Publishing Journal Articles Claire McMurray, Ph.D., KU Writing Center

Types of Academic Publications  Annotated bibliography  Book review  Conference proceedings  Trade or professional article  Notes  Interview  Translation  Response article  Theoretical article Social science research article Quantitative Qualitative Interpretive Natural science research article Article in the humanities Edited collection Book chapter Book

Journal Articles: Where do they fit in? Narrow scope, context, claims pgs. Often published 2-3 years after submission Carefully organized around a single significant idea Submitted one at a time They usually do one of the following: Say something new about something old Approach new evidence in an old way Approach old evidence in a new way Pair old evidence with old approaches in a new way

The Golden Rule of Journal Articles Target & Tailor

Targeting: Types of Journals  Non-peer- reviewed  Peer-reviewed  Academic vs. professional journals  Rankings

Targeting: how to investigate Ask advisor and colleagues Conduct a shelf search Check citations/bibliography Join associations in your field Check electronic databases and subject librarian Check electronic archives (JSTOR, Google Scholar) Check websites of large academic publishers (Oxford, Cambridge University Press, etc.) “Journal Seek” ( Should have a list of at least a dozen possible journals

Targeting: how to evaluate Use print versions in library Look at rankings (but don’t just target the most “prestigious”) Privilege peer-reviewed journals General questions to ask yourself Specific questions to ask yourself

Targeting: next steps  Investigate each journal’s fit  Organize information about each journal Organize information about each journal  Create a “ranking” for sending out your article, choose one to begin with  Talk to anyone you know who has published in the journal  Skim a few issues and analyze an article  Send query s to 2-3 editors

Tailoring  Consider using similar title, structure, subheadings, length, scope, tone, and “spin” as in your journal of choice  Consider citing journals from that field (or the journal itself) and/or scholars on that journal’s board  Never forget the journal’s intended audience  It is helpful to write using forecasting, signposting, and signaling

Reasons for rejection  Inappropriate journal  No argument  Focus too narrow/broad  Off topic  Not scholarly  Too defensive  No sufficiently original  Poor structure  Not significant  Theoretical or methodological flaw  Too many grammar/spelling errors Keep trying and don’t lose hope! A 40%-60% rejection rate is standard. It can reach 90%+ for prestigious journals.

And now for a hands-on activity…

The instant thesis maker When disagreeing with a current theory: Although ______________(general statement, opposite opinion), nevertheless __________________________ (your idea/thesis) because __________________________ (examples, evidence). When agreeing with a current theory: Many scholars argue that ________________ (your idea, thesis) and I agree because _________________(examples, evidence).

Structuring journal articles  Outline a model article in the journal and use as a guide  Suggested structures: known → unknown simple → complex, uncontested → contested general → particular, past → present  Use subheadings  Use summary  Avoid discovery or “mystery novel” structure  Organize around your main argument  Stay on topic  Develop examples evenly (balance sections)  After writing, outline your own article (reverse outlining) or draw a map of it  Have someone at the Writing Center read it

Submitting your journal article  Submit cover letter to editor on letterhead  Put article in journal’s style, following guidelines and citation method exactly  Consult pgs in Belcher’s book for full list of dos/don’ts for electronic and print submissions Congratulations on a big step!

Journal Decisions  Acceptance  Revise and resubmit (minor issues)  Revise and resubmit (larger issues)  Rejection (will entertain a resubmission)  Rejection (complete dismissal)

Sources  Belcher, Wendy. Writing your Journal Article in 12 Weeks. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publishing, Inc., (available at KU Library)  Murray, Rowena. Writing for Academic Journals. New York: McGraw-Hill Open University Press, (available at KU Library)

Need some encouragement? Come visit the Writing Center for more help!