FOR 500 The Publication Process Karl Williard & John Groninger

Publishing a Thesis as a Journal Article(s) Number and quality of journal article publications are important criteria for: – Ranking the quality of a departments research program – Assessing the quality of a faculty member’s dossier Goal – all SIUC Forestry M.S. theses will be published as a journal article, or at least a peer reviewed proceedings paper

Publication Process 1.Finished Thesis 2.Work with advisor to develop a draft of a paper 3.Choosing the most appropriate journal for your paper – basic vs. applied, regional vs. national vs. international in scope 4.Submit to a journal – most submissions are online 5.Some journals will allow you to submit suggested reviewers and/or an associate editor

Publication Process 6.Review Process – 1.Editor of the journal will assign an Associate Editor (AE) to handle the paper 2.AE will choose 3 reviewers for the paper – 1-2 weeks 3.Reviewers – AE will usually choose 1 author suggested reviewer and 2 others (reviewer database) - 1 month for review 4.AE receives 2 or 3 reviews and makes a publication recommendation to the Editor 5.Editor makes final recommendation and returns paper with the reviews 1.Accepted with minor revisions 2.Major revisions – requires a second review 3.Rejected

Publication Process 7.Revise paper w/ major advisor 8.Write your response letter to review comments – be thorough and specific. 9.Paper is accepted. 10. Galley proofs. 11. Paper is published. Online relatively quickly. Print may be 6 month to 1 year lag until published. Whole publication process may take 1 to 2 years.

Thesis Models Traditional thesis – Abstract – Acknowledgements – Introduction – objectives and hypotheses – Literature Review – very thorough – Methods – Results – Discussion – Conclusions – Management Implications – can be included in Conclusions – Future Research – Literature Cited – Appendix – with all data in tables

Thesis Models Newer Model – Abstract – Acknowledgements – Introduction – including a shorter, more focused literature review, objectives and hypotheses – Methods – study area, field methods, laboratory methods, statistical methods – Journal article chapters Abstract, Intro, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Acknowledgements, and Literature Cited – Synthesis – overall conclusions section – Management Implications – Future Research – Literature Cited – Appendix – summary tables of data, all data archived on a CD

Challenge Areas Journal Article chapters/Theses – Abstract One paragraph General intro to the topic, outlines the major results, summarizes the conclusions More general than the conclusions section Do not include detailed, quantitative results – Intro Creating a “hook” for your paper. What unique contribution does you paper make? What gap in the knowledge does it fill? – Discussion Interpret, explain your results, using literature, where appropriate, to support your interpretation. Should follow the outline of your results. Tell a story in the process, focus on the primary findings. Put your work in context, how does it compare to what others found. – Conclusions What is the overall take home message of your paper. Don’t bring in any new material here.

Thesis Writing Advice Writing a thesis can be an overwhelming task Break it down into components Make a writing timeline and stick to it Find a quiet place to write every day Consult with your advisor regularly during the process Have another grad student review your first draft before you hand it in to your advisor Give your advisor ample time to read and revise before you plan a defense There will likely be multiple revision rounds before it is ready to give to your committee Give your committee 2 weeks to read it to prepare for your defense Do all of this before your leave campus!

Preparing for a Defense Use the 2 weeks wisely to prepare for your defense. Know your thesis work and research area inside and out, including statistical methods. Class material is fair game, especially classes you took from committee members. Oral defenses can be up to 3 hours in length. Get some rest the night before.

Presenting at a Conference Choosing a meeting or conference Oral or poster presentation? Practice in front of peers or advisor, get feedback Leave time for questions Anticipate questions that will be asked