Getting Published in Top Journals: Strategies for Success
1. Getting Published in aTopJournal
23 March 2016 Prof. Dr. Omar Masood 1
Prof. Dr.Omar Masood
2. Overview
• Why publish in top journals?
• Journal and article types
• Strategies for success
• Review Process
• Dealing with journals
30-Mar-16 Prof. Dr. Omar Masood
3. Why Publishin
TopJournals?
• Institutional requirements
• Career progress(STP)
• Prestige in academicworld
• Impact
• Self-development
• Attractive (Eye-catching)CV
• Self-esteem
• Self-respect
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4. Typesof
Journals
• Editor reviewed--presents professional
practices, techniques, perspectives, case studies
• Emphasis is on timely practice
• Blind (peer or board) reviewed--presents
research studies, conceptual frameworks, and
theories
• Emphasis is on generating newknowledge
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5. Types ofArticles
• Research study--data
• Conceptual framework--way of thinking
• Model--way of representing
• Theory--relationships
• Reviews of the literature
• Narrative--conclusions
• Meta-analysis--confirmation overtime
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6. • New theory, or reinterpretation of the existing
theories, or integrating theories from the same or
different disciplines, or new hypothesis,etc…
• Methodology
• New methodology
• New variables and/or improved measurement of
variables
• New set of data
• Robustness of methodology (methodology should give
consistent results under different scenarios!)
30-Mar-16 Prof. Dr. Omar Masood
What EliteJournals
Look for…
• Motivation for the article
• Uniqueness/freshness of ideas/framework
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7. • Review process and revision (R&R)
30-Mar-16 Prof. Dr. Omar Masood
What EliteJournals
Look For…
• Conclusion(s)
• Unique contributions
• Implications
• Other (major!) issues
• Writing style
• Language (grammar & syntax)
• Presentation
• Length
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8. A Quick Summary…
• Substantive gap
• lack of managerial understanding of--the “how” to…
• Theoretical gap
• insufficient explanation or prediction of some
phenomena--the “why” …
• Empirical gap
• lack of studies or inconsistent findings on some
phenomena--the “where” and “when” …
• Contextual gap
• generalizability--the “where” and “when” …
** Try several contributions in one project!!
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9. Review
Process
• All first submissions are rejects
• Don’t want to see again
• Will consider revision if you insist (high
risk!)
• Encourages resubmission
• Revise and resubmit (R&R)
• Feedback
• from 2 to 4 reviewers
• from the (action)editor
• Multiple cycles of R&R may be required
• Can be rejected at any step!!
• Tentative accept: Needs minor tweaks
• Full accept: Congratulations!!!
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10. Author
Role
• Make good faith effort to revise
• Incorporate feedback
• Be honest in what was done
• Don’t claim you tried things youdidn’t
• Treat editor/reviewers with respect
• Explain where you disagree with feedback
• Provide concrete evidence (persuasive arguments,
rationale)
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11. Editor
Role
• Be an impartial judge
• Weight input from authors and reviewers
• Treat everyone with respect
• Be decisive
• Keep commitments
• R&R is promise to publish if thingsfixed
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12. 30-Mar-16 Prof. Dr. Omar Masood
Summary:Strategy
for Successful Publications…
• Choose topic field like
• Existing hot topic
• Tomorrow’s hot topic (hard topredict!)
• Conduct high quality study
• Craft good story
• Make a strong case forconclusions
• Theoretical arguments in introduction
• Strong data totest
• Sophisticated techniques of analyses
• Write clearly and concisely
• Pay attention to current practice
• Lead, don’t follow
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13. • Know the journal in context--the community of
scholars, editors, reviewers, professional
organization
• Review the structure of the journal--article,
forum, media reviews
• Review the publication guidelines--length,
types requirements (APA/Academy), process,
timelines
• Review the types of articles published recently
• Identify the authors--where are they from?
International? UK? Canada/US?
• Critically analyze your own work--ideas,
writing
30-Mar-16 Prof. Dr. Omar Masood
Summary: Strategyfor
Successful Publications…
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14. Summary: Strategyfor
SuccessfulPublication
• Share your work--peers, authors, strangers
• Contact the editor for pre-review
• Progression of quality
• Reports (working papers)—seek
feedback
• Conference papers—get feedback
• Articles
• It’s a learning process—pleasant , sweet
journey!
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