Writing for Peer Reviewed Journals: Strategies for getting published

About the Book

Building on their successful book Helping doctoral students write: pedagogies for supervision the authors here focus on a writing task that is increasingly required of doctoral students and is a necessity for early career researchers and more experienced writers alike. They present a theorized approach to writing combined with strategies designed to assist the writer to move through the various intellectual and practical phases of writing a journal article. Ideal for anyone concerned about getting published: readers are likely to be early career academics or coming from a practice base into higher education. Some however may well be more experienced but still feel in need of further information. This text is multi-disciplinary, with detailed examples reflecting the various groups with whom the authors have worked with in the workshops they have run for writers in universities in several countries-- the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the United States and will the book is illustrated throughout with examples from a wide range of disciplines. The text is lively; using a combination of personal stories, student texts, published texts and extracts from interviews with journal editors and publishers. Written in an accessible style, one which does not use the patronizing 'you' of advice books, it offers instead a collegial approach to a task which is difficult for most scholars, regardless of their years of experience. Unlike books already on the market, the authors do not take a "tips and tricks" approach which tends to simplify what is at stake in getting published. They emphasise the identity work that is involved in becoming a published writer- rather than assume it is a straightforward matter of following rules. And they look at struggles - the significant work involved -- both textual and emotional. Academic writing is never easy but with the correct strategies it can be made easier.

Table of Contents:

Introduction. Why this Book Now? 1. The Writer 2. The Reader 3. What's the Contribution? 4. So What? Who Cares? 5. Beginning Work 6. Refining the Arguement 7. Engaging with Reviewers and Editors 8. Writing Together 9. Living Hand to Mouse

About the Author :
Pat Thomson is Professor of Education in the School of Education, The University of Nottingham where she is Director of the Centre for Research in Schools and Communities and the incoming Director of the Centre for Advanced Studies for the Faculties of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. She is a Visiting Professor at University of South Australia and Deakin University, Australia. She is an Editor of Educational Action Research Journal (Taylor and Francis) and training coordinator of the British Educational Research Association. Her research focuses primarily on school and community change with a particular emphasis on the work of head teachers, the role of arts and creativity and the educational outcomes for vulnerable children and young people. She also works in the area of doctoral and early career research education and academic writing. Her most recent work is a suite of texts on creative learning - Researching Creative Learning: Methods and Issues (edited with Julian Sefton Green, 2010, Routledge), The Routledge International Handbook of Creative Learning (edited with Julian Sefton Green , Ken Jones and Liora Bresler, in press) and the David Fulton Creative Learning series ( Series Editor with Julian Sefton Green and Naranee Ruthra Rajan). Two Routledge doctoral handbooks, edited with Melanie Walker were also published in 2010. A further edited collection with Terry Wrigley and Bob Lingard, Changing Schools: alternative approaches to make a world of difference (Routledge) is also in press. Barbara Kamler is Emeritus Professor at Deakin University, Melbourne and Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney. She is a poet, linguist and a researcher of writing practices across the life span, from early childhood to old age, in primary, secondary, university and community contexts. She currently conducts academic writing workshops and retreats for doctoral, early and mid career academics seeking to increase their publication know how and profile. Her most recent Routledge book publications include Helping doctoral students write: Pedagogies for supervision (with Pat Thomson, Routledge, 2006) and Publishing pedagogies for the doctorate and beyond (co-edited with Claire Aitchison and Alison Lee, Routledge, 2010). Together and separately Kamler and Thomson have conducted writing workshops for AARE, BERA, ECER and AERA, and for universities in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, England, US, Canada, Denmark, Norway, South Africa and Sweden.

Review :

"Their intention to support and enable writers to write well and with confidence has been achieved. In a full field of books concerned with helping writers, this is a positive, well-written, authoritative and very gentle book. Sound practical advice is presented in a knowledgeable and generous manner that promotes confidence in their suggestions and guidance. Pat Thomson and Barbara Kalmer clearly enjoyed writing this book. I really enjoyed reading it and now it sits on my shelf as a key reference and a book of encouragement".- John Senior, Gifted Education International

"Based on their long history of publishing, reviewing, editing and facilitating workshops, Pat Thomson and Barbara Kamler have written a very helpful book for anyone who wants to publish in international academic journals. The authors address a wide audience ranging from researchers in the beginning of their career to even experienced scholars for whom this book can be very helpful in their role as supervisors of research work."- Danny Wildemeersch, European Journal for Research on the Education and Learning of Adults