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April 13, 2006

Books, Journals & More

Getting published: Some advice on how to start

The 19th-century English aphorist Charles Caleb Colton is credited with the saying “There are three difficulties in authorship: to write anything worth publishing, to find honest men to publish it and to find sensible men to read it."

Perhaps no one knows those difficulties more keenly than newly minted scholars seeking publication for the first time.

But, say University librarians, aspiring authors need not go it alone. Colleagues and advisers can be great sources of assistance, but librarians also can help with the how-tos.

“A lot of folks, mostly students and junior faculty, have a common set of questions about the practical aspects of getting an article published,” said Health Sciences Library System (HSLS) reference librarian Mary Lou Klem. “Thinking about the types of questions we get asked on a regular basis, there seemed to be a cluster of them regarding getting articles published,” she said.

With those practical questions in mind, HSLS developed a program for its popular Lunch With a Librarian series in which Klem outlines tips for aspiring authors in the health sciences fields. (A schedule is available at www.hsls.pitt.edu by clicking on “instruction.”)

Advisers and mentors certainly can help with getting a first article published, but, Klem told a recent lunchtime audience, “There are things librarians know that others don’t.” And Klem can empathize as well as sympathize with fearful first-timers. She also holds a doctorate in clinical psychology. “I’ve been through the trauma of sending in that first paper,” she said.

Among the important issues is determining where to send your manuscript, Klem said. She suggested writers perform a literature search on their topic to see which scholarly journals emerge most frequently. “You might want to think about submitting to them,” she said.

Journal directories such as ulrichsweb.com can provide further information for authors, such as the journal’s content and editorial focus, whether it’s refereed or peer-reviewed, and a list of databases where the journal is indexed.

The HSLS home page at www.hsls.pitt.edu contains a link to the ISI Web of Knowledge, which Klem said can provide important statistics in its journal citation reports. The “impact factor” rating shows the average number of times that articles from a particular journal have been cited in a given year. The “immediacy index” figure shows the average number of times an article was cited in the year it was published.

“For both numbers, the higher they are, the better,” she said.

From a practical standpoint, style guides (available at library reference desks) are indispensable in helping writers get their manuscript into the form acceptable to a journal editor. Styles vary by field. For instance, many health sciences journals use Vancouver style, while liberal arts publications may prefer MLA (Modern Language Association) style.

“They describe in sometimes horrifying detail how to do everything… except the thing you need to do,” Klem said, tongue-in-cheek.

Writing guides are useful in helping new authors tighten and polish their work. The guides can be found in libraries or by conducting an on-line search on writing about a particular field.

But there’s more to writing than publishing in scholarly journals. George H. Pike , assistant professor of law and director of the Barco Law Library, suggests that aspiring writers think outside the box. Initial outlets for publication might not be full-fledged peer-reviewed journals, but could include trade papers, magazines or other journals. “It builds name recognition and builds your CV in a sense,” he said. He also advised new writers to let their colleagues know what they’re up to in order to help make connections with potential publishers.

“People write for the purpose of scholarship, for tenure and for contributing to their profession,” said Pike, who authors the “Legal Issues” column for the monthly information services trade paper Information Today.

Pike suggested new writers pay particular attention to the quality of the initial material they submit, and encouraged them to aim high. “Don’t be hesitant to write the big piece,” he said. “As soon as you have a substantial outline, start pitching it.”

He said librarians can help users find databases that list the major publishers in a particular field, which can be a valuable resource.

“Every profession has its pecking order,” he said of journals and their reputations. “If you get published in Harvard Law Review, it’s better than a lot of other journals,” he said. The other side to the coin: “Not a lot of people get published there.”

Pike noted that on-line publishing is gaining in terms of size and reputation and can be a good place for a young author to develop name recognition.

“Find out who and what the open source archives are,” he said. For example, the Social Science Resource Network at www.ssrn.com on line is an example for liberal arts fields. “It essentially exists to publish articles directly from the participating authors. It allows you to submit substantive articles, not fly-by-night work,” he said.

And don’t look down your nose at blogs, self-authored on-line journals meant for public consumption and comment. “If you’re really interested in a subject, start a blog,” he said. “Some bloggers publish fairly serious content.”

Pike also advised aspiring writers not to fear posting comments on blogs. “It’s up and coming,” he said.

“A tenure committee may not declare it to be the equivalent of publication, but it gets you name recognition and feedback,” he said of on-line publication options.

Once published, Pike suggests Googling one’s self periodically — searching on line for your own name — to learn who may be citing or referencing your work.

The initial efforts may come home to roost once you’ve built a reputation. “The folks I’ve been writing for largely found me,” he said.

—Kimberly K. Barlow


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