1. Developing the Mindset and Practices for Research and Scholarship
Michael E. Sherr, PhD, LCSW

2. Key Scripture Verses for Productive Writing, Research, Scholarship
The work to be done
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
The Style/Voice of publications
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:6)
The Audience, Mindset, & Spiritual Disciplines for productive scholarship
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

3. Mindset for Productive Scholarship
Always making progress
I am never behind
Always end “content and joyful” with making at least some progress each day
Writing for the present and the future
Set and reset daily, weekly, monthly goals that you meet—Remember you are never behind
Writing for life, not just for today—No need to put pressure on oneself, to cram all night, etc…
Allow yourself to ask “What if” questions. Original knowledge requires original thinking.
Reading, reviewing literature, brainstorming, processing and analyzing data are all important parts of our job, calling, that make us productive scholars.
Read, Read, Read, Read—The mindset—”As a scholar, taking time to read everyday is part of my job.” Put it on your to do list.
Always read to understand what is there and what is missing.

4. Practices for Productive Scholarship
Flexible range of words a day (I shoot for words per day. Aim for something reasonable. Something you will meet).
Could be as few as one sentence or as many as a few hundred more(but not too much more—stay in the range)
A good topic sentence can be a productive day of writing.
Remember your developing good habits for a life time of writing. Gutting it out or forcing yourself to stare at the screen or to write more, even if you feel up to it, is counterproductive for the long-term. Writing then becomes a chore and not a form of creative expression.
Prime for the next day of writing
Type the heading or the subheading of the next section you intend to write (stimulates the cognitive pre-writing)
Topic sentence

5. Practice (cont.) Reread everything everyday. I use that time to:
Think about the flow of the article/chapter
Contemplate word choice
And revision
If I spend 100 words revising, I count it toward to daily total. That means I may not write as much new material that day because I spent time/energy revising.
Never sit in front of a blank computer screen
Create outlines
Scribble on legal pads
Read
When writing findings or results sections of articles, Create tables and figures first, then write around them.
Use creative calculations to estimate daily productivity—For example, an hour analyzing data or an hour organizing content for a lit review may equal your writing goal.
Read everyday. A good day is to write a little, read a little, meet with a few students, work on teaching a little, grade a little, etc…
Don’t let grading linger—Knock it out as soon after students turn things in so it is not hanging over you as it takes away your creative energy/attention for scholarship.
Save & phone messages, until after your writing that day