“The Academic Review Process: How Can We Make It More Efficient?” Ofer H. Azar. American Economist 50:1 (Spring 2006):37(14). Draft linked online.
ABSTRACT: “Recently many editors try to reduce the turnaround times of academic journals. Shorter turnaround times, however, will induce many additional submissions of low-quality papers, increasing significantly the workload of editors and referees, and the number of rejections prior to publication. I suggest several ideas how editors can shorten turnaround times and four ideas how they can still avoid frivolous submissions, thus improving the review process efficiency: higher submission fees; requiring authors to review papers in proportion to their submissions; using differential editorial delay – letting low-quality papers wait more; and banning papers from being submitted after a certain number of rejections.
“Back to Basics: Twelve Rules for Writing a Publishable Article,” by David Thunder.
PS: Political Science and Politics. 37:3 (Jul 2004):493-495. Also available on JSTOR
“Be brave, rip up your life’s work,” by Harriet Swain. Times Higher Education Supplement 58:2(Sept 16, 2005).
“Advice for academics who want to get their PhD thesis published. Tips include rewriting the thesis in a form that will be more interesting to a general reader, finding the story within the thesis, identifying gaps in the market, listening to the advice of others and learning to sell both yourself and your idea.”
“Benefits of writing with students,” by Brian K. Payne & Elizabeth Monk-Turner.
Academic Exchange Quarterly 9:1 (Spring 2005): p282(5).
“In this paper, we discuss our positive experiences from co-authoring with undergraduate students. Student and faculty are addressed.”
“Core Authors and Rankings in Economics.” (Statistical Data Included) Gaines H. Liner. Atlantic Economic Journal 29:4 (Dec 2001): 459(10).
“A Formula for Successful Scholarly Publishing,” by RC Rowson. Journal of Scholarly Publishing, 25:2 (Jan 1994): 67-78.
“A Graduate Student’s Guide to Publishing Scholarly Journal Articles,” by Donna Lee Van Cott. PS: Political Science and Politics 38:4 (Oct 2005): 741-743.
Copy and paste this link for first page – Available via JSTOR. http://www.jstor.org/pss/30044359
“Graduate Training and Research Productivity in the 1990s: A Look at Who Publishes,” by James M McCormick; Tom W Rice PS (American Political Science Ass’n) (Sept 2001):675-680.
Available on JSTOR
“The relationship between reputational rankings of political science departments and their scholarly productivity remains a source of discussion and controversy. McCormick and Rice address the question of the relationship between reputation and productivity for political science departments, but their approach differs from earlier studies in several ways.”
“How Are the Mighty Fallen: Rejected Classic Articles by Leading Economists,” by Joshua Gans and George Shepard. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 8:1 (Winter 1994): 165-179.
“This paper is at once hilarious and sobering.”
“How Many Authors Does it Take to Publish an Article? Trends and Patterns in Political Science,” by Bonnie S. Fisher, Craig Cobane, & Thomas M. Vander Ven. PS 31:4 (Dec. 1998):847-56.
If link does not upload, copy and paste link for first page; full text available on JSTOR.
http://www.jstor.org/pss/420730
“A study was conducted analyzing trends and patterns of multiple-authored journal articles in political science over time. Data were collected from articles published in three political journals–American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, and Journal of Politics. Findings indicated that approximately half of all the articles published in political science journals are multiple authored, representing a jump of 42 percent since the 1950s. It is suggested that multiple authorship is becoming the norm within political science.”
How to Publish a Book – from a special section of PS: Political Science and Politics
(Oct 2005) with several good articles about book publishing: Available from JSTOR.
“A Guide to Publishing Your First Book: The Ins and Outs of Obtaining a Book Contract, by Alana S. Jeydel. PS: Political Science and Politics 38:4(2005): 745-746.
“Arranging the Right Book Contract,” by David S. Meyer. PS: Political Science & Politics 38:4(2005): 746-746.
“Seven Modest Tips on Publishing,” by Robert J. Spitzer. PS: Political Science & Politics 38:4(2005): 746-747.
“The Other End of the Telescope (Tips from an Editor), by Peter Labella.
PS: Political Science & Politics 38:4(2005): 747-748.
“How to Publish in a “Good” Journal,” by Daniel S. Hamermesh. Online article.
“An outline of powerpoint slides from his talk on this topic. Interesting for discussion but not completely informative in this format.”
“How to Publish in Scholarly Journals,” by Janette K. Klingner, David Scanlon & Michael Pressley. Educational Researcher 34:8 (Nov 2005):14-20.
Also Available on JSTOR
“How to Publish in Top Journals,” edited by by Kwan Choi. RIE (available in sections, online)
This manual will advise authors on how to prepare papers to improve their chances for acceptance in top journals.
“The Less Obvious Elements of an Effective Book Proposal,” by Patrick H. Alexander. Chronicle of Higher Education, Oct 13, 2011.
Offers strategies to increase chances of having a publisher take your proposal and manuscript to the review level—especially if you’re an early-career scholar seeking to turn a dissertation into a book.”
“Maximizing the Substance in the Soundbite: A Media Guide for Economists, by Daniel S. Hamermesh. Journal of Economic Education, 2004.
Abstract: “This guide aims to induce more economists to talk to people in the media as a means of expanding educational outreach. It provides discussions of “dos” and “don’ts” and offers advice on which kinds of research are likely to interest reporters. It suggests specific approaches to dealing with reporters in different types of media, including print, radio and television.”
“The Other Pipeline: Ten Steps to Navigating Papers through Academic Journals,”
by Cecilia Elena Rouse, Princeton University
“You’ve successfully completed your doctorate and landed a plum academic job, and you even have a great paper you’ve just finished. Does this mean that you can now sit back and relax? No! In many respects, your work has just begun. In academia, you get some credit for completing a first draft, but the true rewards come from publishing it… Although it might not seem so, it is possible to navigate this process and retain one’s sanity. I lay out some of my thoughts on the steps to publishing papers in academic (economics) journals.”
“Proposal Writing–A Remedy for a Missing Part of Graduate Training,” by Stephen L Wasby. PS: Political Science and Politics (June 2001):309-312.
If link does not upload, copy and paste link for first page; full text available on JSTOR. http://www.jstor.org/pss/1350249
Graduate work in the social sciences generally does not provide students with much, if any, experience in writing proposals. Wasby has constructed a seminar on research proposal writing for doctoral students. The seminar is open to students in departments across the social sciences and education.
“A Short Tour of Book Publishing for Political Scientists,” by Charles T. Myers. PS: Political Science and Politics 37: 3 (Jul 2004):489-491.
Also available on JSTOR
“What Are Book Editors Looking For?” By Dedi Felman (an executive editor at Oxford University Press.) The Chronicle of Higher Education 52.46 (July 21, 2006).
“Despite the latest headlines about Google Print or the e-book, our mission remains remarkably stable. We’re looking for the same thing we’ve always looked for — solid, readable, provocative, and important works of scholarship with clear ideas at their core. And if you know some of the basics of good writing, you have already improved your starting score.”
“Writing a Paper that Will Get Published,” by Kate Devine. The Scientist 15:7(April 2, 2001): 30. Also reprinted in Tomorrow’s Professor listserve linked above.
“Writing for Professional Journals: Paradoxes and Promises.” by Kenneth T. Henson. Phi Delta Kappan, 82:10 (June 2001):765.
If link does not upload, copy and paste link for first page; full text available on JSTOR. http://www.jstor.org/pss/20440034
“Writing Tips for Ph. D. Students,” by John Cochrane. 2005.
“Always put your contact info on the front page so that people can find your paper and send you comments! It’s the 21st century — get a web page. If your paper is ready for a faculty member to read it, it should be on your webpage. Put the date on the paper so people know if they are reading a new version.”
“The Young Person’s Guide to Writing Economic Theory,” by William Thomson.
The Journal of Economic Literature 37:1 (Mar. 1999): 157- 83.
ABSTRACT: “The writer offers advice on writing economic theory and, in particular, the presentation of formal models. Topics discussed include the general principles of good writing; notation; definitions; and the presentation of proofs.”
Books and Websites
AAUP – Home Page The Association of American University Presses
Directory of publishers:
These listings include street and mailing addresses, main phone and fax numbers, and an email contact and Web address for each press.
Finding a publisher Includes a useful Subject Area Grid for most Academic Presses.
An Author’s Guide to Scholarly Publishing by Robin Derricourt. Princeton University Pr; 1996.
“In An Author’s Guide to Scholarly Publishing, Robin Derricourt divides his energy between informing potential authors about the ins and outs of scholarly publishing and training them to be the kinds of writers scholarly publishers enjoy working with. For 12 years the publishing director for Cambridge University Press… and a published academician himself, Derricourt brings a tremendous amount of knowledge to his subject.”
The Book Publishing Industry, by Albert N. Greco. 2nd ed. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2005.
While focused on the publishing industry itself, this volume has an extensive bibliography available via Google Books, linked above.
Cite It Right by Julia Johns and Sarah Keller. 2d ed. SourceAid, LLC, 2005.
The Clockwork Muse: A Practical Guide to Writing Theses, Dissertations, and Books
by Eviatar Zerubavel. Harvard University Press, 1999.
“The Clockwork Muse is designed to help prospective authors develop a workable timetable for completing long and often formidable projects. The author describes how to set up a writing schedule and regular work habits that will take most of the anxiety and procrastination out of long-term writing, and even make it enjoyable. The Clockwork Muse rethinks the writing process in terms of time and organization.”
The Craft of Research (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) by Wayne
C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb & Joseph M. Williams. University of Chicago Pr., 1995. “This manual offers practical advice on the fundamentals of research to college and university students in all fields of study. The Craft of Research teaches much more than the mechanics of fact gathering: it explains how to approach a research project as an analytical process. The authors chart every stage of research, from finding a topic and generating research questions about it to marshalling evidence, constructing arguments, and writing everything up in a final report that is a model of authority. Their advice is designed for use by both beginners and seasoned practitioners, and for projects from class papers to dissertations.”
Craftways : On the Organization of Scholarly Work, by Aaron Wildavsky. 2nd ed. Transaction, 1993.
From Amazon reviews:
“While a plethora of books have been written about various studies in social science, few works are dedicated to the instruction of how to be an effective social science scholar. Serious students are not only interested in their specialty subject, but also in how academic life is lived and how scholarly work is carried out. In this edition Wildavsky provides an introduction to the norms and mores of political science in particular and social science in general.”
Economical Writing, by Deirdre McCloskey. 2d ed. Waveland Pr., 1999.
From Amazon.com reviews:
“Professor McCloskey has written the best short guide to academic prose in the language.” — Richard Lanham, UCLA
From Dissertation to Book (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) by William Germano. University of Chicago Press, 2005.
“This book should be handed to the candidate at the conclusion of all doctoral defenses.” Eric Foner, Columbia University.
Gatekeepers of Knowledge : Journal Editors in the Sciences and Social Sciences by Stephen McGinty Bergin & Garvey, 1999.
“What are journal editors looking for in a manuscript? This fascinating book is built around interviews with thirty-five scholarly journal editors, revealing the crucial issues that inform the work of these important players in the realm of scholarly communication.”
Getting into Print : The Decision-Making Process in Scholarly Publishing by Walter
W. Powell. University of Chicago Press, 1988.
Getting It Published; A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) by William P. Germano. 2nd ed. University of Chicago, 2008.
Getting Published : The Acquisition Process at University Presses, by Paul Parsons. University of Tennessee Pr, 1989.
A Guide to Academic Writing, by Jeffrey A. Cantor. Praeger, 1993.
Abstract: “This book presents a comprehensive guide to academic writing and publishing, approaching the subject within the context of understanding academic tenure and promotion decisions. The book first provides an overview of the various avenues for publication, such as scholarly journals, books, and conference and symposium papers.”
A Guide to MLA Documentation: With an Appendix on Apa Style (English Essentials.)
7th ed., by Joseph F. Trimmer. Houghton Mifflin College, 2005.
MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd ed.) Modern Language Association of America, 2008.
“A classic handbook that serves scholars as useful guide to the art of writing.”
On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction,
by Willian Zinsser. Harper, 2006.
With more than a million copies sold, this volume has stood the test of time and remains a valuable resource for writers and would-be writers.
Persist and Publish : Helpful Hints for Academic Writing and Publishing by Ralph E. Matkin, & T.F. Riggar. University Pr of Colorado, 1991.
Abstract: “A clear, concise explanation of the requirements for successful academic writing in any field. This book describes a variety of publication experiences and reflections and offers guidelines on academic writing for college and university faculty to increase productivity and achievement in the “publish or perish” academic world.”
The Production of Knowledge; the Challenge of Social Science Research. Oxford University Pr., 2006.
From Amazon: Book Description “Bill Starbuck has been one of the leading management researchers in the United States over several decades. In this book he reflects on a number of challenges associated with management and social science research – the search for a ‘behavioral science’, the limits of rationality, the lack of reliability in many research findings, the social shaping of research agendas, cultures and judgments. It is an engaging, chronologically structured account in which he discusses some of his own research projects and various methodological debates. This is a feisty and polemical view from someone who has been fully engaged with all aspects of research – carrying out research programs, evaluating research, tirelessly questioning the assumptions and claims of social science research, and never avoiding the awkward theoretical or practical challenges that face organizational researchers. Well written, provocative and unusual, this quasi autobiographical account will inform and entertain, and be a valuable vade mecum to current and future research students.”
Publish, Don’t Perish by Joseph M. Moxley. Praeger, 1992.
“Moxley actually thinks more highly of academic publishing than his title suggests. Drawing from his writing seminars, he offers guidance to faculty members on conceiving, developing, and publishing scholarly books and journal articles. He considers the composition process, various types of writing, abstracts, proposals, editorial standards, political and economic factors, and how institutions can encourage scholarly writing and publishing.”
Publishing Economics: Analyses of the Academic Journal Market in Economics edited by Joshua Gans. New ed. Edward Elgar; 2001.
Amazon Book Description
“This collection tackles the issues confronting the up and coming economist. The authors include some of the subject’s finest luminaries who offer friendly and invaluable advice as well as providing a more light-hearted look at the publication process. Some articles have become classics in their own right. They vary from an examination of seminal (and originally rejected) articles by leading economists to an analysis of why referees are not adequately paid. The tools of both economic theory and econometrics are applied to uncover some home truths and, as a result, these papers provide new insights into the nature of economic discourse.”
Publishing for Tenure and Beyond by Franklin H. Silverman. Praeger, 1999. “Silverman provides graduate students who intend to pursue a career in academia and tenure-track junior faculty with candid information about developing an adequate publication record. The focus throughout is on how editorial boards and tenure committees function rather than on how they are supposed to function.”
Publishing in Geography; A Guide for New Researchers, edited by Allison Blunt and Catherine Souch. RGS-IBG & Wiley-Blackwell, 2008. Full text online
Although the focus is on publishing research in human and physical geography this guide has much useful general information about the broader issues of scholarly publication.
Publisher’s Description: “You will find full and accessible advice about publishing in journals and books, electronic publishing, writing policy reports and for the media, and publishing participatory research. Also included are personal experiences of publishing and answers to many frequently asked questions.”
Publishing Political Science: The APSA Guide to Writing and Publishing, edited by Stephen Yoder. (former Managing Editor of PS: Political Science & Politics). American Political Science Association, 2008.
APSA Description
Publishing Political Science opens with a discussion of the state of publishing and review of publishing opportunities for political science. The second part covers writing for particular venues and audiences such as literature reviews, textbooks, journals, blogs, and reference books. The third section provides practical advice from publishers on how to get your work published. It describes how to write successful book proposals, how to negotiate and establish a sound contract with a publisher. This is an essential reference for ALL political scientists.
Available for $26 from APSA.
Rejected : Leading Economists Ponder the Publication Process, edited by George B. Shepherd. Thomas Horton & Daughters, 1994.
The Rhetoric of Economics (Rhetoric of the Human Sciences) by Deirdre N. McCloskey. University of Wisconsin Press; 2nd edition (1998).
“…Economics needs to get serious about its rhetoric, and back to science.” “The most thoughtful book on economics in years.”—Philadelphia Enquirer
Scholarly Book Reviewing in the Social Sciences and Humanities; The Flow of Ideas Within and Among Disciplines, by Ylva Lindholm-Romantschuk. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998.
“Unlike previous studies that have used techniques such as citation or co-citation analysis to measure scholarly communication, this book identifies scholarly monography as a primary means of communication in the humanities and social sciences.”
Successful Publishing in Scholarly Journals, (Survival Skills for Scholars, v. 11) by Bruce A. Thyer. Sage / (1994).
Free online from Google Books
“Presents an insider’s view of how to develop a personal program of productive publishing and how to increase the chances that articles will be accepted for publication.”
The Thesis and the Book: A Guide for First-Time Academic Authors, edited by Eleanor Harman, Ian Montagnes, et al. 2nd ed. University of Toronto Press, 2003.
Tricks of the Trade : How to Think About Your Research While You’re Doing It (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) by Howard S. Becker. University of Chicago, 1998.
“Drawing on more than four decades of experience as a researcher and teacher, Howard Becker now brings to students and researchers the many valuable techniques he has learned.”
Waging the War of Ideas, by John Blundell. Institute of Economic Affairs, IEA Occasional Paper No. 131, 2001. Full Text online
Go here and then click on “One Click Download” http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=677403
John Blundell begins his stimulating collection of published essays, reviews and introductions by showing how the founders of the IEA successfully fought the conventional planning wisdom of the 1960s and 1970s, providing the ideas which, by the 1980s and 1990s, had brought about increased freedom and a revival in the use of markets. He draws lessons from those days and then surveys the contemporary scene, showing how the anti-liberal ideas emerging now are different from those which prevailed in the early years of the IEA. As well as giving a valuable view of the IEA’s development in the past, these essays also offer advice on how to continue winning in the new circumstances of the present.
Waging the War of Ideas has been constantly in demand since it was first published in 2001. This new and expanded edition contains seven new chapters and is introduced by Professor Walter Williams.
Writing for Publication: Road to Academic Advancement by Kenneth T. Henson. Allyn & Bacon, 2004.
“This book – by a writer whose work has appeared in more than 200 national publications and who has over 20 educational books to his credit – doesn’t just talk about writing and publishing. It features succinct answers to the questions writers ask most.
- Advice for turning dissertation data into journal articles
- Four chapters on grant writing
- Information on how to use writing t gain tenure-track positions and earn tenure
- An appendix profiling the life of an article from getting the idea to final publication.”
Writing and Publishing for Academic Authors edited by Joseph M. Moxley Todd Taylor, & Joseph M. Mozley. 2nd ed. Rowman & Littlefield, 1996.
“This book offers an inside look at how to publish scholarly articles, book reviews, grants, magazine articles, and commercial and scholarly books.”
Writing for Scholarly Publication by Anne Sigismund Huff. Altamira Pr, 1998. “Recommended for anyone who writes for an academic audience. It provides an excellent set of ideas for the novice as well as helpful reminders for the experienced academic.”
Writing for Social Scientists : How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) by Howard S. Becker. 2nd ed. University of Chicago Press, 2007.
“First published nearly twenty years ago, Writing for Social Scientists has become a lifesaver for writers in all fields, from beginning students to published authors. Becker’s message is clear: in order to learn how to write, take a deep breath and then begin writing. Revise. Repeat.”
Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation : A Step-by-Step Guide, by Allan A. Glatthorn & Randy L. Joyner. 2nd ed. Corwin Press, 2005.
Writing With Power : Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process by Peter Elbow. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 1998.
“A classic handbook for anyone who needs to write, Writing with Power speaks to everyone who has wrestled with words while seeking to gain power with them. Here, Peter Elbow emphasizes that the essential activities underlying good writing and the essential exercises promoting it are really not difficult at all. Employing a cookbook approach, Elbow provides the reader (and writer) with various recipes: for getting words down on paper, for revising, for dealing with an audience, for getting feedback on a piece of writing, and still other recipes for approaching the mystery of power in writing.”