1. Academic Writing & Publishing
A NASIG workshop presented by
Maria Collins, North Carolina State University & Editor, Serials Review
Eleanor I. Cook, East Carolina University
Thursday, June 9, 2016 9 am-Noon
NASIG 31st
Annual Conference
Embracing New Horizons
June 9-12, 2016
Albuquerque, New Mexico
2. Agenda
9:00-9:10 – Welcome and Introductions
9:10-9:30 – Getting Started
9:30-9:50 – Writing Activity 1
9:50-10:20 – Writing for Journals
10:20-10:30 – Writing Activity 2
10:30-10:40 – break
10:40-11:00 – Help and Support
11:00-11:20- The Mechanics of Writing
11:20-11:30 – Writing Activity 3
11:30 – 11:50 – Advanced Topics
11:50-12:00 – Wrap up
3. 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.
4. 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)
5. 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.
7. Traditional Publications
Original works:
• Journal articles
• Book chapters
• Full-length books
• Column within a journal
• Published proceedings
• Book reviews
Derived works:
• Annotated bibliography
• Review article (The best of…)
• Translations
8. 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?
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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!
12. 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?”
13. 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!
15. ALA Blogs, RSS Feeds, and Wikis
http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=News&template=/cfapps/xml/pr_inst.
html
NASIG blog
https://nasig.wordpress.com/
75 of the Coolest Librarians to follow on Twitter
http://librarysciencelist.com/75-of-the-coolest-librarians-to-follow-on-twitter/
Happenings at OCLC
http://www.oclc.org/research/people/follow.html
NISO blog
http://www.niso.org/blog/
Scholarly Kitchen
https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/
Examples of Sources to Follow for Topic ideas
16. 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)
17. 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
18. What to expect when writing
different kinds of journal
publications beyond peer review
• Columns
• Book reviews
• Editorials
• Invited articles
19. The Peer-reviewed Article
Research methods to consider
• Surveys
• Research studies and statistical
analysis
• Case studies; how we do it papers
• Literature review
• Interviews
20. 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
21. Is it worth it?
Cons:
• IRB review not suitable for social
science studies, especially
ethnographic (interview) studies
• Overkill for low-risk studies
Pros:
• Going through the review forces
you to clarify your goals and
procedures
• Human subject research is useful
to many disciplines
22. 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)
23. What NOT to Expect From Peer
Review
• Copy editing
• Extensive assistance
• Infallibility
24. 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?
25. 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?
26. 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
27. 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
28. Roles and Responsibilities
Author
• Submit article publication ready
• Respond to reviewer comments
• Submit revisions in a timely
manner
• Proofs
30. Journal Management Systems
Description of various systems
http://www.sparc.arl.org/resources/publisher
s/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
35. Author Rights Options
• Copyright assignment
• Exclusive license to publish
• Creative Commons
36. Writing Activity 2
Framing 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?
38. 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)
39. 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
40. 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?
41. 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
42. 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
43. 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?
44. 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
45. 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
46. 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
47. 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.
48. 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
49. 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
50. Advanced topics
• Tackling larger writing projects
• Writing a book
• Literature reviews
• Changes in scholarly
communication – Open Access
• Other…
52. 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
53. 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!
Animated balloon floats into distance
(Advanced)
To reproduce the balloon on this slide, do the following:
On the Home tab, in the Slides group, click Layout, and then click Blank.
On the Home tab, in the Drawing group, click Shapes, under Basic Shapes, click Teardrop (second row, fourth from the left). On the slide, drag to draw the teardrop.
Under Drawing Tools, on the Format tab, in the Size group, click the Size and Position dialog box launcher, and then in the Format Shape dialog box, click Size in the left pane. In the Size pane, under Size and rotate, do the following:
In the Height box, enter 1.66”.
In the Width box, enter 1.7”.
In the Rotation box, enter 133⁰.
Also in In the Format Shape dialog box click Fill in the left pane, select Gradient fill in the Fill pane, and then do the following:
In the Type list, select Linear.
In the Angle box, enter 90.
Under Gradient stops, click Add gradient stops or Remove gradient stops until three stops appear in the slider.
Also under Gradient stops, customize the gradient stops as follows:
Select the first stop in the slider, and then do the following:
In the Position box, enter 13%.
Click the button next to Color, and then under Theme Colors click Red, Accent 2, Darker 25% (fifth row, sixth option from the left).
In the Transparency box, enter 0%.
Select the next stop in the slider, and then do the following:
In the Position box, enter 66%.
Click the button next to Color, and then under Theme Colors click Red, Accent 2, Lighter 40% (fourth row, sixth option from the left).
In the Transparency box, enter 0%.
Select the last stop in the slider, and then do the following:
In the Position box, enter 100%.
Click the button next to Color, and then under Theme Colors click White, Background 1 (first row, first option from the left).
In the Transparency box, enter 0%.
Also in the Format Shape dialog box in the left pane, click Line Color, and in the Line Color pane, select No line.
On the Home tab, in the Drawing group, click Shapes, and then under Basic Shapes, click Isosceles Triangle (third option from the left). On the slide, drag to draw the isosceles triangle.
Select the isosceles triangle. Under Drawing Tools, on the Format tab, in the Size group, click the Size and Position dialog box launcher. In the Format Shape dialog box, click Size in the left pane. in the Size pane, under Size and rotate, do the following:
In the Height box, enter 0.16”.
In the Width box, enter 0.11”.
In the Rotation box, enter 8⁰.
Also in the Format Shape dialog box, in the left pane, click Fill. In the Fill pane, click Solid Fill. Click the button next to Color, and then under Theme Colors click Red, Accent 2, Darker 25% (fifth row, sixth option from the left).
Also in the Format Shape dialog box in the left pane, click Line Color, and then in the Line Color pane select No line.
Position the isosceles triangle on the slide so that the sharp angle touches the point of the teardrop.
On the Home tab, in the Drawing group, click Shapes, and under Lines click Curve (tenth option from the right). On the slide, draw a curve (for, example, one that has four points). Press ESC to end the curve.
Select the curvy line. On the Home tab, in the Drawing group, click the arrow next to Shape Outline, and then under Theme Colors, click White, Background 1, Darker 15% (third row, first option from the left).
On the Home, in the Drawing group, click Shape Outline, point to Weight, and then click 1 pt.
Position the curve on your slide so that one end is touching the bottom edge of the isosceles triangle.
On the Home tab, in the Drawing group, click Shapes, and under Basic Shapes, select Oval (second option from the left). On the slide, drag to draw an oval.
Select the oval. Under Drawing Tools, on the Format tab, in the Size group do the following:
In the Shape Height box, enter 1.2”.
In the Shape Width box, enter 1.2”.
Under Drawing Tools, on the Format tab, in the Shape Styles group, click the arrow next to Shape Fill, point to Gradient, and then click More Gradients.
In the Format Shape dialog box, in the left pane click Fill. In the Fill pane, select Gradient fill.
In the Type list, select Radial.
Click the button next to Direction, and then click From Center (third option from the left).
Under Gradient stops, click Add gradient stops or Remove gradient stops until three stops appear in the slider.
Also under Gradient stops, customize the gradient stops as follows:
Select the first stop in the slider, and then do the following:
In the Position box, enter 0%.
Click the button next to Color, and then under Theme Colors click White, Background 1 (first row, first option from the left).
In the Transparency box, enter 0%.
Select the first stop in the slider, and then do the following:
In the Position box, enter 50%.
Click the button next to Color, and then under Theme Colors click White, Background 1 (first row, first option from the left).
In the Transparency box, enter 81%.
Select the first stop in the slider, and then do the following:
In the Position box, enter 71%.
Click the button next to Color, and then under Theme Colors click White, Background 1 (first row, first option from the left).
In the Transparency box, enter 100%.
Also in the Format Shape dialog box in the left pane, click Line Color, and then in the Line Color pane click No line.
Position the oval at the top, left edge of the teardrop to create a lighting effect.
Press and hold CTRL, and then select all four objects. On the Home tab, in the Drawing group, click Arrange, and then under Group Objects click Group.
To reproduce the animation effects on this slide, do the following:
On the slide, select the balloon and drag it off the bottom left corner of the slide.
On the Animations tab, in the Advanced Animation group, click Add Animation, and then click More Motion Paths. In the Motion Path dialog box, under Lines & Curves, click Diagonal Up Right, and then click OK.
On the slide, select the motion path and then drag the end point (red triangle) across the slide and off the top right corner.
On the Animations tab, in the Timing group, in the Start list, select With Previous.
On the Animations tab, in the Timing group, in the Duration box, enter 32.
On the Animations tab, in the Advanced Animation group, click Add Animation, and then under Emphasis click Grow/Shrink.
On the Animations tab, in the Timing group, in the Start list, select With Previous.
On the Animations tab, in the Timing group, in the Duration box, enter 32.
On the Animations tab, in the Animation group, click Effect Options, and then click the Show Additional Effect Options dialog box launcher. In the Grow/Shrink dialog box, under Settings, click the arrow next to the Size box and in the Custom box, enter 2%.
To reproduce the background on this slide, do one of the following:
Note: You can save the background of this slide template as a picture and use it in your own slides. To use the same background as this slide, do the following:
Right-click the sky background on the original template, and then click Save Background.
Save the file as a JPEG (.jpg) file format.
On the Design tab, in the Background group, click Background Styles, and then click Format Background. In the Format Background dialog box, click Fill in the left pane, select Picture fill in the Fill pane, and then under Insert from click File.
In the Insert Picture dialog box, select a picture, and then click Insert.
Coming up with the time to write…
Topics
Defining yourself as a writer; Creating professional synergy as a writer
-write about what you know
-write about what you need to learn about or discover (problem spaces, new initiatives, future innovations)
-write about problems you are trying to solve
-write about areas that are changing in your profession
-write about what interests you
-write about people you want to know more about
This exercise is about quantity, not quality.
Make an attempt to write something down for every question.
Be as specific as you can
You have just under 10 minutes to write
(10 minutes)
Choose a partner
Share your ideas with your partner; get input about your ideas and select 2-3 potential topics to write about that you like best from your list.
Ways to discover ideas/topics
-read professional literature
-professional listserves
-blogs from industry leaders
-twitter feeds from industry leaders
-visit industry web sites
-conferences and webinars
Not including writing the paper itself
-Publication –note T&Fs article first program - publisher articles as soon as possible before issue assignment
There are many options when submitting material to a journal beyond the peer-reviewed article.
Tailoring your writing for different kinds of publications
Columns:
Often work with a separate editor than the journal editor
Can contact column editor if you are interested in writing
Writing style can vary – some columns are informal and use first person; Others are more formal; Need to check in with column editor on style
Columns are not typically peer-reviewed but can have high visibility
Columns for Serials Review are often the highest number of downloads
Book Reviews
Contact book review editors if interested.
Book reviews vary by length. Some are very short; SR book reviews are 3-5 double-spaced pages
Writing is a combination of summary and opinion
Usually receive complimentary copy of book you are reviewing
Editorials
Many journal solicit or are willing to entertain guest editorials
Good for opinion or thought pieces; discussions of new initiatives
Does not require the rigor of a peer-reviewed article
Invited article
Invited articles are not peer-reviewed, but they may share many of the same features as a peer-reviewed article.
Revisions may still be required by the editor
These kinds of articles are often solicited from leaders in the field
They may be part of a special issue or series
i.e. Special issue for NC Serials Conference – articles are invited
Common research methods for peer-reviewed articles
-Do what your most comfortable with
-In our field, the most read works are often practical in nature.
First, to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects through project review. Second, to foster compliance with institutional policy and federal regulations by facilitating institutional personnel’s efforts in utilizing living human subjects for research, education and other scholarly pursuits that are systematically designed and endeavoring to contribute to generalizable knowledge. Third, to provide education to institutional personnel on the ethical use of human subjects. Helping scientists and instructors to be stellar stewards of the trust of our human subjects is of paramount concern.
-Not going into too much detail, just talking about general expectations
-Consult with university Office of Sponsored Research or promotion and tenure committee in your library
-University often has many resources to assist with this process
-Be prepared for a time delay
-Any research conducted with human subjects will require IRB
-Journalistic pieces that consult with experts in the field often do not require IRB
-If in doubt, consult with Office of Sponsored Research
First, to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects through project review. Second, to foster compliance with institutional policy and federal regulations by facilitating institutional personnel’s efforts in utilizing living human subjects for research, education and other scholarly pursuits that are systematically designed and endeavoring to contribute to generalizable knowledge. Third, to provide education to institutional personnel on the ethical use of human subjects. Helping scientists and instructors to be stellar stewards of the trust of our human subjects is of paramount concern.
-Not going into too much detail, just talking about general expectations
-Consult with university Office of Sponsored Research or promotion and tenure committee in your library
-University often has many resources to assist with this process
-Be prepared for a time delay
-Any research conducted with human subjects will require IRB
-Journalistic pieces that consult with experts in the field often do not require IRB
-If in doubt, consult with Office of Sponsored Research
-Form of feedback – narrative assessment of whether or not the article is in scope, the validity of the research, whether or not the article contributes to the literature, and what needs to be improved
Assess the quality of the research
Significance to the journal’s readers
Connection to previous research in the field
Quality of research methodology
Quality and depth of conclusions
Originality
Implications for Practice
Honesty - tell story of one SR reviewer who is very detailed. Often have to warn authors, but papers are always better.
-The peer reviewer is not expected to copy edit the manuscript, even though some do prefer to make comments directly within the paper.
-The paper should be in it’s final form before submission. Suggestions will be provided to improve the manuscript, but if the article is unreadable or poorly written, it will be rejected.
The editor reserves the right to reject the paper outright if it is not ready for peer review; do not want to waste reviewers time.
-Reviewers are not perfect; but they contribute greatly to the research process
-Reviewers may often disagree and a tie-breaker review may be required.
- Peer reviewer will review the article for quality, originality and value in addition to fit for the journal
-
A good reviewer should respond in a timely manner or let the editor know that aren’t available
Review article for quality, originality and value
Provide constructive feedback (talk about trend to just make a decision and not provide comments)
Feedback areas –
What works
Areas of improvement
Missing elements to the paper
Areas that are confusing
Literature to consider
Validity of any statistics (difficulty finding reviewers to do this for LS literature; may have a reviewer who just does this)
Does the paper contribute to the idea
The editor manages the submission process for the journal including the following:
Managing scope:
-soliciting content for the journal
-determine if submitted content is a good fit for the journal
-consult with editorial board to determine direction and come up with special ideas
-Manage column editors and coordinate column topics as needed
Perform initial review of manuscript – editor may reject outright if not ready for review or out of scope
-Assign and follow up with reviewers as needed
-Collate and contribute to feedback for authors
-Make final decision about acceptance of the manuscript
-Submit final product – publication ready – to the compositors on the publishing team
-Editor may or may note review proofs; often author’s responsibility
-Editor will determine order for articles within an issue
-Write editorials as needed
For small journals with minimal editorial teams, editors often work in cycles which can cause delays in the work.
The author often works directly with the journal manager assigned by the publisher when handling proofs
Many journals require a response to reviewers when submitting a revision.
An author should explain how they addressed each point.
There are a variety of journal submission systems.
General features will usually include
-Manage submission workflow
-Can retrieve attached documents from reviewers or editors
-Store all communications associated with the submission
-Provide status updates and notification
I’m going to show you a few slides from the T&F editorial system to show an example of the submission process.
Step 1 – Notice the helpful items on the publisher website. Info you’ll need to know as you write your manuscript
Main menus
Registration
Info about the journal such as Instructions for Authors
Look for the following:
-style guide
-requirements for submission
often in the Instructions for Authors
-
Once you’ve registered, you will have access to a menu of options to manage or submit your submission
View of what’s required for a submission
Publication ready –
Separate files for
-title page
-Abstract and keywords
-manuscript with no identifying information
-Separately labeled figures and tables
-Note location of fig and tab in text but do not submit embedded
View of editor main menu for managing submission workflows
Copyright assignment
You assign copyright in your article to the publisher or society. They manage the intellectual property rights (IPR) in your article, maintain your article as the Version of Record, and can represent your article in cases of copyright infringement.
Exclusive license to publish
You grant the journal owner (e.g., the publisher [Taylor & Francis] or a learned society) the right to publish your paper on an exclusive basis. You (the author) retain copyright, and reuse requests are handled by the publisher or society on your behalf.
Chart details what’s allowed by each kind of license.
Take 5 minutes to write out answers to the following questions.
This will help you to frame out your approach to your writing project.
Share your thoughts with a partner. (5 minutes)
-No defined purpose – author doesn’t know what they want to say; failure to identify the problem
or not defining the problem soon enough –
i.e. Reader has to read half the paper before you figure out what the paper is about –
Often happens when you choose style over function.
-What one point do you want to leave with the reader?
Too much detail – lack of focus – two much going on
No structure – Paper is not organized
Local story only
How to Create context
-literature review
-global perspective from experts - interviews, surveys, data
So what test –
-Paper doesn’t contribute to the literature
Overly opinionated – not objective
Be accurate – don’t exaggerate or guess – too easy to mis-represent – Story of working with Regina in my most recent editorial – based on an interview
Share editing stories
-link resolver article – background cut
-Library Journal article – voice changed to informal
-LRTS lit reviews – had to cut 3500 words; split into two articles
Note book – On Writing Well
-You enjoy what you write about when you are interested in what you write about
-Come back around to the concept of synergy – incorporating who you are as a professional into your writing; use for your own continuing education
-There should be a sense of purpose to your writing, whether it be formal or informal
Best writing for you and for your reader
-Reflect who you are
-Humanizing your work, importance of sincerity – sharing examples from your experiences
-Should be organized and not leave the reader guessing; should be readable, explained in simple ways without jargon
-Don’t be intimidated and you don’t need to know it all to write – interviews, etc.
OA: Think about your own context and how you want your work represented.
-Push towards openness – open access, open data, and open peer review
-Greater focus on the article and less on the journal itself
-Funding is an issue especially for the social sciences – makes it more difficult to transition to OA.