Publishing tips

Academics offer insight and advice on how to get published and many related topics including peer review, open access, the ‘push to publish’ and IP

Four people use illustrated megaphones to shout at each other

Approach with caution: why education faculty should engage public intellectualism

The public debate on intellectualism is failing to consider education experts. Ali and Davin Carr-Chellman find the ways to reclaim the narrative

Ali Carr-Chellman, Davin Carr-Chellman

University of Dayton

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HARKing forward: an argument for a polarising research practice

Hypothesising (or proposing) after results are known is seen as going against scientific principles. Here, however, Yehuda Barach argues for its use in the name of unhindered enquiry and discovery when the scholarship is transparent and properly reported

Yehuda Baruch

University of Southampton

Young man writing on a laptop

What is your academic writing temperament?

Many early career researchers struggle to write enough. The key is to move away from an abstract notion of productivity and towards a productive writing process, explains Rachael Cayley. Here, she offers questions to help ECRs find their writing rhythm

Rachael Cayley

University of Toronto

Unhappy Asian man reading document

Give your academic paper its best chance of being accepted

Peer review is a key step in the journey to publication in that prestigious journal, but not every paper gets to this stage. Here are key reasons for desk rejection and how to avoid them

Cheong Fan

Macau University of Science and Technology

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Life after publication: promote your work for maximum impact

Seeing your work in print is by no means the end of the story. Chris Tancock offers advice on how you can make your published work stand out and benefit from the broadest visibility

Christopher Tancock

Elsevier

Lightbulb moment

Universities and academics need to make space for ‘useless’ research

The academic race for short-term results and practical applications must be balanced with research that can, in due time, become incredibly useful, writes James Derounian

James Derounian

De Montfort University

Vintage lock and keys

Is open access tarnished?

As open access terms have split into colour-coded brands, not all allow totally unrestricted access and reuse. Among these, “bronze OA” stands out as a potentially damaging misnomer, writes Steven Vidovic

Steven U. Vidovic

University of Southampton

Unlocking padlock and open access publishing

Open access is inevitable – only the ‘how’ remains up for discussion

Scholarly knowledge is produced mainly at taxpayers’ expense. Why they should have to pay again to read it remains a mystery, writes Peter Baldwin

Peter Baldwin

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), New York University

Man climbing up-and-down graph-like staircase

How to sustain a journal and beat the academic publishing racket

Starting a journal is hard enough – keeping it going is an ongoing challenge. Here’s how to maintain success in academic publishing

James Williams, Asma Mohseni

University of Derby

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A DIY guide to starting your own journal

An antidote to frustrations with traditional academic publishing might be to launch a grass-roots open access journal. Here are the steps to consider

Judith Johnson

University of Leeds

Woman academic working at her laptop

Ten tips to succeed in publishing in English as a second language

English is now selected five times as often as the authors’ national language for journal article publication. Christopher Tancock explains how you can get published even if English is not your first language

Christopher Tancock

Elsevier

Illustration of robot framed by screen acting as editor to writer at laptop

Not replacing but enhancing: using ChatGPT for academic writing

Generative AI and how it can be used for plagiarism has provoked fear in higher education. However, the technology can also improve and accelerate your writing process if it is applied in a constructive, positive manner

Brooke Szücs

The University of Queensland

open welcome sign on a glass door

Strategies to maximise the benefits of open research

Sharing data, publishing preprints and making research outputs freely available all have tangible benefits for individual scientists and society. Here are tips to get started

Tariq Al-Musawi

Al-Mustaqbal University

Books and papers piled around an empty notepad with a pencil poised to write

Making the abstract concrete

Strategies for writing effective abstracts for conference and research papers

Steven Bateman, Yingchun Li

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A reading through a book manuscript

How to pitch a book to an academic publisher

Key considerations for researchers when choosing an academic publisher and preparing their pitch

Victoria Pittman

The University of Bristol

Rubber ducks in a row illustrating reproducible research

How to publish responsible reproducible research

Scientific publishing includes not just the manuscript but also data, computer code and lab protocols. Here, Laurent Heirendt shares practical advice that your research institute can follow to publish research results that are reproducible

Laurent Heirendt

University of Luxembourg

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Three ways to refresh your academic writing

To answer the common question posed by researchers, ‘how can I improve my academic writing?’, Anne Wilson outlines three simple steps that can help

Anne Wilson

Royal Literary Fund

Illustration of man at laptop surrounded by graphic elements

Creating an impactful visual abstract with no design experience

The basic principles of design offer guidelines for creating a scientific visual abstract. This guide will take you from blank space to eye-catching, easy-to-understand graphics

Lipsa Panda

Elsevier

Writing an abstract concept illustration funnel and laptop

Read this before you write your abstract

The abstract is arguably the most important element of a scholarly article, so it should be informative, meaningful and impactful. Michael Willis gives two objectives, and practical tips, to keep in mind

Michael Willis

Wiley

Improving research culture at universities

To improve research culture, we must change the way we measure performance

Jo Cresswell explains how universities can support more collaborative cultures by changing the way academics are reviewed, assessed and rewarded

Jo Cresswell

Dr Joanne Cresswell Coaching

Knocking down the house of policy impact in higher education

It’s high time we rethought policy impact

The frameworks currently in use for rewarding policy impact are peppered with problems and pitfalls – here’s how to fix them, says Christina Boswell

Christina Boswell

The University of Edinburgh

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How much should you publish?

For reputation or promotion? Book or peer-reviewed journal? Publishing is a high-stakes issue for academics. Catherine Léglu looks at scholars’ motivations to publish, where and how often

Catherine Léglu

University of Luxembourg

Woman holds magnifying glass over paper

Don’t be cruel: how to write a fair peer review report

Not every comment in a peer review report will be positive, but it is possible to highlight weaknesses and errors in a journal article while being constructive. After all, behind every manuscript are authors who have ploughed time and effort into the submission

Sin Wang Chong, Shannon Mason

The University of Edinburgh, Nagasaki University

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Great citations: how to avoid referencing questionable evidence

Researchers don’t always stick to careful citation practices and occasionally cite evidence that has been questioned or even retracted. Find practical tips on how to avoid citing faulty evidence and maintain good citation hygiene

Dmitry Malkov

Elsevier

Woman checking a research paper

The evolving meaning of ‘corresponding authorship’ in research

How the role of the corresponding author is changing in terms of research team dynamics and the perception of its meaning, and the implications for assuming the role

Rachel Herbert, Alison McIntosh

Elsevier, University of St Andrews

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Peer review is frustrating and flawed – here’s how we can fix it

What would peer review 2.0 look like? Mark Humphries offers ways to optimise the process for better efficiency and research outcomes

Mark Humphries

University of Nottingham

Academic research and publishing can be difficult to navigate for early career researchers

Are you ready to publish? Top tips on how to prepare your manuscript

From explaining the publishing cycle to outlining what makes a strong manuscript, Jing Tang walks ECRs through key steps when preparing to publish for the first time

Jing Tang

Elsevier

Amplifying your research paper can be achieved if you are ready to be proactive

How to be proactive when amplifying research papers

Conferences might be the first thought, but there are many options for furthering your paper’s reach – and they usually require you to take the lead

Ashleigh Johnstone

Arden University

Magnifying-glass-over-scrambled-block-letters

Streamline your research using academic search engines

Specialist search engines can put the most relevant literature at your fingertips, but which is the best one for you, and how can you optimise your searches?

Jack Wang

The University of Queensland

Image of a book to illustrate ways to get published beyond academia

How to get a book published outside academia

Lexi Stadlen shares advice on how to turn your academic research into a commercially published book and reach audiences beyond academia

Lexi Stadlen

Independent academic

A confused signpost

How I plan to get through REF results day

If the results don’t deliver what we think we’ve earned, it will be a blow, but it won’t change the fact that what we do matters, says John McKendrick

John McKendrick

Glasgow Caledonian University

Line of open doors on blue background

Why does open access make publishing more complicated?

The shift towards open-access publishing can leave students and researchers confused. Here, a group of research facilitators answer the most common questions about the new publication landscape – and sum up where we stand

Inma Peral, Maël Guennou

University of Luxembourg

Man reading rejection letter

What to do when an academic journal rejects your article

Nobody likes negative feedback but rejection is not all bad. Here is how to see rejection of your article by a peer-reviewed journal as an opportunity

Catherine Léglu

University of Luxembourg

woman typing on laptop

What is peer review and why it is important?

Peer review is the lifeblood of good science. But understanding the process can take time, and gaining review experience can be daunting. Marc Gillett explains the key elements of this critical component of science

Marc Gillett

IOP Publishing

University academics can be bad communicators - and this can be a problem when trying to engage industry

External engagement in academia: lessons from the business world

Many academics see external engagement as a chore. Others are just unable to appreciate industry perspectives. Both are stifling the contribution of universities

Kumud Wijayaratna , Ed Cottam

Northumbria University

Lighthouse illustrating thought leadership

How thought leadership can build your institution’s reputation online

Will Harvey explains how institutions can use research proactively to enhance the perception of their capabilities and character

Will Harvey

The University of Exeter

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

Making practice publishable: a journal article-cum-podcast

Helen Wolfenden from Macquarie University presents a podcast offering advice on publishing or communicating research in new formats beyond the scope of traditional academic journals

Helen Wolfenden

Macquarie University