How to get your article published

In the academic year 2023-2024 this course will take place online. 

The aim of this course is to provide you with the tools to write a publishable article and to submit the best product possible.

The course will address critical information and participants' questions regarding successful publishing. In this four-day course PhD candidates will be introduced to the requirements of different types of academic publishing: 1) the relevance of bibliometric measures and impact scores; 2) identify journals that are possibly relevant outlets, and; 3) develop a publication strategy for their own PhD trajectory.

The course will also offer more insight into the major reasons for rejection and ways to enhance the chances of success. Participants are requested to bring an example of their own writing and will work under guidance of a senior researcher to turn their work into a journal submission.

After course completion participants will have:

• a better understanding on the process of writing and submitting their article, resulting in an acceleration of the writing process, and of the chance to get accepted;
• insight into essential characteristics and the do’s and dont’s, resulting in a higher quality of their article and a higher chance of getting accepted;
• a directly submittable form of one of their own articles.

• Session 1: General introduction
  Why publish? (cv building, institutional quality assessments); What kind of academic publications?; What is the process (from submission to acceptation)?; Do’s and dont’s with editors; Why does it take so long?; What are the main reasons for rejection and how to avoid them?
  Exercise: discussion of most downloaded/cited/read articles in particular journals and identification of what makes them good, and why they have been accepted for publication.

• Session 2 : Meet the editors (see below)
  Several academics in the Graduate School are editors of international journals. In this session, they will present how their journal works, and what the do’s and dont’s are.
  Question to be discussed: how do the journals find articles (active solicitation)?; how do they define 'new' and 'contribution', and; how long does the review process take? There will also be an opportunity for some personal feedback from the editors. This session will also be joined by Judith Gulpers an Niels van Tol of the University Library.

• Session 3: Bring your own work
  Participants bring their own paper to the session, and share it with others. The main activity will be to sit down in pairs and help each other find the weak spots in the paper and prepare for submission. After that discussion PhD candidates will revise their paper and send it in to the course convenor, who will look into it and give individual feedback.

• Session 4: Individual feedback session on potential article, substantial and in terms of language