Webinar January 30, 2012 Dr. Rhonda Phillips Editor, Community Development

 Broadening the base of knowledge  Bridging practice and research  Sharing experiences and insights  For some, it’s essential for job security…  Two peer-reviewed journal articles per year are standard at many research oriented institutions (some less, some more)  Not just for tenure-track either, post-tenure review expectations rising

 Peer-reviewed journal publications are the “gold” standard  Rankings matter to some  ISI (Institute for Scientific Information) rankings are usually listed on the journal’s website  Not all journals are ISI ranked  Consider the journals in your discipline, as well as allied areas  See where researchers publish in your area  Go to journal websites or inside covers and find out “author guidelines” and acceptance rates

 Peer-review is typically “blind.” In other words, the reviewers will not know you or your work.  Submission to the editor first, now typically online. That person decides whether or not to place it in the review process which can be anywhere from 30 to 120 days or more.  Editor sends review decision to author  Typical to have revisions, whether minor, major or substantial to warrant a “reject and resubmit” decision

 What happens if it is a “reject” decision?  Look at comments and paper objectively – Are there “fatal flaws” that prevent its acceptance? Can these flaws be remedied? Some authors will remedy major weaknesses then proceed quickly to another journal for review If two rejects are received, then it’s time for a major overhaul/revision of the manuscript

 Before you submit  Be sure to conduct a careful editing (another pair of eyes are important in this process)  Follow the author recommendations to the letter! In other words, if a journal says it won’t accept papers over a certain length, then pay attention. Format to their specifications, it irks editors to see already formatted papers to other journals, where the author apparently just forwarded it without regard to the specifications!

 Key to good writing is good reading Consider the range of article types – review, theory, quantitative, qualitative (or mixed methods), essay/reflective, etc.  Ask a colleague to preview your manuscript – mentoring should be a part of the academy  You can always send an editor an ahead of time, checking the topic and any particular questions  Ask for a status update if more time has elapsed than the journal indicates for review  Best wishes!