996023 How to get published (WS) (WiSe 2018/2019)

The aim of this workshop is to guide young researchers through all stages of the publication process, allowing them to plan their writing and publication methods, and ultimately their career, with much greater care. This workshop offers a guide through all stages of the publication process, using a broad variety of tools and principles which can be used to take control of one’s publication strategies. This allows PhD students to take off on a flying start: knowledge and skills that would otherwise be the result of a long process of trial and error are now ready-at-hand for them to use at the very beginnings of their academic career.

Program
Day 1:
1) How to pick a journal
In this part, we tackle the subject of how to pick the right journal. The students are introduced to the different factors that determine journal choice (such as journal rankings, subject matter, acceptance rate, review time, ...). One by one, these factors are analyzed, after which a number of online tools are presented to help the students select a journal. The result is a general method or algorithm that can be used to pick the best journal for a specific paper.
2) How to write your paper
This part addresses the actual writing of the paper. It offers a large number of tips on how to write clearly and concisely, and how to avoid being misunderstood. The approach to writing is top-down, starting from the general explanatory structure of the paper, before moving on to explain how this structure can be translated into concise and consistent writing.

Day 2:
3) How to write an abstract
In this part, we take a look at the writing of an abstract. We discuss why it is important to have a good abstract, and how to write one. The focus is on the relation between the structure of an abstract, a paper, and the research presented there.
4) Paper written, what now?
This part treats the process and events between the stage of the writing process and the acceptance of a paper by a journal. It offers advice on how to get quality feedback, and how to integrate this feedback in your paper. It also focuses on the review process itself, with particular emphasis on the ‘decoding’ of rejection letters, the importance of which is often underestimated.
5) Paper published, what now?
At this stage of the workshop, we focus on the afterlife of the research paper. The students are introduced to the general academic context, the essential role of citations (including a discussion on the H-Index), why it is important to get cited, and how to track your citations.
P.S. I) Your PhD: papers, monograph, or both?
In this part, we focus on the balance between writing a PhD and publishing articles, and the pro’s and cons of writing a PhD based on articles
P.S. II) How to publish books
In this final part of the workshop, we address the specific requirements for book publishing compared to publishing papers.
Method:
Combination of traditional teaching and assignments. Students are first presented with the necessary tools and principles, and are then asked to apply their tools to their own subjects, papers, abstracts and rejection letters, which they are asked to bring to the workshop. Throughout the workshop, there is a heavy emphasis on the use of real scientific research papers and abstracts as examples. Students participate actively, and there is ample room for assignments and discussion.

Language:
The workshop will be held in English.