channels effectively, and
similar strategies, perhaps through a
workshop or online resources?
 Direct ECRs who publish with you
towards resources or tips for
publication visibility?
 Create networking opportunities for
ECRs and established colleagues e.g.
bringing together authors around a
similar theme such as a book series, or
providing an online forum sharing best
practice ideas?

18. 3. Examples of bestpractice

19. Wiley Author Services
https://authorservices.wiley.com/author-resources/index.html

20. Wiley Author Services: webinar
https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/11201/221041

21. Palgrave Macmillan ECR hub
https://www.palgrave.com/gp/why-publish/early-career-researcher-hub

22. Royal Historical Society
http://royalhistsoc.org/early-career-historians/

23. Thank you & questions
Dr Charlotte Mathieson
c.mathieson@surrey.ac.uk
@cemathieson