Writing for Publication On the other hand a printed paper in a - PDF document

From Conference Presentation to Publication I NTRODUCTION The need for this Briefing Paper has become clear over the past two years’ experience in BEST and the topics addressed arise directly from problems faced by authors during that time. Plenty of advice exists on how to write a good paper for publication, as indicated in the resources list at the end of this sheet. However, it is not so easy to find guidance on converting a good conference presentation into a paper suitable for publication in a refereed, academic journal. Many inexperienced authors seem unaware of the differences between the two, or of the work involved in tailoring a conference presentation to a suitable format for publication. D IFFERENCES A conference presentation is essentially brief and ephemeral, designed for oral/ aural transmission. It is constrained by the conditions under which it is delivered: a restricted time allowance - often as little as 20 minutes - does not allow • for the topic to be discussed in depth; graphics and illustrations are usually PowerPoint slides or flip charts, which • can be explained or amended in the light of audience reaction; it can rely heavily on delivery using nuance, gesture and emphasis, thus there • is less emphasis on accurate language usage; it is open to question and debate, which may mean the author having to • defend his ideas ‘on his feet’ or even acknowledging amendments and changes to pre-conceptions; the author remains in control of his work and may choose to accept or reject audience input; there is no need for extensive citation or reference list. • Writing for Publication On the other hand a printed paper in a journal has none of these advantages/ disadvantages: the argument must hold up to detailed peer scrutiny over period of time; • illustrations and graphics must stand on their own without explanation of • obscurities, therefore, they must be accurate and strictly relevant to the text they illuminate; collegial input comes in the form of anonymous reiewers’ notes; • the language alone can convey emphases and • intention: it must therefore be syntactically accurate Remember: a paper and linguistically clear; read to a conference accurate and extensive citation and • audience is a very different references are required. paper from one to be published in a refereed, academic journal, It is extremely flattering to be asked to submit a It is likely to need radical paper read at a conference to a refereed journal re-writing to conform to the but the author needs to reflect carefully on the necessary structure and work, time and effort involved in the conversion. formality of a published The first thing to do is ask questions. academic paper.

What was it about your paper that was liked? • What is the deadline? • Will the paper be refereed? Do not assume that because you have been • invited to submit, the paper will be fast-tracked through to publication. What will the referees be looking for in particular? Content? Innovative • concepts? Structure? Grammar? Breadth of reference? Knowledge and use of current literature? Are these currently present in your paper, or will they need to be added? Request a copy of the publication and study it. Look carefully at the papers published. • • Note the style of writing and the intended audience. Is it narrowly focussed, using terminology known only by initiates? • Is it aimed at a particular discipline only, using terminology general • to its field? Is it aimed at a broader audience, with some familiarity with the topic? • Do they produce guidelines as to length, etc. ? If so, read and use them. • • Note particularly: the requirements for length of paper and abstract; • format of graphics and illustrations; • format of submission: if electronic, which software should be used; • whether or not a paper copy should accompany an electronic version. • is American or English spelling and grammarused? • Checklist for Ask yourself whether any of these will present problems for you. Will you have Structure the time to re-structure the paper and present it in the required format? How Audience: much extra research will you have to do? Do you have a ready list of references tone & language style. and citations? If not, it may be extremely time-consuming to verify them all. Avoidance of plagiarism. S TRUCTURE Citation/ References. As suggested above, a conference Preparing an accurate Conformity to presentation is flexible, informal and guidelines. list of citations and Deadline essentially fluid, allowing the speaker to references takes time. compliance. move freely around the paper during Findings/ delivery, to reiterate or clarify, or omit and Will you be able to meet research. move forward if time is short. It probably will Graphics format. the deadline for not have citations, references. Illustrations Language: submission? Spelling check and charts can be explained and, with the aid of Grammar PowerPoint slides, produced in colour to aid Punctuation. interpretation. Other sources. Overall Structure: Abstract The structure of a journal paper is more rigid. The argument must lead the reader Introduction clearly step-by-step; in-text citation and references are necessary and must be Argument Research produced in accordance with the journal specifications. Method. Some guidelines to requirements for a published paper. Submission format. 1. Focus around a clearly defined thesis. Tables/Graphs/ 2. Build on existing, relevant literature Figures format. 3. Define key concepts. Summary/ Conclusions/ 4. Present a concise model and discuss it in a consistent and logical manner. Recommendations

5. Provide reliable and strong data. 6. Ensure porpositions are rooted in the literature and flow logically from previously cited research. G RAPHICS , I LLUSTRATIONS AND C HARTS Checklist for These present a particular problem in the printed paper. Most academic journals Graphics are printed in 2-colour format, black and perhaps one other colour; few are in full Correct format? Correct dpi? colour which is very expensive. This means that the charts and bar graphs Graphs clearly which looked so colourful on screen or projector, in pastel shades which were defined? self-explanatory, translate into a homogenous grey blur. You will have to revisit Which drawing the originals and ensure that the differences are sharply defined by means other programme? than colour. Drawings and Figures produced in a word- Submission processing programme and photo-copied for the specifications conference, will need to be reproduced in a recognised drawing or graphics software will define the format programme for onward transmission to the and definition in which Printing service providers (PSPs). illustrations should be supplied. Format will usually be: Photographs and graphics will also *.tif. *.jpg or *.eps appear in grayscale (shades of black and Minimum definition will usually be white) and should be provided separately to 300 or 400 dpi the specified standard. The specification Check the submission guidelines will probably define the format, usually specifications carefully! *.tif, *.jpg or *.eps, and the minimum dpi (dots per inch) definition required. Editors have to be precise in these definitions because the PSPs, who do the actual printing, have strict limitations to produce optimum results on the high-tech. printers now in use and may refuse to use graphics which do not meet their specifications. Checklist for If the paper is also to be published on the web, there may be further References specifications. Which system? APA Chicago I N - TEXT C ITA TION AND R EFERENCES Harvard MLA As mentioned above, papers designed to be read aloud at conferences, do not Dates in text necessarily require full and accurate citation although, of course, full agree with acknowledgement should be made of sources used. However, verbal allusion Reference list ? will not require details of date, page number, volume etc. Authors’ names spelled correctly? Every paper published in an academic journal will need both in-text citation acknowledgement and full details in the Reference list of all sources used. BEST produces Each discipline has its own preferred method of citation practice and most very specific Schools, universities and publications offer guidelines to their own preference. submission guides Make certain that you know which system is used by the target publication and for its authors, that you adhere to it as closely as possible. The fields of Business, Management which we are always happy to and Accountancy usually use the Harvard system or a variation of it. supply and which can also be found on our website: www.business.ltsn.ac.uk.