Dr Michael Wiese Lecturer in Pharmacotherapeutics, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia

My Story Graduated B. Pharm in 1997 Worked in hospital pharmacy (primarily Hobart) from Was involved in research during this time Four publications accepted prior to Began PhD (via UniSA) externally in mid 2002 Completed end of 2007 Three first author publications (1 st of 6 or 7) Two second author publications (2 nd of 3 and 4) Entered academia in October 2008 School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences

My PhD Health Sciences field Allergy/immunology and pharmaceutical sciences Title: Definition of the Allergic Components and Pharmaceutical Development of Myrmecia pilosula (Jack Jumper) Ant Venom for Immunotherapy Essentially 3 experimental chapters, each published as a full-length research article

What you need Essential Ingredients Something worthwhile publishing Personal desire to publish Patience and determination Very Useful Ingredients Supportive supervisors and colleagues A plan (get the most from your work) Self-belief and thick skin Things you don’t need Writing style

The Plan Similar to the timeline in your research proposal Plot out: What you think will be in each chapter Think about what can be in a paper(s) (all or some) When you will do the work/get the data When you will write it up Think about what suits you (eg dedicated vs spread out) Think about target journals early May influence how you collect your data/what data you collect

Why Did I Publish? Expectation Inward expectation/desire External (implied) expectation Publishing culture from supervisors and within my research group If you don’t have this, get into it from your peers, colleagues, attendance at seminars, conferences etc.. A publication is arguably the best thing you can ‘give back’ to your supervisor(s)

Where to Publish? Often difficult, as you don’t have a clear perspective Often think it is more or less significant than it is Advice from supervisors and colleagues Journals that you know, like and have read Maximise impact – considerations include Impact Factor ERA Ratings (A*, A, B or C) Other (eg looking for a target audience)

Challenges When Publishing It is difficult and requires lots of work This may be dedicated slabs of time However, a good paper often requires time for reflection When do you have enough data Publication strategy (whats the next paper?) Managing co-authors Particularly as a student Writing styles are particularly difficult to manage However, they are very useful if they have good publication records How do you handle criticism? Reviewer reports are often frustrating It appears they didn’t read the manuscript thoroughly

Benefits of Publication Immediate Benefits Goal setting Tangible steps towards completion – enjoy the highs Because there will be plenty of lows Medium Term Benefits Experimental component of PhD Thesis was essentially re-formatting accepted manuscripts This had been through peer review Thesis was therefore passed with (very) minor changes Forces a re-evaluation of the literature

Benefits of Publication Long Term, Unexpected and/or Intangible Benefits Earns respect from colleagues Publications assisted in obtaining research grants Won a small cash prize Took wife to dinner Keep your eye on the future Publications look good on a CV If you plan to stay in academia, you will be judged on your publication record That starts now!

Benefits of Publication Publications Grants New Job/ Promotion

Start PhD Most of experimental work Submit paper Start paper 1 Start paper 2 Submit paper 2 Birth of Child 1 Birth of Child 2 Submit paper 3 Start paper 3 Write thesis Submit thesis PhD Conferred LIFE WORK Working (0.8FTE average) Wife

Other things… Don’t underestimate the benefit of work-life balance Know yourself and how you operate best PhD Candidature is a tremendous opportunity Your PhD is the one time that you are focussed on a single project For example, I am currently involved in 8 distinct projects Make the most of the sacrifice you have made – it can set- up your career Get the most out of your PhD – you can get so much more than 2 letters and a piece of paper It can set you up for a job or research fellowship immediately following your PhD