Writing your journal article in 12 weeks: a guide to academic publishing success

Abstract

Acknowledgments Introduction: Using This Workbook Goals of the workbook. History of the workbook. Philosophy of the workbook. Pedagogy of the workbook. General instructions. Using the workbook according to your temperament, discipline, or career stage. Using the workbook by yourself, with a writing partner, in a writing group, with coauthors, or to teach a class. Feedback to the author. Week 1: Designing Your Plan for Writing Instruction: Understanding feelings about writing. Keys to positive writing experiences. Designing a plan for submitting your article in twelve weeks. Exercises: Selecting a paper for revision. Choosing your writing site. Designing your writing schedule. Anticipating and overturning writing obstacles. Week 2: Starting Your Article Instruction: Types of academic articles. Myths about publishable journal articles. What gets published and why. Abstracts as a tool for success. Getting started on your article revision. Exercises: Hammering out your topic. Rereading your paper. Drafting your abstract. Reading a model article. Revising your abstract. Week 3: Advancing Your Argument Instruction: Common reasons why journals reject articles. Main reason journal articles are rejected: no argument. Making a good argument. Organizing your article around your argument. Exercises: Drafting your argument. Reviewing your article for an argument. Revising your article around your argument. Week 4: Selecting a Journal Instruction: Good news about journals. The importance of picking the right journal. Types of academic journals: nonrecommended, questionable, and preferred. Finding suitable academic journals. Exercises: Searching for journals. Evaluating academic journals. Matching your article to suitable journals. Reading relevant journals. Writing a query letter to editors. Making a final decision about which journal. Week 5: Reviewing the Related Literature Instruction: Reading the scholarly literature. Types of scholarly literature. Strategies for getting reading done. Identifying your relationship to the related literature. Avoiding plagiarism. Writing about others' research. Exercises: Evaluating your current citations. Identifying and reading the related literature. Evaluating the related literature. Writing or revising your related literature review. Week 6: Strengthening Your Structure Instruction: On the importance of structure. Types of structures. Article structures in the social sciences and humanities. Solving structural problems. Revising for structure. Exercises: Outlining a model article. Outlining your article. Restructuring your article. Week 7: Presenting Your Evidence Instruction: Types of evidence. Writing up evidence in the social sciences. Writing up evidence in the humanities. Revising your evidence. Exercises: Discussing evidence in your field. Revisiting your evidence. Shaping your evidence around your argument. Week 8: Opening and Concluding Your Article Instruction: On the importance of openings. Revising your opening and conclusion. Exercises: Revising your title. Revising your introduction. Revisiting your abstract, related literature review, and author order. Revising your conclusion. Week 9: Giving, Getting, and Using Others' Feedback Instruction: Types of feedback. Exchanging your articles. Exercises: Sharing your article and getting feedback. Making a list of remaining tasks. Revising your article according to feedback. Week 10: Editing Your Sentences Instruction: On taking the time. Types of revising. The rules of editing. The Belcher diagnostic test. Editing your article. Exercises: Running the Belcher diagnostic test. Revising your article with the diagnostic test. Correcting other types of problem sentences. Week 11: Wrapping Up Your Article Instruction: On the perils of perfection. Finalizing your article. Exercises: Finalizing your argument, related literature review, introduction, evidence, structure, and conclusion. Week 12: Sending Your Article! Instruction: On the importance of finishing. Getting the submission ready. Exercises: Writing the cover letter. Preparing illustrations. Putting your article into the journal's style. Preparing the final print or electronic version. Send and celebrate! Week X: Responding to Journal Decisions Instruction: An exhortation. Waiting for the journal's decision. Reading the journal's decision. Types of journal decisions. Responding to journal decisions. Exercises: Evaluating and responding to the journal decision. Planning your revision. Revising your article. Drafting your revision cover letter. Requesting permissions. On the importance of persevering. End Notes Works Cited Recommended Reading Index About the Author

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