This document provides a guide to writing research papers. It discusses different types of research publications, differences between disciplines, and reasons for writing research papers such as advancing one's career. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the target publication, such as the audience and their conversations in the field, and contributing meaningfully to those discussions. The guide also covers planning papers, writing, submission, and revising in response to reviews. The overall message is that writing research papers can help focus one's PhD work and develop ideas, but it requires clarity of purpose and contribution as well as being open to feedback.

1. A Guide to Writing
Research Papers
Rob Briner
Organizational Psychology
Birkbeck

2. 2
Outline
 Types of research publication/output
 Disciplinary differences
 Why write research papers?
 What’s the target and audience?
 Planning to write
 Writing
 Submission and the review process
 Concluding comments

3. 3
Types of research publication/
output
 Journal article (refereed/non-refereed)
 Conference paper (refereed/non-refereed)
 Book/monograph
 Chapter in edited book
 Report for organization
 Professional journals and magazines
 Theoretical, empirical, critique, review

4. 4
Disciplinary differences
 Humanities
– Books often more valued than research papers
 Social sciences
– Mixed
 Physical sciences
– Usually papers most valued, conference and
posters

5. 5
Why write research papers?
 You have something to say
 Duty to the field
 Obligation to others (supervisors, co-
investigators)
 Career
 Test ideas with a wider audience

6. 6
What’s the target and audience? [1]
 Target
– Topic specific or discipline-wide journal
– Specialist or generalist conference
– Status of target – rejection rate, impact factor
 Audience
– Size
– Other PhD researchers, established researchers in
the field, others in related parts of discipline?

7. 7
What’s the target and audience? [2]
 The Conversation Metaphor
– Who are the people having the conversation in your
field
– More importantly, what are they saying? What are
main debates issues?
– What will you contribute or add to this on-going
conversation?
– How will those people react to what you say?

8. 8
What’s the target and audience? [3]
 Some trade-offs and choices
– What status journal/publisher – go for the best
means higher chance of rejection
– Getting your ideas out there quickly versus
spending time on numerous rewrites
– Narrow highly specific focus versus big debate
– Easy hits versus the-best-paper-you-could-write-
ever
– Finish thesis versus getting publications

9. 9
Planning to write
 What, exactly do you want to say?
 Why do you want to say it?
 What contribution does it make to the field?
 How can you support what you have to say
(theory and evidence)
 Get the argument and structure clear before
you write
 Discuss and negotiate with potential co-authors

10. 10
Writing
 Develop detailed structure based on argument
 If you aren’t sure why you’re writing what you’re writing
stop and go back to argument
 Revise argument and structure as often as is
necessary
 Try to set deadlines for sections and final draft
 Ask for others to read and comment
 Re-read many times yourself
 Revise and craft as much as you can bear to

11. 11
Submission and the review process
 Accompanying letter and other documentation
 Accepted for or rejected without review
 Reviews returned
 Reject, or revise and resubmit
 Maybe many iterations
 Final decision – accept or reject
 If reject don’t give up! – Different journal?
Rework paper?

12. 12
Concluding comments
 Do write research papers
 Be clear about the contribution you want to make and
who your audience are
 Get as much help as possible
 Look for external deadlines (e.g. special issues,
conferences)
 Can be an extremely good way of focusing and
developing your PhD
 Try to enjoy it! It’s your research topic and there are
things you want to say about it…