Writing for Publishing in Academic Peer-reviewed Journals

Course provider
Research Programme for Environmental and Health Education, Department of Curriculum Research, Danish School of Education, Aarhus University

Deadline for applications: 27 January 2011
Course Date: 28-29-30 March 2011
ECTS-points: 5,5 ECTS points with a finalized paper at the end of the course
Limit: Max 20
Course language: English (possibility for writing and small group discussion in Danish)

Lecturers
Venka Simovska, Associate professor, PhD, DPU (main teacher)
Alan Reid, Senior lecturer, PhD, University of Bath, UK. Editor: Editor, Environmental Education Research, Associate editor: Associate Editor: Journal of Curriculum Studies (Taylor & Francis) (guest teacher)
One more guest lecturer (to be confirmed)

Content
This course deals with both generic and practical aspects of academic writing for publishing within humanities, particularly educational science. Particular attention will be given to communicating research through peer reviewed Journal papers. Issues such as targeting and selecting journals, analyzing academic genres, disciplinarity, and criteria for good writing will be addressed and discussed. Also the art of building, supporting and critically discussion academic arguments will be considered. The participants will have a chance to write individually on their papers during the course, and to get feedback from their peers.

Preparation
This course requires that students are in the process of writing an article that targets a peer reviewed Journal in their field of research. To maximize their benefit from the course, the students should reflect over the possibilities to write and publish an article about a selected aspect of their current PhD study. Therefore, prior to the course, students need to have selected the theoretical frame of their research, the findings they want to report and reflect about the conclusions for the particular paper at hand. Students also need to have a clear idea of the previous research done in the field (literature review).
Prior to the course the participants are expected to submit an elaborated paper outline (5-8 pages), on which they will work during the course. Further, students should read and prepare a brief outline about Instructions for Authors and Criteria for selection of papers in one Journal of their choice (related to their field of study). During the course they will work on an article for the targeted Journal.

Form
The course will use a variety of teaching forms integrated in a workshop format. These include: input by lecturers; individual assignments (writing tasks); small-group discussions (pre-peer reviews) and plenary discussions. Ample time with be allocated for individual work on participants' own papers.

Reading list (recommended)

• Noble, K.A. (1989) Publish or Perish: what 23 journal editors have to say. Studies in Higher Education Volume 14, No. 1, 1989
• Wellington, J. and Nixon, J. ((2005). Shaping the field: the role of academic journal editors in the construction of education as a field of study. British Journal of Sociology of Education Vol. 26, No. 5, November 2005, pp. 643–655
• Standards for Reporting on Empirical Social Science Research in AERA Publications, American Educational Research Association
• One Journal selected by each participating student, representative for their respective PhD study field (Suggestion: Global Health Promotion)
• Swales, J. and Feak, C. 2007. Academic Writing for Graduate students. University of Michigan Press: Ann Arbor

Course Responsible /Kursusansvarlig:
Venka Simovska, Associate professor, PhD, Progarmme Director, Research Programme for Health and Environmental Studies, Danish School of Education, Aarhus University

Programme (Tentative)

28 March 2011
10:00-11:00

• Welcome and introduction of participants
• Introduction to the course: aims, content, teaching styles and expected outcomes

11:00-12:30

• What constitutes the genre of academic writing?
• What is specific to the writing for publishing in peer-reviewed Journals in particular?

12:30-13:30 Lunch

13:30-14:30
Workshop: Driving forces in academic writing for publishing

• Individual reflections
• Small group work
• Plenary discussion

14:30-15:30

• Generic aspects of academic writing
• Writing strategies and paradoxes
• 'Disciplinarity'; what constitutes a good writing in journals?

15:30-17.00 Coffee and tea followed by individual work on the papers

29 March 2011

10:00-12:00

• Targeting a Journal: why and how
• Getting to know the Journals; defining and reflecting on genre(s)
• In-depth analyses of target Journals; instructions for authors etc
• Analysis of disciplinarity

12:00-13:00 Lunch

13:00-14:30
Individual work: Analysis of your Journal of choice: does you paper fit in? What should you change, writing tasks for yourself

14:30-15:30
Walk and talk in groups of three: Take turns: what did you learn from the Journal analysis? What are the dilemmas for further writing on the paper? Give one another feedback.

15:30-16:00 Coffee, tea

16:00-17:00
Questions and Answers

30 March 2011

09:30-10:30
Individual work on the papers

10:30-12:00 
Peer feedback (pairs): read each other's paper and give feedback

12:00-13:00 Lunch

13:00-14:00

• Submission strategies
• Communicating with the editor
• Peer-review procedures and types of reviews
• Analyzing examples of peer reviews and responses to comments

14:00-15:00

• Responding to feedback from reviewers
• Acceptance, proofs, rejection and how to cope
• Developing a concise style; polishing, proofreading
• Final revisions

15:00-15:30 Coffee and tea

15:30-16:00
Walk and talk in groups of three: what will I take home from the course?

16:00-17:00
Plenary discussion, evaluation and closing

Applications should be sent to:
Laila Parbst, ph.d.-udvalget, Danmarks pædagogiske Universitetsskole, Århus Universitet, Tuborgvej 164, DK-2400 København NV, Danmark. E-mail: phd@dpu.dk