Journal article process

1
Journal article process

• Why submit?
• Types of articles
• Refereed article
• Refereed proceedings
• Applied Geography
• Unrefereed proceedings
• Unrefereed articles
• Trade journals, magazines, etc.

2
Journal article process

• Preparation of manuscript
• Pay attention to the style guide
• Proper format
• Footnotes/endnotes
• Citation format
• Tables and figures usually go at end
• Some journals have word limits
• What is the proper length?
• How to be concise?
• Would it be better as 2 articles?

3
Journal article process

• Selection of journal
• Most readership?
• International vs. National vs. Regional
• Broad (Annals of AAG) or specific
• Refereed journal/proceedings/unrefereed
• JIF Journal Impact Factor
• Citations / Articles / Year
• Online vs. print journals
• Seek diversity of journals
• Aim high

4
Journal article process

• Submission
• Article
• Figures
• May be part of document or uploaded separately
• Cover letter
• Suggested reviewers and editors
• In most cases now, done entirely electronically

5
Journal article process

• Wait, wait, wait
• Editor in chief reviews article
• Assigns to Field Editor
• Field Editor solicits reviewers
• Most people blow off the invitation
• Field Editor harasses late reviewers
• Field Editor synthesizes reviews
• Editor in Chief sends out decision to author
• Process can take up to 6 months (or more)
• You may inquire as to the articles status after
  a few months, but dont harass!

6
Journal article process

• Article may be rejected before review if
• Formatting significantly different from journal
  standards
• Sections not defined as journal recommends
• English poor
• Sections entirely missing or inadequate (e.g. no
  methodology)
• Research not significant
• Research not suitable for particular journal

7
Journal article process

• The decision
• Outright reject
• Probably best to consider another journal
• Reject and resubmit
• Consider another journal or overhaul document
• Major revision
• Minor revision
• Definitions on these vary
• Accept as is
• Dont expect this on your first attempt

8
Journal article process

• The reviews
• Should be from qualified people in the field
• May include people you suggest as well as those
  you cite
• At least 2, up to 4
• Almost always anonymous
• Some journals double-blind
• Sometimes they match, sometimes they dont

9
Journal article process

• The reviews
• What they cover
• Should cover validity of your research
• May also cover minor comments such as grammar
• What they do not cover
• Are not to be utilized as proofreaders
• Length
• Anywhere from one paragraph to several pages
• Tone
• Anywhere from nice to nasty

10
Journal article process

• Revision
• You do not have to include everything a reviewer
  suggests, but
• If you dont, you need to defend why you didnt
• May include modifications to document itself
  and/or different or new analysis
• Revision consists of new draft and response to
  reviewers
• Usually there is a time limit (c. 90 days)

11
Journal article process

• Revision review
• Editors reserve right to either
• Not send out to reviewers at all
• Send out to same reviewers
• Send out to new reviewers
• Usually fewer in number

12
Journal article process

• Revision decision
• Accept as is
• Move on
• Reject
• Move elsewhere
• Minor/Major revisions needed (still)
• Process iterates
• May take up to 3-4 revisions

13
Journal article process

• If rejected
• Choose a different journal
• Overhaul based on criticisms
• Give up on getting it published
• If accepted
• May be edited further by journal itself
• Placed into final format by journal staff
• Will likely require hi-res images
• You will see page proofs to go over

14
Journal article process

• Once approved
• Enters publication queue
• In many cases, appears online beforehand Online
  First
• Entire process
• Exhausting
• Frustrating
• Enlightening your final document will be better
• Lengthy (make take up to 18 months)

15
Journal article process

• Things not to do if you want your article
  accepted
• Directly put down other research
• Ignore other research / inadequate literature
  review
• Insert too much jargon / make too basic
• Put down reviewers
• Harass the editors
• Lack of originality
• Lack of focus
• Not convince readers theyve learned something

16
Journal article process

• Discipline and hierarchy are important
• Easier to get published once youre established
  in field
• Some disciplines more provincial than others
• Review process is an imperfect science
• NOTE You CANNOT have the same manuscript
  submitted in more than one place at one time

17
Comments by grad students

• Turn-around time
• Difference between i.e. and e.g. and when to use
  each
• Total time it takes to write a journal article
• Exact citing procedures
• Common table formats
• Common submission procedures like including
  figures at the end of the document or some
  journals have an exact style
• How to write a journal article - limit focus -
  start with lit review, past studies, what has
  been done before, and what makes your article
  worthwhile.....SELL IT!  I think this was the
  roughest transition for me - it is not a class
  paper where i would just dive right into my
  introduction methodology and then results
• not to be intimidated - I was never encouraged to
  submit anything I had done until I got to Kent -
  and some of the things I did before here were
  decent.

18
Comments by grad students

• Selecting the right outlet!  Who should read
  this?  Am I being too ambitious or is this really
  good stuff?  Some of the graduate students in
  this department are confused and intimidated
  right now.  is a conference proceedings article
  worth more than a journal article when you are on
  the job market   quantity or quality?
• In the case of a thesis or dissertation,
  condensing the research into 10 to 15 pages was
  very challenging for me 
• The submission process is rather cumbersome.  All
  tables, figures, photos, and description of each
  are submitted separately
• Thick skin, harsh comments and criticisms
• Length of the process
• Number of rewrites and further analysis of the
  data may be required
• Identifying key words
• Designing figures to be represented in black
  white and not color