Academic writing for researchers Rochelle Sibley Rochelle.Sibley@warwick.ac.uk Academic Writing Programme 28th February 2013

Outline of the workshop day 9:00-12:15 Session 1 – Writing journal articles (coffee break 10:30-10:45) 12:15-1:30 Lunch 1:30-4:50 Session 2 – Training yourself to be a prolific writer (Coffee break 3:00-3:15) 4:50-5:00 Feedback and close Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Writing Journal articles Session 1 Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick Writing Journal articles

Session aims To discuss your individual strengths and challenges with regard to the process of article writing. To develop a publication strategy that focuses your writing on your target audiences and journals. To create a take-away a plan of action for your next journal publication(s). To generate feedback on an abstract for your next article. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Concerns about article-writing What are your fears or worries about writing journal articles? What positive experiences have you had? What prevents you from writing articles? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Writing targeted journal articles Key starting questions: Who is your target audience? What is your target journal? How do you identify target journals? What can you do to target your article? Analyse your target journal Contact the journal editor Look for gaps in the current debate on your topic that fit your target journal Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

How to analyse your target journal Skim through the last two or three issues What are the key topics? How could you adapt your material to fit within these? Examine the structure of two or three articles How are they divided up? How is the argument or analysis presented? Read the author instructions What guidelines are there on presentation, scope, approach? Are there any recurring or key methodologies or theories in use? Discuss this analysis with a colleague in your field – preferably one who has been published in your target journal. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Murray’s ten prompts This work needed to be done because… (25 words) Those who will benefit from this include… (25 words) What I did was… (25 words) How I did that was by… (25 words) When I did that what happened was… (50 words) I worked out what that meant by… (50 words) I did what I set out to do to the extent that… (25 words) The implications for the research are… (25 words) The implications for practice are… (25 words) What still needs to be done is… (25 words) From Rowena Murray, Writing for Academic Journals, p.114. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Peer reviewing abstracts Swap abstracts with a partner and read with a critical eye: Is it clear what the aims of the research were? Is it clear what the article would add to the field? What were the key outcomes from this work? Each person gets five minutes feedback on their abstract – make notes as you will need to incorporate this later. Remember : Be constructive in your feedback Questions can be just as useful as comments Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Building a publications strategy What do you need to consider when creating a publications strategy? Important tips and questions: Create a timetable for each article – have another one ready to begin when you send the previous one off to be read. Don’t start a new project before you’ve planned how to publish from your current one. Is your current article really two articles in disguise? Does your current article lead you into a second article? Revise conference papers into articles sooner rather than later while feedback is still fresh. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Turning a conference paper into an article Give yourself one hour of clear writing time. Reread your conference paper: Note any areas to expand upon Consider what extra context or background you might need to include for an article Look at the questions and feedback you received: Which of these do you need to address in the article? How can you address them (additional references, further detail, etc)? Where in the current structure could these additions fit? Write down what you would need to do in your next writing session to move this forward. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Outlining a publications strategy What do you want to achieve in the next 12 months regarding publications? How many articles do you want to finish? How many of those will be based on existing writing (conference papers, data reports, drafts)? How many will be based on new research you are still undertaking? What order could these be put into – which would be quicker to turn around? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Training yourself to be a prolific writer Session 2 Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick Training yourself to be a prolific writer

Session aims To help you understand their individual approach to the writing process and how to challenge yourself as a writer. To show you how to manage your research in order to maximise your publication output. To give you take-away strategies for increasing the efficiency of your writing time. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Key questions What does it mean to be a ‘prolific writer’? How do you balance quantity with quality in publications? What are your own aims for your publication output? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Identifying writing practices Think about your current writing practices: When (what time of day/week/year)? Where (office/home/anywhere)? How (in short bursts/full days)? When did you last write for research? How could you fit more writing time into your schedule? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Free-writing Free writing means to: Some free-writing prompts: Write for five minutes Without stopping In full sentences For no reader Without structure Some free-writing prompts: I don’t feel like writing now because… What I really want to say is… Publications are all a big game because… Instead of writing I’d rather be… Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Using free-writing To clarify your thoughts As a warm-up for ‘real’ writing To develop confidence and fluency To get a project or publication started To train yourself to write in ‘bite-sized’ sessions To prove that you can write Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Becoming a practiced writer What tips and strategies do you have for becoming a practiced writer? Some to consider: Keeping a reading journal organised by research keywords Writing sandwiches (10min writing/10min talking with writing colleague about that writing/10min writing in response to discussion) Blocking out writing time in your diary Writing meetings (5min discussing recent writing/10min private writing time/10min discussion of that writing with partner/5min writing instructions for next session. Brown’s 8 questions/Murray’s 10 prompts Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Brown’s 8 questions Who are the intended readers? (3-5 by name) What did you do? (50 words) Why did you do it? (50 words) What happened when you did that? (50 words) What do the results mean in theory? (50 words) What do the results mean in practice? (50 words) What is the key benefit for the readers? (25 words) What remains unresolved? (no word limit) From R. Brown, ‘Write right first time’, Literati Newsline, Special Edition, pp.1-8 (http://www.literaticlub.co.uk/writing/articles/write.html) Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Reviewing as writing practice Keeping a reading journal encourages you to evaluate and review your research reading. Try this template for the 100-word review: ‘Gut reaction’ to the text (25 words) Synopsis of the text (25 words) Critical evaluation to justify your gut reaction (50 words) Put the text into a wider context in the field (25 words) Write a 100 word review of a recent piece of research reading in 15 minutes and swap with a writing partner to discuss: How are you going to use this in your own research? How are you going to respond to this in your own writing? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Adapting the 100-word review Could this technique (or any of the others discussed) be adapted for your own research field? Are there particular issues or challenges in using this writing strategy for your discipline? How could you make this strategy faculty-specific? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

100-word review of your article Reread the abstract and feedback developed in this morning’s session. Now write a 100-word review of that article following the template: ‘Gut reaction’ to the text (25 words) Synopsis of the text (25 words) Critical evaluation to justify your gut reaction (50 words) Put the text into a wider context in the field (25 words) Remember – this is to encourage you and clarify your own writing aims so be ambitious but realistic. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Feedback and questions Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick Feedback and questions