How to write a lot: A practical guide to productive academic writing (2nd ed.).
... Experts agree that writers can increase their success by implementing certain habits such as setting goals and scheduling writing time (Gray, 2005;Heard, 2016;Lamott, 1995;Peterson et al., 2018;Silvia, 2007). The general knowledge from these writing guides is that writing is a skill that can be learned, yet requires deliberate practice. ...
... In this study, we surveyed environmental biology trainees to ask whether various writing habits and attitudes were related to first-author publications. We assess at a broad scale whether the writing best practices recommended by many authors (e.g., regular daily writing sessions, tracking writing time, accountability; Gray, 2005;Heard, 2016;Peterson et al., 2018;Silvia, 2007) are currently used by trainees. We also investigate how sentiment toward writing and peer review may impact writing productivity. ...
... While we recognize and support the need for academia to consider new and different metrics for professional success and potential beyond publication totals (Montgomery, 2021;Montgomery et al., 2014;Rowland et al., 2022;Schell et al., 2020), early-career researchers in any sector (e.g., industry, not-for-profit, government) must write for their jobs. There are many detailed books and articles on academic writing (Gray, 2005;Heard, 2016;Silvia, 2007;Strunk & White, 1999;Sword, 2018;Turbek et al., 2016;Williams, 2005), which are useful guides for early-career academics to develop good writing habits. Overall, our results suggest that some trainees are not currently using these recommendations. ...
Publications are the mainstay of academic success, yet scientific writing requires consistent feedback and practice to build and maintain skills. In this study, we surveyed 342 environmental biology trainees (i.e., graduate students and postdoctoral scholars) about their writing habits. Our objective was to explore whether trainee writing habits align with suggestions from scientific writing guide books and articles, and how individual habits and attitudes may impact writing output. We found that the majority of respondents (>65%) felt negatively about writing and publishing, and few adhered to established advice such as scheduling writing time, setting attainable goals, or joining a writing accountability group. Our results show that trainees who dedicated more hours to writing each week and individually tracked their writing progress had more first‐author publications. In particular, graduate students who regularly scheduled writing time during the week and participated in writing groups also had more first‐author publications. Conversely, trainees who felt negatively about writing, wrote mainly before deadlines, and relied on “check‐ins” with advisors or writing groups to monitor writing progress had fewer first‐author publications. We describe ways that individuals, advisors, and institutions could improve trainee writing habits and assist them in developing more positive attitudes toward writing to ultimately help trainees achieve their writing goals.
... As proposed by Silvia (2018), morning pages require consistency and repetitive practice instead of waiting for inspiration, which can hinder the writer's progress. By regularly engaging in practices such as morning pages, individuals can find inspiration and develop into skilled writers. ...
... By regularly engaging in practices such as morning pages, individuals can find inspiration and develop into skilled writers. Indeed, proficient writers do not possess unique talents or distinct characteristics; instead, they engage in more consistent writing practices and utilize their writing time more effectively (Silvia, 2018;Zaman et al., 2023). As a result, changing one's habits may not necessarily enhance the enjoyment of writing, but it will certainly increase speed and reduce the sense of burden when writing. ...
In recent decades, English has become a global lingua franca and has been adopted as the language of education in a number of countries all over the world. Rwanda, a country in Eastern Africa, followed this trend and declared English as the medium of instruction from primary school onwards in 2008. Despite this language-in-education policy, most university graduates in Rwanda have for years displayed limited proficiency in English, specifically low writing skills, which may have been enhanced by the country's linguistic landscape with a long French tradition and the use of Kinyarwanda by the majority of Rwandan citizens. This lack of students’ communication skills in English, the target language, has for long been a real concern for the researchers who are lecturers of English at the University of Rwanda. Therefore, they decided to embark on the current study to investigate whether morning pages would contribute to improving their students' English writing skills. The research was carried out at the College of Business and Economics, Gikondo Campus. It involved third-year students enrolled in the academic year 2023-2024, and it made use of quantitative and qualitative research paradigms. Purposive sampling allowed the researchers to select a sample size of 87 students out of 869. The data were collected through observations, a questionnaire, interviews, and document analysis for the sake of triangulation. For data analysis, quantitative data were processed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), whereas qualitative data were grouped into typologies and analysed inductively. The findings revealed that the use of morning pages motivated the students and helped to develop their English writing skills. Hence, the researchers recommended that morning pages be given due consideration and, thus, be introduced in students’ lives at all levels of education in Rwanda.
... Despite the growing trend of support, more research is needed to understand the "man behind the curtain" feedback and revision processes of successful emerging scholars in order to build more effective support programs and courses. This is especially true because Johnson (2017) notes that many of the writing for publication self-help books (e.g., Belcher, 2019;Silvia, 2018;Zerubavel, 1999) are often idiosyncratic, dependent authors' own writing processes rather than data-driven approaches. A limitation of these works is that they present writing for publication as a linear, step-by-step process, without illustrating the recursive writing and thinking processes characteristic of expert writing (Kellogg, 2008). ...
Writing for publication is a formidable challenge for emerging scholars (graduate students and early career faculty) tied to high-stakes outcomes. One substantial challenge in writing for publication is successfully navigating the blind peer review process. This study focuses on the revision experiences of nine emerging scholars who have successfully published their first solo-authored publication and uses multiple datasets, including an interview and an analysis of publication documents (initial article submission, editorial feedback, revised manuscripts, and final published works). We triangulate between direct observations of writing and revision processes, analysis of peer review and editorial feedback, and self-reported perceptions and emerging scholars’ experiences. Our results include a taxonomy of the most common feedback and revision processes for emerging scholars, including frequently requested and challenging scholarly moves. Drawing upon Kellogg’s (J Writ Res, 1(1), 1–26, 2008) framework of knowledge telling to transforming to crafting, we demonstrate how emerging scholars’ understanding of writing for a disciplinary audience aligns with both the “what to say” and “how to say” aspects of publishing, advancing them from the transforming stage to crafting stage. We also describe the social support systems that emerging scholars use to navigate peer review feedback and engage in effective revision. From these findings, we offer recommendations for supporting graduate students and early career faculty in building confidence and knowledge, including enhancing writing instruction and publication courses, creating structured mentoring opportunities, facilitating writing groups and peer support networks, and cultivating positive dispositions and mindsets towards publication. Contributions of this work include a comprehensive view of how emerging scholars successfully navigate blind review processes and receive feedback, which allows faculty mentors and graduate programs to strengthen their writing for publication support.
... • Importance of Planning: Planning and outlining are essential steps in the writing process. An outline helps organize thoughts and ensures that the writing follows a logical progression (Silvia, 2007). Planning allows writers to map out their arguments, identify key points, and determine the structure of the paper before beginning to write. ...
study examines how academic writing in higher education uses historical knowledge and modern research methods to tackle 21st-century issues, emphasizing the integration of authentic sources to promote inquiry and applied research for contemporary problem-solving.
... As people know, when writing narrative text, ideas play an important role in producing an interesting story that has a broad meaning. As stated by Silvia (2018) building an idea is an essential thing to start writing. If the students have found an idea, they will know what they are going to write. ...
This research aims to find out the improvement of the 1st-grade students’ narrative writing by using digital storytelling and how they perceive that. The researchers used a quasi-experimental design to conduct this research. The population was 93 students and the sample elected was 15 students for both experiment and control classes. Test and questionnaire were employed to address the research questions. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS 25. The findings revealed that students’ narrative writing improved after digital storytelling was integrated into the lessons. The independent sample test showed that sig. 2 tailed < 0.05. Consequently, the alternative hypothesis was accepted, indicating a significant difference in narrative writing between students taught with digital storytelling and those taught without using digital storytelling. Moreover, the n-gain score result showed that the mean score of the experiment class was 62.09 included in the effective enough category. Therefore, it can be concluded that the use of digital storytelling is effective enough in enhancing the narrative writing of the 1st-grade students of MAN 2 Polman. Furthermore, the data from the questionnaire showed that the students had positive perceptions of using digital storytelling in classroom activities.
... Therefore, how do we prevent or overcome the barriers to writing manuscripts and becoming productive scientific writers? In his book: "How to write a lot," (2) Paul J Silvia discusses barriers to becoming a productive academic writer and how to overcome these barriers. ...
... Writing Regularly: Establishing a daily writing schedule is essential for keeping academic work moving forward and improving coherence of ideas. Silvia (2007) asserts that regular writing fosters ongoing idea development in addition to increasing productivity. Regular journaling allows the researcher to spot logic errors or places that require more inquiry, which enhances the overall calibre of the work. ...
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a meticulous and gratifying level of education. It has specific demands which might vary according
to the type of PhD. This paper provides an overview of the various ways of getting a PhD. Since PhDs varies for example academic
PhD, professional doctorates, integrated PhDs, online/distance learning PhDs, doctorate by publication, and honorary PhDs.
Then the paper explores the prerequisites, time, and costs involved in earning a PhD, together with the benefits, including personal
growth, career advancement, and the development of research skills. It also provides the process required to get academic PhD
and the challenges associated in getting the PhD. Finally the paper concludes by giving practical strategies to help PhD
candidates navigate the complexities of their academic journey and attain their doctoral degrees.
... Although the importance of assignment teaching is self-evident, from the perspective of the actual status quo of assignment teaching of front-line teachers, there are still many shortcomings in assignment teaching in English education nowadays, and the most common phenomenon is that the majority of teachers "emphasize on pedagogy, and light on assessment and correction" [5][6]. In an assignment class, teachers tend to polish the design of the pre-composition guidance class, while the assessment of the assignment is relatively neglected. ...
Assignment revision is an important part of English assignment teaching, which is of great significance in guiding the direction of English assignment teaching as well as improving students’ writing ability, so it is of great value to establish a scientific and reasonable assignment revision model and quality evaluation method. This paper proposes a model of revision in English education by evaluating the English revision ability of students in College A and then proposing a revision evaluation system. An empirical study of English assignment teaching in College A is the article’s conclusion. The article concludes that the student’s overall assignment review ability scores are around 78%, which is the highest score, but the students’ English assignment revision ability scores are only 37%. This article’s evaluation index system of assignment revision has a composite calculated value of (0.146, 0.104, 0.092, 0.021, 0.001)
... Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penulis yang menetapkan rutinitas menulis harian cenderung lebih produktif dan konsisten. Sebuah studi oleh Silvia (2018) Dengan menginisiasi momentum awal, belajar dari sumber yang kredibel, berkolaborasi dengan sejawat, menggunakan strategi pencarian pustaka yang efektif, memilih jurnal yang tepat, meneladani penulis sukses, dan mengatasi perfeksionisme, penulis dapat meningkatkan kemampuan dan produktivitas mereka. Menulis adalah keterampilan yang berkembang seiring waktu, dan dengan strategi yang tepat, proses ini dapat menjadi lebih efisien dan memuaskan. ...
ABSTRAK Struktur umum artikel ilmiah meliputi abstrak, pendahuluan, metodologi, hasil dan pembahasan, kesimpulan, ucapan terima kasih, referensi, dan bahan pendukung. Meskipun demikian, urutan penulisan yang lebih praktis adalah memulai dengan metodologi, hasil dan pembahasan, kemudian pendahuluan, kesimpulan, dan terakhir abstrak. Pendekatan ini membantu penulis untuk lebih fokus dan sistematis. Metodologi harus mendetailkan sumber daya dan cara penelitian dilakukan, dengan penekanan pada penggunaan nomenklatur dan unit pengukuran yang standar. Hasil dan pembahasan harus menyajikan data representatif yang jelas dan menghindari duplikasi informasi, dengan fokus pada analisis hasil serta perbandingan dengan penelitian terkait. Pendahuluan perlu memberikan latar belakang yang jelas, hipotesis, tujuan penelitian, serta menyoroti penelitian sebelumnya dan keterbatasannya. Kesimpulan harus langsung menjawab pertanyaan penelitian dengan justifikasi ilmiah yang solid. Abstrak yang baik menyajikan ringkasan singkat dari latar belakang, tujuan, hasil, dan pembahasan dalam 150-250 kata. Publikasi ilmiah penting untuk pengembangan karir dan pengakuan dalam komunitas akademis, serta kontribusi terhadap pengetahuan. Penelitian yang dapat dipublikasikan membutuhkan hipotesis yang jelas, tujuan spesifik, metode yang tepat, dan analisis statistik yang kuat untuk meningkatkan peluang penerimaan. Artikel review berharga untuk sintesis penelitian mutakhir dan panduan kebijakan. Menulis membutuhkan strategi yang baik, termasuk belajar dari jurnal ilmiah, bekerja sama dengan rekan, dan memahami bahwa kesempurnaan dalam naskah tidak pernah tercapai. Peer review merupakan tahap penting dimana penulis harus merespon secara profesional dan konstruktif. Penting untuk menyeimbangkan kualitas dan kuantitas publikasi, serta menghindari plagiarisme. Menguasai berbagai software pendukung seperti Mendeley dan Biorender juga sangat membantu dalam proses penulisan dan penerbitan artikel ilmiah yang efektif. Kata Kunci: analisis data, metodologi penulisan, peer review, publikasi ilmiah, struktur artikel ilmiah
ABSTRACT The general structure of a scientific article includes the abstract, introduction, methodology, results and discussion, conclusion, acknowledgments, references, and supporting materials. However, a more practical writing order begins with the methodology, followed by the results and discussion, then the introduction, conclusion, and finally the abstract. This approach helps authors to be more focused and systematic. The methodology should detail the resources used and the research process, emphasizing the use of standard nomenclature and measurement units. The results and discussion should present representative data clearly, avoiding information duplication, with a focus on analyzing the findings and comparing them with related research. The introduction needs to provide a clear background, hypothesis, research objectives, and highlight previous studies and their limitations. The conclusion should directly address the research questions with solid scientific justification. A good abstract succinctly presents the background, objectives, results, and discussion in 150-250 words. Scientific publication is crucial for career development and recognition in the academic community, as well as contributing to knowledge. Publishable research requires a clear hypothesis, specific objectives, appropriate methods, and robust statistical analysis to increase the likelihood of acceptance. Review articles are valuable for synthesizing current research and guiding policy. Writing requires effective strategies, including learning from scientific journals, collaborating with peers, and understanding that perfection in a manuscript is never fully attainable. Peer review is a critical stage where authors must respond professionally and constructively. Balancing the quality and quantity of publications, as well as avoiding plagiarism, is essential. Mastering various support software, such as Mendeley and Biorender, also greatly aids in the writing and publication process of effective scientific articles.
... Writing proficiency affects academic and professional achievements across all subjects (Silvia, 2018). Kareva and Spirovska (2020) stressed that "In terms of skills, producing a coherent, fluent, extended piece of writing is probably the most difficult thing there is to do in language. ...
... Scientific writing quality, clarity, and success are often determined by the ability to organize ideas and commit time to the writing process. Effective time management approaches include self-monitoring, setting goals, prioritizing, planning, delegating, and analyzing time spent on the project(s) (Chase et al., 2013;Silvia, 2007). Effective time management is one of the most important strategies for combating procrastination, a common impediment to academic performance (Gafni & Geri, 2010;H€ afner et al., 2014). ...
Scientific writing is a rewarding, challenging, and necessary part of research. Building skills
in scientific writing is critical in graduate student training and provides the foundation for
scientific communication at all professional levels. Despite the importance of writing in
research, this skill remains a barrier to success for many students. We have developed a
practical approach to minimize scientific writing barriers using student-driven, peerexchange
in combination with concrete project goals and dedicated writing group times for
a graduate Scientific Writing course. Course topics were drawn from self-identified student
challenge areas and presented using in-class activities and discussion. Students selected
their semester-long project on which to work, including research proposals, thesis chapters,
and manuscripts. Students exchanged two rounds of peer review that provided overview
comments and detailed editorial feedback. At each stage of their project, students built on
their previous work in response to peer and instructor feedback. All students made progress
on their individual projects and the majority improved their skills in at least one challenge
area. This student-directed approach to scientific writing offers an opportunity to empower
students to improve their writing skills with an emphasis on establishing consistent writing
habits that will benefit students throughout their professional careers.
... (W5) Effective Writing Strategies for Higher Efficiency Effective writing strategies empower researchers to boost writing efficiency and maintain motivation. 30 These strategies involve simultaneously developing various sections, intertwining elements like theory and discussion, introduction and conclusion, as emphasized by W3. Additionally, W4 suggested constructing a well-organized writing plan and advocating for writing while actively engaging with literature. ...
Aspiring researchers worldwide strive to amass a prolific publication record to elevate their academic standing and advance their research careers. However, achieving research productivity is a multifaceted endeavour shaped by individual characteristics, institutional support, and societal factors. This study explores the experiences of ten high-performing Chinese scholars in social science fields. By examining their prolific publication records in top-tier international journals, the study unveils the distinct attributes that characterize productive researchers and the strategies they employ to facilitate their scholarly publishing. Through in-depth interviews and an exploration framed by academic identity and academic socialization, the study highlights the significance of cultivating a robust academic identity, fostering efficient scholarly practices, and promoting effective collaboration. These findings offer invaluable insights for emerging academics seeking to enhance their research productivity without compromising the quality of their work, especially concerning publications in esteemed international journals.
... Finally, while the latitude afforded by the "revise-at-will" policy appeared more accommodating for our authors, we suspect this policy was not in our authors' best interests. Research on academic writing suggests that creating structures and accountability (e.g., writing schedules, writing accountability groups, and externally set deadlines) can help writers overcome procrastination and enhance their productivity [9][10][11]. ...
The Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) has made the decision to change our “revise-at-will” policy to instead adopt firmer deadlines for manuscript resubmissions. Beginning with this issue, manuscripts returned to authors with a “revise and resubmit” decision must be resubmitted within two months of the editorial decision. Likewise, manuscripts returned to authors with a “revisions required” decision must be resubmitted within one month of the editorial decision. This editorial discusses JMLA’s experience using a “revise-at-will” policy and outlines some anticipated benefits of the new resubmission deadlines.
... (table continues) 2SLGBTQIA+ MANUSCRIPT GUIDE considerations in publishing for SOGD researchers. For readers new to publishing and who need more general support and advice, we suggest books by Belcher (2019) and Silvia (2019). The APA also has reporting standards for qualitative (Levitt et al., 2018) and quantitative (Appelbaum et al., 2018) research that are helpful for ensuring clear and comprehensive writeups of findings. ...
The American Psychological Association Division 44 Science Committee created this guidance to provide support and assistance to those who conduct sexual orientation and gender diversity (SOGD) research. We aim to: (a) provide guidance to new researchers on publishing SOGD research; (b) advance the field by creating standards for publications; (c) support editors and reviewers in evaluating SOGD research; and (d) ensure that publications prioritize needs of two spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual plus (2SLGBTQIA+) communities. Throughout, we discuss important aspects of SOGD research missing from older guides, including publishing in general journals, research focused on nonbinary identities, decolonizing SOGD research, embedding work in extant SOGD and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color scholarship, attention to language beyond avoiding bias, and interacting with reviewers and editors. We acknowledge that SOGD research is a relatively new and evolving field and that gender and sexual identities are dynamic. Thus, rather than create hard-and-fast rules, we provide suggestions for thinking deeply about SOGD research and how to make ethical and informed decisions to ensure the 2SLGBTQIA+ community’s needs are at the forefront. We have organized this article to highlight seven publishing considerations, including: (a) theory/framing; (b) methodological considerations; (c) reflexivity/ethics; (d) language; and (e) responding to reviewers. We include a checklist to guide researchers and reviewers in evaluating SOGD manuscripts. Although we created this guidance for psychology researchers, it may be useful for researchers in other social science and health-related fields.
... This feeling can make a writer not accomplish a certain writing project (Antony & Swinson, 2009). However, it is crucial for me to remember that publishers understand the iterative nature of the craft-they do not expect flawless manuscripts right from the start (Silvia, 2018). Instead of fixating on immediate perfection, I strive to prioritize the quality of my content, allowing room for initial imperfections. ...
While Grammarly is acknowledged for its role in error correction , writers stress the irreplaceable value of human editors in grasping narrative intricacies, contextual nuances, and stylistic preferences. Writers are also concerned about Grammarly potentially overshadowing personal style and voice. Writers' caution-ary notes on occasional inaccuracies underscore the importance of critical human judgment in accepting Grammarly's recommendations. emphasis is placed on prioritizing quality content delivery over perfection, with writers urged to maintain authenticity amidst technological assistance. the column advocates for using Grammarly and similar AI editing tools as aids to enhance the writing process rather than as substitutes for human discernment.
... Las pruebas muestran que el rendimiento cognitivo tiende a ser más alto en la mañana. (Silvia, 2007) Recomienda en "How to write a lot" encontrar un momento en el que uno se sienta más energético durante el día. ...
In this first text of a series of four, we address several preliminary aspects that should be considered before embarking on any academic writing process. Specifically, we will discuss three aspects. Firstly, we will explore the optimal time of day for writing and how to plan our writing sessions. Secondly, we will highlight the importance of having a properly configured personal workspace. Thirdly, we emphasize the significance of the concept of "Deep Work," recommending techniques for focus related to setting up our virtual desktop, managing ambient sounds, and incorporating meditation.
... Accountability -The process of developing norms and behaviors led to collective accountability for the group. This accountability encouraged a beneficial social pressure and led to the exhibition of desired behaviors (Silvia, 2019). Authenticity -Scholarship leads to promotion and tenure, but the process can be riddled with competition, dread, worry, and stress, and as a result, many early career faculty may struggle with the writing myth of "imposter syndrome" (Jensen, 2017, p. 52). ...
This project was aimed at enhancing special education teacher preparation programs through the critical infusion of HLPs and professional special education standards. We emphasize the importance of engaging in a collaborative process to strengthen cohesion across faculty, supervisors, mentor teachers, students, and university leaders. We also outline our process for developing a tool for measuring coherence within and across special education preparation programs and discuss future directions for assessment across stakeholders.
... Doctoral students and professional colleagues work full time and are students that in academic terms that use models and theories that apply to the action that was taken [8]. [28] and [29] are books that are critical to turning academic papers into peer-reviewed journal publications. ...
Introduction:Walden, Capella, and the University of Phoenix universities generate many African-American doc-toral graduates, according to Diverse Problems in Higher Education. Problem:While these universities graduate many minority students with doctoral degrees, they contribute sig-nificantly to student loan debt. These universities are for-profit, on-line, or owned by for-profits. Because of that classification, these universities and their doctoral degrees have stigmas in higher education that may hinder African-American and other minority faculty chances at elite, state flagship, and prestigious research universities. Objective:The research aims to formulate strategies to help African-Americans be more knowledgeable about non-traditional doctoral program selection and the current stigmas of graduating with a doctorate from a to-tally on-line or for-profit university. The purpose is not to diminish the accomplishment of anyone with the intellect, courage, and talent to get a regionally accredited doctoral degree. This research intends to educate and empower African-American and other students of color in their doctoral decision-making and discuss the stigmas against doctorates from for-profit universities and totally on-line universities in the U.S. Methodology: The approach used was a content analysis of the literature and qualitative interviews using a phenomenological research approach. The purpose is not to diminish or demonize graduates and degrees from regionally accredited on-line doctorate programs offered by for-profit universities, because they have provided opportunities and access to doctoral education. The goal is to share the realities of the current stigmas of those degrees from those universities in academic communities at the most highly ranked universities. The ultimate aim would be to educate them on the importance of school choice, even if the only viable option for doctoral completion is an on-line or hybrid doctoral program. Results:Academic careers often depend on having a doctorate and the university that awards that doctorate. So, African-Americans and other students of color should investigate and choose brick-and-mortar universi-ties with on-line and hybrid doctoral programs, which are often viewed more favorably. This study offers an accurate world understanding of the challenges and stigmas of African-American doctoral graduates driven by where they pursue their doctorate degrees. Conclusion:This project seeks to change the behavior of doctoral program selection and modification practices that would make graduates more successful and favorable for full-time faculty jobs after graduation. Originality:The gap in the literature explored is the limited academic discussion about how attending and com-pleting a doctorate from one of these universities can be detrimental to African-Americans, especially if they are interested in full-time tenure-track faculty careers at non-profit research universities.Limitations:More current research is needed on the stigmas and challenges of getting a doctorate from a for-profit or totally online university. More scholarly dialogues from the literature could have enriched the study.
... Perseverance sounds serious, but if you can develop a writing habit, you can achieve more than you can imagine [13]. We both have a habit of writing early in the morning when our mind is fresh because writing is hard. ...
... Perseverance sounds serious, but if you can develop a writing habit, you can achieve more than you can imagine [13]. We both have a habit of writing early in the morning when our mind is fresh because writing is hard. ...
Academic writing is difficult, especially for non-native English speakers. We share a perspective on writing with a set of heuristics called the Writing Alphabet, consisting of Accurate, Brief, Clear, Dynamic, Engaging, Flowing, Goal, Habit, and Investment. These points can help struggling writers identify issues and, importantly, internalise good writing practices.
... When should the first draft of the manuscript be ready? As Silvia (2019) puts it, do not wait for the mood to strike (Silvia, 2019). Writing or researching just a little bit each day, even one sentence can move the project forward. ...
Purpose
This study aims to investigate basic/core principles and practical tools behind successful manuscript writing for education journals. Drawing on the insights of journal editors and related literature, this paper seeks to clarify the craft of preparing quality manuscripts to meet the expectations of academic journals.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses an interpretivist framework by incorporating a qualitative analysis of the literature with the authors’ experiences to identify key principles and issues in academic publishing. These narratives provide an empirical basis for understanding the mechanics and essence of effective manuscript crafting. The study integrates theoretical knowledge with actionable strategies, focusing on identifying the objectives and processes of writing, determining common challenges and directing readers toward comprehensive resources for guidance in article writing.
Findings
This study reveals that manuscript rejections often transcend technical shortcomings. Issues that are central to nonacceptance include misalignment with a journal’s thematic focus, absence of a coherent and persuasive argument, methodological weaknesses and insufficient evidence underpinning the assertions. Successful publication depends not just on data presentation and adherence to submission norms but also on developing a narrative that enriches the prevailing scholarly discourse. Our findings advocate for manuscripts that strike an appropriate balance between lucidity and analytical rigor, avoid superfluous technical language and express a mix of assertiveness and scholarly modesty.
Originality/value
Although there is literature on academic writing, very few recent articles have been uncovered that probe the intricacies of crafting education manuscripts and point to resources.
... According to Silvia [1], writing is a complex and creative set of behaviors that are similar in their extensive outlines for first-and second-language writers when it also requires writers to present new ideas with precise and compelling arguments that contribute to a complete essay. As a result, writing has been claimed to be the most difficult skill to master in both the mother tongue and the second language. ...
Nghiên cứu này nhằm mục đích tìm hiểu thêm về những khó khăn mà sinh viên chuyên ngành tiếng Anh năm thứ hai và năm thứ ba gặp phải khi học viết luận tiếng Anh tại trường Đại học An Giang. Tác giả đã sử dụng phương pháp hỗn hợp bằng cách phân phát bảng câu hỏi với thang đo Likert năm điểm cho 258 sinh viên chuyên ngành Ngôn ngữ Anh và thực hiện phỏng vấn bán cấu trúc với 13 sinh viên. Theo kết quả nghiên cứu, sinh viên gặp phải nhiều vấn đề về viết, phần lớn liên quan đến từ vựng, ngữ pháp, thiếu ý tưởng và động cơ học tập. Khi làm bài văn, đa số sinh viên còn thiếu vốn từ và mắc lỗi trong việc chọn từ. Ngoài ra, sinh viên còn đối mặt với các cấu trúc ngữ pháp hoặc câu phức tạp. Một số sinh viên lại không có động lực để viết bài luận, trong khi những sinh viên khác không có ý tưởng và bị vướng mắc khi gặp phải chủ đề lạ. Nghiên cứu này rất có ý nghĩa đối với giảng viên vì cho phép giảng viên dễ dàng xác định những khó khăn của sinh viên và đưa ra những phương pháp khác nhau giúp cải thiện kỹ năng viết của người học. Nghiên cứu cũng đề xuất một số khuyến nghị cho nghiên cứu trong tương lai về những thách thức của sinh viên chuyên Anh trong việc học viết luận tiếng Anh.
... The resulting idea is a weeklong writing retreat that occurs at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Since writing groups can help scholars reinforce their writing schedules, make writing less solitary, and encourage them to move away from binge writing (Silvia, 2019), writing retreats meet an important need in our community. To meet the needs of the RCOE community, these writing retreats have been held in various formats (i.e., face-to-face, virtual, and hybrid) and follow a similar structure. ...
This article describes the rationale, development process, and initial activities and outcomes of a faculty mentoring guild that engages experienced faculty volunteers in supporting their near peers in navigating their teaching , research, service, and life expectations and obligations. The purposes of this article are to (1) describe the mentoring guild model; (2) provide a research-based rationale for a craft model of faculty support; (3) detail examples of mentoring guild activities, including the benefits and challenges ; (4) recount explicit and implicit personal and professional outcomes for mentoring guild members; and (5) offer activities and lessons learned that faculty developers and institutions may consider if they want to begin their own craft-based or mentoring guild model.
... The final tweak I made to Belcher's program was to bring in the voices of many other wonderful writers and researchers on academic writing. Blog posts from Patter (Thomson, 2023), The Thesis Whisperer (Mewburn, 2023), and Doctoral Writing SIG (Aitchison et al., 2023) featured heavily, as did references to sections of books including many of my favourites -How to Write a Lot (Silvia, 2019), The Writer's Diet (Sword, 2016), Stylish Academic Writing (Sword, 2011), The Clockwork Muse (Zeruvabel, 1999), and Don't Panic: The Procrastinator's Guide to Writing an Effective Term Paper (Posusta, 1996). As a voracious reader for my own professional personal development (and pleasure), every iteration of my W12 version of Belcher's program has had additional resources added, so even those who attend the program more than once are gaining something new. ...
This practice report argues that, in a higher education system where publication is a key performance metric, existing resources, such as textbooks, can be used and modified to make engaging and valuable professional development resources for researcher/educators – both students and academics. The report outlines a series of writing workshops offered over 2021 and 2022 at Queensland University of Technology, based on Wendy Laura Belcher’s 2019 book Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success. The practice report describes the specific steps taken to “tweak”, or re-work the book-as-curriculum, to provide flexibility and a place for writing wellness for educators during over-crowded academic semesters. It also provides a case study of the usefulness of the writing program for educators in enhancing their writing wellbeing, and ends with lessons for other academic developers who may be considering using existing texts as the basis for professional development for already-overworked staff in the neoliberal academy.
... Perhaps they need help with time management, prioritizing the project within their other responsibilities, or maybe they are confused and do not know how to ask for help. Specific writing times can also be set to meet students online or in person to improve accountability and productivity, similar to those suggested in Silvia's How to Write a Lot (Silvia, 2019). This allows you both to set aside time to work on research projects and can be helpful in avoiding delays. ...
... Writing is both a challenging pedagogical area and an essential skill for students to learn (see Sallee et al. 2011). Luckily, dozens of books focus on writing, creating good writing habits, and getting published (e.g., Becker 2020; Belcher 2019; Deetjen 2020; Saramäki 2018; Silvia 2007Silvia , 2015, whereas others focus on grammar, prose, and writing styles (e.g., Strunk and White 2000;Sword 2012;Truss 2003;Zinsser 2006). Concepts from those books were applied to Thompson's classroom. ...
Writing for publication will be central to students’ future careers, so learning this skill should be integral to their graduate training. In a recent graduate seminar, we set up an assignment for which students would write a digital review (DR) and receive periodic feedback on their work through an innovative mock peer-review roundtable workshop. Each student wrote a DR intended for actual publication in the journal Advances in Archaeological Practice . Students worked closely with the instructor and the journal editor on their individual topics, outlines, and abstracts. They also peer-reviewed each other's drafts and discussed their feedback as part of the roundtable workshop, which simulated real reviewers. Finally, each student wrote cover letters and prepared images for submission to the journal. This exercise demystified the peer-review process for students who had little prior knowledge about publication, prepared students for responding to reviewer comments from varying viewpoints, and helped students understand the additional steps involved in publication. Although it was challenging to scale this exercise to a large class, we hope that others will also try and share results from these types of authentic real-world training experiments to advance graduate pedagogy in our discipline and beyond.
... First, this chapter isn't a guide on being a better writer or presenter. Many texts already exist for this purpose (our recommendations include Feldman & Silvia, 2010;Friman, 2014;Heinicke et al., 2022;Schimel, 2012;Silvia, 2014Silvia, , 2017Strunk & White, 1999;Valentino, 2021). Second, this chapter assumes you have already created a practical and accurate operational definition of the behavior you are interested in analyzing. ...
... Creative goals are ill-defined, making planning and organization central to success. The industry of advice books and websites, from those geared to academics (Silvia, 2007) to those aimed at writers and comedians (Arana, 2003;Trapani, 2007) suggests that establishing routines and schedules is helpful for successfully completing complex long-term creative projects. Empirical evidence suggests that effective planning and organization of tasks, information, and the workspace improves creative performance (Darini, Pazhouhesh, & Moshiri, 2011;Montani, Odoardi, & Battistelli, 2014;Osburn & Mumford, 2006) and results in prolonged periods of enjoyable and productive effort (Kellogg, 1988(Kellogg, , 1994. ...
How are creative ideas transformed into creative behavior, products, and achievements? We posit that this transformation is facilitated by self-regulation of creativity. The present study develops a self-report scale and provides initial evidence of validity in assessing two major aspects of self regulation of creativity: expectations about the creative process before the task and strategies of regulation during the creative task. Cross-validated factor analyses identified three dimensions of expectations: expecting a nonlinear process, importance of task completion, and expecting criticism, and four dimensions of regulation strategies during the creative process: adjusting approach, planning, fragile regulation, and embracing risk. Convergent and discriminant validity was supported in relation to measures of general self-regulation, personality, well-being, and motivation. Finally, we provide support for the predictive validity of self-regulation of creativity scales for creative achievement beyond openness to experience. We discuss the need for research on the
nature of the process of transforming and realizing creative ideas.
... Ideas at Work Collaborative Writing as a Scholarship Activity: A Framework for Extension Faculty JOE 54 (6) The in-person gathering was launched with a reflection on each individual's writing strengths and challenges. Silvia (2007) in a review of the writing process described specious barriers that are superficially plausible but actually wrong. Common specious barriers to writing include poor time management, lack of regularity, negative self-talk, poor preparation, and not waiting for inspiration. ...
As Extension faculty and staff work to meet the requirements for increased scholarship activities through multiple outlets, a collaborative writing activity can be an important instrument in one's academic toolbox. Writing collaboratively allows colleagues to support one another's individual strengths and work through concerns together. This shared endeavor can help Extension professionals translate and disseminate the impacts of and findings from Extension programming for academic and practitioner audiences.
Conducting qualitative research is an arduous task for early-career researchers. Throughout their academic journey, novice researchers need to employ strategies to overcome various challenges while designing, conducting, maintaining, and reporting qualitative research. In this protracted odyssey, exploring challenges in the ESL/EFL landscape requires effective time management, maintenance skills, and momentum to navigate complex methodologies within diverse linguistic and cultural contexts. This chapter provides a comprehensive exploration of challenges early-career researchers may face and offers a suite of strategies and suggestions drawing from recent studies. The chapter further emphasizes the importance of ethical considerations and engaging in professional development opportunities critical to qualitative inquiry. Thus, this chapter serves as a resource to empower early-career researchers in ESL/EFL to embrace qualitative research with resilience, balance, and ethical rigor.
Publish or Perish has a variety of meanings. Most often, the term is understood as a reference to the material requirements of publishing relentlessly in order to make or advance a career in contemporary academia. In this article, I show that Publish or Perish is also a cultural narrative that appears to provide a formal rationalistic solution to the uncertainty of early career scholars. Funds are scarce, competition is fierce, the individual future within academia is unknown—the Publish or Perish narrative claims that if you just keep publishing, you can overcome these obstacles. This narrative is perpetuated among aspiring scholars and creates peer pressure where it exerts its power to a certain extent regardless of material requirements, especially in the humanities. Based on extensive discussion of literature and data from a qualitative study with humanities scholars in Germany and the UK, employing a cultural sociological approach, I trace the meaning of Publish or Perish as this narrative. I look at how it is passed on among early career scholars, and how senior scholars respond to it in situations of mentorship and supervision. This perspective emphasizes the importance of everyday situations that trigger anxiety, as well as the importance of mentorship as a crucial means of reducing this anxiety. This is pertinent to reforms of evaluation practices that tend to abstract from such mundane situations. The notion of the slippery slope (Hartmut Rosa) helps comprehend this anxiety.
Walking though the rooms of the TCK Lab home, you might have had a nice meal in the kitchen, putting together in sensory ways your own experiences of writing, or the room with a view, reading some of our responses as inspiration to writing and learning about critical-creative education. Your visit might also have started in the living room, with conversations about education, writing and living. No matter where you come from, we are thrilled to welcome you into our library, a room about theories on writing for/on education.
The house that we have built using the bricks of our knowledge and experiences comes into its purpose when one looks at it in its wholeness. This house might be better called a ‘home’ or a shelter. Its walls do not separate but rather protect, and its function is not to divide but to nourish safely. Its garden is the space where all the creative seeds produced within its frames can become beautiful flowers once planted in fertile soil, but also where all the waste is organically put to use.
Writing a research proposal is the first step for a research project. It's like a map that guides you on a trip; more concretely, it provides you with an outline to guide you through the research process. This chapter deals with fundamentals related to developing a research proposal and how to make it a sound and comprehensive one. It begins with the importance of writing a research proposal. The second part presents characteristics of a good research proposal. The third part involves the main components of a research proposal and other important aspects of the proposal that need to be considered. The final part concerns how to review your research proposal following the recommended guidelines for essential content as well as required form before submitting it.
This chapter is the closing chapter of The Early Career Researcher’s Toolbox. As such, it considers the various tools acquired throughout the book. It also describes the power of these tools for both discovering collaborative possibilities with colleagues and sustaining these collaborations for years to come. In the end, this chapter makes a plea to early career researchers to leverage the power of storytelling to not only propel their own research careers but also ensure the future of scholarly work itself.
This chapter articulates the importance of professional development tools for the early career researcher. The chapter details a story about the author’s own experiences with learning skills relevant to improving one’s writing productivity. Along the way, the chapter conveys a key lesson about professional development, namely that attaining skills requires tailoring tools to the user’s scholarly process and daily life. Importantly, how this lesson manifested in the author’s own scholarly process revealed a potent professional development tool described later in the book (i.e., Chap. 4).
Research isn’t all elegant study designs, accurate data collection, and sophisticated equations. Researchers must also communicate their ideas and findings with scholarly audiences and do so effectively. These audiences are no different from those found at your local theater. That is, they understand each paper you write or talk you deliver insofar as it tells a compelling story. Yet, your storytelling doesn’t stop with a single paper or talk. Scholarly records span years and multiple pieces of work. Successful researchers learn to synthesize their records to tell a larger story—a research program. This chapter conveys the book’s thesis, namely that narrative tools commonly used in film help researchers build programs of research. This chapter also details how the book is tailored to the lives of early career researchers and articulates how narrative tools reveal keen insights into working with mentors, navigating peer review, and nailing the job talk that launches your career.
This chapter outlines several strategies for working within the peer review system when publishing academic work. In particular, strategies discussed in this chapter address circumstances in which the reviews an early career researcher receives clearly reflect feedback provided by peer reviewers who wish to be constructive and are motivated to help the early career researcher improve their work.
Statements of reflection on teaching and learning are sometimes called teaching philosophies, often featuring as a requirement for jobs, promotions, awards, and other applications. In this chapter, I would like to explore the possibilities of taking teaching philosophies seriously and argue that engagement with philosophy of education can provide multiple simultaneous benefits to the busy professor. First, a sophisticated teaching philosophy offers a clear statement of pedagogical purpose. Second, engagement with philosophy of education also opens research opportunities, as systematic reflections on the application of principles in the classroom context can speak to ongoing scholarly debates both in philosophy of education as well as the scholarship of teaching and learning. And finally, serious reflection on teaching philosophies can help with one’s pedagogical identity-formation from the outset of a scholarly career. I draw on educational development literature indicating that reflecting on teaching early in one’s career can help support pedagogical formation (Bullard and McLean in Journal of Geography in Higher Education 24:37–52, 2000; McLean and Bullard in Teacher Development 4:79–101, 2000). Ultimately, I argue that familiarization with key concepts in the philosophy of education can facilitate the incorporation of scholarship of teaching and learning within courses through intentional design.
Writing projects are an essential part of academic life yet completing them frequently poses a challenge for both novice and experienced authors. Working in some type of writing support group may provide the structure, training, community, accountability, and emotional support necessary to become a productive writer. This chapter highlights three approaches to academic writing support groups: (1) structured groups, (2) writing retreats, and (3) accountability groups. Structured groups can provide early career academics with activities designed to assist them in improving their writing skills while making progress on a specific publication. Writing retreats gather writers together for a period of time in a location free from distractions to provide an environment that supports the writer’s ability to progress. Accountability groups bring writers together repeatedly over a period of time to write silently together. When the appropriate group is chosen, participation can boost productivity as well as offer community and emotional support to writers in what can be an increasingly hectic and demanding academic climate. This chapter will offer guidance in choosing the right type of group to maximize benefits.
Faculty in higher education invest many years preparing to become professors. The emphasis during graduate school is on mastering specialized subject matter, acquiring the skills and dispositions of a scholar, and demonstrating the ability to conduct research. This background sometimes eclipses other important influences on writing for publication, such as past experiences with writing, skill in written composition, and affective variables (e.g., emotions associated with writing, motivation/interest, and expectancy for success). In this chapter, we examine an emerging theme in research on writing, namely, the identity work of academic authors. From this perspective, writing for publication is more than an academic skill set. Entering the professional dialogue of a discipline also involves the potentially ego-threatening tasks of subjecting manuscripts for review and coping with disappointing outcomes. Developing an identity as a scholar/author occurs across the entire career trajectory as new writing challenges are pursued. Authors at all levels of experience have an ethical obligation to ensure that any work attributed to them is original and has not been published previously. Understanding plagiarism—not just blatant examples but also its more subtle forms–is essential. Increasingly, plagiarism detection software (PDS) tools are in use by publishing companies to avoid intellectual property disputes. Building a sense of identity as a contributor to scientific communication relies on addressing obstacles, giving/receiving collegial support, learning from mistakes, and making a commitment to lifelong learning.
Writing groups in academic libraries and clinical health settings can support faculty in research and scholarship requirements. Faculty in these settings typically have scheduled, location-fixed obligations. Writing groups can provide focused time or other support for research, writing, and creative activities. These groups can foster collaboration within and beyond their units by presenting opportunities to find co-authors or draw on expertise and resources from specialists across their institution. Literature in librarianship and health sciences provides guidance for creating and operating writing groups. Two studies of best practice and research supports were synthesized to create an evaluation tool for group formation and assessment. This was then applied to published case studies in the two fields and to the authors' own writing group. That criteria was used to evaluate the group and identify areas of improvement, such as utilizing colleagues’ expertise.
A conversation between five students and a faculty member, this article explores the experience of writing as a graduate student. Areas of conversation include tensions between being students, writers, and teachers; individuality and vulnerability; and writing in/as community.
Academic writing is difficult. It requires a complex combination of generating ideas, selecting the idea that are appropriate to the writing tasks, translating these into a text and a polishing the text to produce a reasonable and presentable documents. In doing this, a writer has to bring out not only his or her own thoughts but also to make more and enough connection with the community whom writing is being written. This paper will highlight the different kinds of academic writings and the important strategies a researcher should follow to build up a good comprehensible and logical scientific writings and research papers, and it will help to explore the relationships between writing strategies and success as well. The writing process for most writers and expertise tend to be recursive rather than simple linear progression starting with planning and finishing with revising. The paper will elucidate and well shown different kinds of strategies and the way of structuring a good scientific and academic piece of writing. The article will also explore and explain the value of academic writing in the field of research studies. It presents the guidelines that can help to analyses the academic writing process, but also that no amount of theorizing and intellectualizing of writing is going on to make more successful writing patterns unless accompanied by an undertaking to engage in practical strategies and to plan effective writing tactics. The academic value of the writing can then be evaluated and if they wish, ones maker can go back to notice the original sources to find out whether ones have been honest and accurate in the use of data ,ideas and information.
Through surveys and interviews of 433 doctoral faculty and students, we explore professional self-care practices and related issues of academic guilt, imposter syndrome, and burnout. We argue that self-care should be included as a professional practice, taught and modeled, to prepare doctoral students for careers as functional and healthy faculty.
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