An insiders guide to getting published in research journals

1
An insiders guide to getting published in
research journals

• Dr Martyn Lawrence
• Publisher - Marketing and International Business
• Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• E-mail mlawrence_at_emeraldinsight.com
• Tel [phone]

2
Aims of the session

• To demystify the publishing process
• To provide tips, insider knowledge and key
  questions to maximize your chances of publication
• To encourage some of you to go beyond publishing,
  e.g. reviewing, book reviewing, editorial roles
• QA session ask anything!
• Follow-up were always available to help
• To get you sharing your knowledge, i.e. to get
  you writing

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Emerald Group Publishing company background

• Emerald Group Publishing Limited (formerly MCB
  University Press)
• Founded in 1967 in Bradford, West Yorkshire
• Over 200 employees. Offices in China, India,
  Malaysia, Australia, Japan, USA
• 1996 launched the Emerald Fulltext database
• 2005 launch of Emerald Management Xtra
  developed with and for business schools
• 2008 Series and Books acquisition from Elsevier

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Emerald sustaining and protecting our environment

• Emerald seeks to reduce our carbon footprint by
• Using green suppliers e.g. our printers must
  use paper that does not require excessive amounts
  of bleaches or chlorines, and printing inks that
  are vegetable-based
• Supporting sustainability - the printing
  companies we use must comply with the ISO
  140012004 standard requiring them to use paper
  produced from sustainable forests. We also
  request recycled paper stock in our printing
  specifications
• Publishing electronically we are encouraging
  our customers to purchase online to reduce
  wastage.
• Recycling - we recycle office equipment,
  cartridges, cardboard, paper, and garden waste.
  Our computers are refurbished locally and sent to
  developing countries.
• Adhering to international standards Emerald is
  currently awaiting confirmation of our ISO
  140012004 status following the recent
  environmental audit.

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The Emerald portfolio

• Journals
• 160 business and management 28 library and
  information science.
• 16 engineering, mathematical and materials
  science journals.
• 39 journals are Thomson Scientific ranked
  (formerly ISI).
• Almost all are peer reviewed (normally double
  blind), except practitioner titles.
• Electronic databases
• Emerald Management Xtra (www.emeraldinsight.com)
• Emerald Management First (first.emeraldinsight.com
  )
• Emerald Management Reviews e.g. Harvard
  Business Review, MIS Quarterly (www.emeraldinsight
  .com/reviews)
• Emerald Abstracts e.g. Computer Abstracts
  International Database (www.emeraldinsight.com/abs
  tracts)
• Books
• 241 book series
• 299 stand-alone text/reference books
• Totalling almost 2,000 titles
• Coverage
• Over 1,600 university libraries worldwide,
  including 97 of the FT top 100 business schools
  (2007 figures)
• Potential readership of 15 million

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Emeralds publishing philosophy

• We believe that good management can must make
  a better world
• We believe in inclusivity, internationality,
  innovation and independence
• A better-managed world means better government,
  better business, more equality, meritocracy of
  race, age and gender, more employment, more
  wealth
• Supportive of scholarly research
• Committed to improving author, reader and
  customer experience.
• Research you can use

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In line with current research thinking

• Key bodies such as HEFCE, AACSB and EFMD all
  espouse this goal.
• AACSB should develop mechanisms to strengthen
  interaction between academics and practicing
  managers in the production of knowledge in areas
  of greatest interest (Final report of
  international task force on Impact of Research,
  2008, recommendation 5).

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Research you can use

• Emerald publishes research that makes a
  difference through
• Application in practice
• Influencing public policy
• Use in the classroom
• Developing research in the field

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Ensuring usefulness

• Highlighting implications for practice and
  research in article abstract
• Review procedures include assessment of article
  applicability
• Emerald works with HE institutions and
  public/academic/professional associations to
  further this aim
• Emerald ensures quick/easy navigation to content
  for students, teachers, researchers and
  practitioners

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Good examples of how this has worked

• Emerald Management First (over 340k hits/month
  Jan-August 2008).
• Association links e.g. EFMD (publisher of
  choice) IFLA (our publisher is a board member)
  ERES (licensed content).
• "The high dissemination of my article on
  corporate social responsibility over 19k
  downloads 2001-2008 helped me secure further
  time and resources to pursue this extremely
  important area of research", Geoff Lantos,
  Stonehill College, USA.

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Editorial supply chain and journal management
structure journals
Publisher/Managing Editor
Production
Users
Author
Editor
Access via library Hard copy Database Third
party
Quality research papers
EAB and reviewers Solicits new papers Handles
review process Promotes journal to
peers Attends conferences Develops new areas of
coverage
QA sub-editing and proof reading Convert to
SGML for online databases Print
production Despatch Added value from publisher
The link between the publishing company and
editor Helps editors succeed in their role and
build a first class journal Overall
responsibility for journal Promotion and
marketing Attends conferences Handles
production issues
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Timetable from submission to initial feedback to
authors

• The Editor(s) do an initial read to determine if
  the subject matter and research approach of the
  manuscript is appropriate for the journal
  (approximately 1 week)
• The Editor(s) identify and contact two reviewers
  for the manuscript (approximately 1 week)
• Reviewers are usually given 6-8 weeks to complete
  their reviews
• The Editor(s) assess the reviewers' comments and
  recommendations and make a decision on the
  manuscript (approximately 2 weeks)
• Expected time from submission to review feedback
  3 - 3.5 months

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Online usage and dissemination of authors work
journals

• 60,000 articles online, over 14 years of content
  in Emerald Management Xtra
• 9,000 abstracts from 1989-1994
• Over 18 million downloads in 2007
• Nearly 2 million articles downloaded each month
  in 2008
• 63 of customer usage occurs outside the UK
• New for 2008
• Emerald Backfiles (60,000 articles from over 120
  journals)
• Emerald Series and Books
• 25 new journals

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Being published means

• Your paper is permanent published material
  enters a permanent and accessible knowledge
  archive the body of knowledge
• Your paper is improved through the
  interventions of editors, reviewers, sub-editors
  and proof-readers
• Your paper is actively promoted it becomes
  available to a far greater audience
• Your writing is trustworthy material which has
  been published carries a QA stamp. Someone apart
  from the author thinks its good

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Ideas where to start

• As well as traditional research
• Are you working on a Doctoral or Masters thesis?
• Have you completed a project which concluded
  successfully?
• Are you wrestling with a problem with no clear
  solution?
• Do you have an opinion or observation on a
  subject?
• Have you given a presentation or conference
  paper?
• If so, you have the basis for a publishable paper

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Target!
Many papers are rejected because they simply
dont fulfil journal requirements. They dont
even go into the review process.

• Identify a few possible target journals but be
  realistic
• Follow the Author Guidelines scope, type of
  paper, word length, references style, etc
• Find where to send your paper (editor, regional
  editor, subject area editor)
• and how to send it (email, hard copy, online
  submission)
• Send an outline or abstract to editor is it
  suitable? how can it be made so?
• Read at least one issue of the journal

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Example of author guidelines
Every journal published will have detailed notes
and guidelines
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Editors and reviewers look for

• Originality whats new about subject, treatment
  or results?
• Relevance to and extension of existing knowledge
• Research methodology are conclusions valid and
  objective?
• Clarity, structure and quality of writing does
  it communicate well?
• Sound, logical progression of argument
• Theoretical and practical implications (the so
  what? factors!)
• Recency and relevance of references
• Adherence to the editorial scope and objectives
  of the journal

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Thomson Reuters (ISI)

• Thomson Reuters is a subsidiary of the Thomson
  Group and is based in Philadelphia, USA
• Thomson Reuters ISI Web of Science database
  scores 9,000 selected journals with Impact
  Factors based on journal citations
• The latest Thomson Reuters statistics were
  published in June 2008 for the year 2007
• Emerald currently has 40 journals ranked on what
  is still commonly known as ISI

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Thomson Reuters (ISI)What does ISI do?

• What is commonly referred to by academics as
  ISI, SSCI or Impact Factors is actually
  named Thomson Reuters (and more specifically,
  Journal Citation Reports or JCR)
• These reports index and rank the journals it has
  on its ISI Web of Knowledge and is a collection
  of bibliographic information of over 9,000
  evaluated scholarly journals
• Currently, Emerald has 40 journals on ISI, i.e.
  they can be accessed through the ISI Web of
  Science and are/will be included in the Journal
  Citation Reports

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Thomson Reuters (ISI)What is an Impact Factor?

• Journals are ranked in the JCR depending on how
  many times the articles included in that journal
  are cited in other ISI-ranked journals. The
  ranking is published every June and corresponds
  to the previous years data.
• ISI uses a calculation of citation data over a
  three year period to produce an Impact Factor for
  a given year.
• For example, the Impact Factor for the Journal of
  Documentation (Emeralds highest ranked journal)
  is 1.309 and relates to 2007.

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Thomson Reuters (ISI)How are Impact Factor
calculations made?

• ISI uses the following equation to work out the
  impact factor of a particular journal
• A 2006 cites to articles published only in
  2004-2005 in a given journal
• B number of articles published in 2004-2005 in
  a given journalA/B 2006 impact factor for the
  journalUsing the Journal of Management Genius
  as an example, there were 20 citations in 2006 in
  other ISI journals from its 2004-2005 issues (A).
  In this two-year period there were 60 articles
  published (B), which meant that the impact factor
  for Journal of Management Genius in 2006 was
  20/60 0.333 A 2006 cites (20)B articles
  published (60)A/B 2006 impact factor (0.333)

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Journal rankings

• ISI is the most well known ranking, BUT
• It is heavily biased towards North America
• Citations are a good, but not complete, guide to
  quality
• Usage is a better measure of utility
• Other factors to consider are recent articles,
  most communicative, societies and
  internationality
• In your publishing, be political (e.g. national
  vs international) and strategic (e.g. five
  articles in low ranked journals vs one in top
  ranked journal)

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Some essentials of a research paper

• Purpose of the paper/Introduction
• Research methodology used the whys and hows
• Literature review critical examination of what
  has gone before
• References should be
• complete
• consistent with the style used in the journal
• included in the list (anything not cited can be
  listed as further reading)
• Argument and findings
• Conclusion should restate the purpose,
  encapsulate the main findings and include the
  most interesting bits

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Emerald uses structured abstracts

• A structured abstract in 250 words or less (no
  more than 100 in any one section)
• Purpose Reasons/aims of paper
• Design Methodology/how it was done/scope of
  study
• Findings Discussion/results
• Research limitations/Implications
  Exclusions/next steps
• Practical implications Applications to
  practice/So what?
• Originality/value Who would benefit from this
  and what is new about it?
• www.emeraldinsight.com/structuredabstracts

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Some key questions

• Readability Does it communicate? Is it clear?
  Is there a logical progression without
  unnecessary duplication?
• Originality Why was it written? Whats new?
• Credibility Are the conclusions valid? Is the
  methodology robust? Can it be replicated? Is it
  honest dont hide any limitations of the
  research? Youll be found out.
• Applicability How do findings apply to the
  world of practice? Does it pinpoint the way
  forward for future research?
• Internationality Does it take an international,
  global perspective?

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Your own peer review

• Let someone else see it show a draft to one or
  more friends or colleagues and ask for their
  comments, advice and honest criticism
• We are always too close to our own work to see
  its failings
• Always proof-check thoroughly no incorrect
  spellings, no incomplete references. Spell
  checkers are not fool-proof

Spot the error
Leads Metropolitan University
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Co-authorship as a possibility

• With supervisor, across departments, someone from
  a different institution
• Demonstrates the authority and rigour of the
  research
• Especially useful for cross-disciplinary research
• Ensure paper is checked and edited so that it
  reads as one voice
• Exploit your individual strengths
• Agree and clarify order of appearance of authors
  and the person taking on the role of
  corresponding author

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Improve electronic dissemination by

• Using short descriptive title containing main
  keyword dont mislead
• Writing a clear and descriptive abstract
  containing the main keywords and following any
  instructions as to content and length
• Providing relevant and known keywords not
  obscure new jargon
• Making your references complete and correct
  vital for reference linking and citation indices
• Ensuring your paper is word-perfect

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Revising

• A request for revision is good news! It really is
• You are now in the publishing cycle. Nearly every
  published paper is revised at least once
• Dont panic!
• Even if the comments are sharp or discouraging,
  they arent personal

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Process of acceptance for a journal just one
example
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How to revise your paper

• Acknowledge the editor and set a revision
  deadline
• Clarify understanding if in doubt This is what
  I understand the comments to mean
• Consult with colleagues or co-authors and tend to
  the points as requested
• Meet the revision deadline
• Attach a covering letter which identifies, point
  by point, how revision requests have been met (or
  if not, why not)

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If your paper is rejected

• Ask why, and listen carefully!Most editors will
  give detailed comments about a rejected paper.
  Take a deep breath, and listen to what is being
  said
• Try again!Try to improve the paper, and
  re-submit elsewhere. Do your homework and target
  your paper as closely as possible
• Dont give up!At least 50 of papers in business
  and management dont get published. Everybody has
  been rejected at least once
• Keep trying!

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The Emerald Literati Network

• More than 60,000 authors worldwide are members
  a huge expert network
• Authors Charter uniquely provides authors with
  a range of benefits and sets out levels of
  service
• Complimentary journal issue and five reprints
  upon publication
• Calls for Papers and news of publishing
  opportunities
• Editing service
• Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards
• Research Fund Awards
• Annual Awards for Excellence
• www.emeraldinsight.com/literatiwww.emeraldins
  ight.com/awards

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Emerald Management Xtra authors resources

• Comprehensive help and advice every step of the
  way
• How to guides
• Meet the Editor interviews and editor news
• Premium help with placing your paper for
  publication
• Publishing opportunities and Calls for Papers
• www.emeraldinsight.com/authors

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Other useful resources

• www.isiwebofknowledge.com (ISI ranking lists and
  impact factors)
• www.harzing.com (Anne-Wil Harzing's site about
  academic publishing and the assessment of
  research and journal quality, as well as software
  to conduct citation analysis)
• www.scopus.com (abstract and citation database of
  research literature and quality web sources)
• www.cabells.com (addresses, phone, e-mail and
  websites for a large number of journals as well
  as information on publication guidelines and
  review information)

What do you use?
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Beyond authorship

• Other important journal publishing work that you
  might wish to get involved in includes
• Book reviewing
• Refereeing/peer review
• Editorial advisory board membership
• Contributing editorship
• Regional editorship
• Editorship
• For details of opportunities in this area please
  do get in touch with us!

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Talk to us, use us!

• Tell us how we can help you talk to us, give us
  ideas
• Register with Emerald Research Connectionswww.eme
  raldinsight.com/connections
• Register with Emerald InTouchhttp//intouch.emera
  ldinsight.com
• Use the Emerald Literati Network
• Use Emerald Management Xtra

Write for us!
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Thank you. Any questions?

• For any answers you didnt get today
• please e-mail, write or phone
• Dr Martyn Lawrence atmlawrence_at_emeraldinsight.co
  mEmerald Group Publishing Limited, Howard House,
  Bingley, BD16 1WA, United Kingdom
• Tel [phone]