Writing for publication and avoiding pitfalls

Abstract

University of Sydney, offers helpful advice on how to structure, draft and hone a manuscript for publication, and enhance your chances of success. He emphasises the need to write in a way that will engage your readers, the importance of aligning the title, aims, methods, results and conclusions, and offers tips on how to address author guidelines in terms of technical requirements, house style, referencing and grammar. This article will be useful for anyone relatively new to writing for publication, particularly when used in combination with feedback on your manuscripts from experienced colleagues and, if appropriate, from a native English speaker. It will also be of interest to more experienced writers as expertise in writing for publication develops over time through practice and refl ection. Remember to give particular time and attention to producing a good title and structured abstract, which should summarise and promote the rest of the article. Like a shop window, these are the fi rst parts that potential readers will see, and for many may be the only parts that they will read. We hope you fi nd these recommendations and words of encouragement helpful.

Lessons in rejection

“…In this paper, we explore our internal narratives to identify lessons that can be drawn from the inevitability of scholarly rejection. We hope that this personal view adds to the formal dialogue 3,4 surrounding rejection, with the hope to destigmatise the experience and remind scholars that they are not alone in facing rejection 5 . In particular, we aim to offer insights for early career researchers, who may be unfamiliar and fearful of rejection, and provide consideration for an alternate viewpoint.…”

Writing: be mindful of context

“…As the editor of this peer‐reviewed academic journal, I do expect a certain standard of writing in papers submitted for possible publication, while taking into account such factors as seniority, experience and English as a second language. We published a toolbox on this topic a few years ago, but continue to receive articles with shortcomings such as: a lack of clarity; poor sentence structure; country‐specific jargon without interpretation; and over‐generalised statements of fact without evidence or adequate referencing. To improve, aspiring writers need to read, read, read…particularly our author guidelines and journal articles.…”

What's special aboutThe Clinical Teacher

“…We invite well‐known, experienced educators to write Toolbox articles, providing an overview and introduction to important general topics in clinical education – such as the coaching of early‐career educators in this issue . Previous topics include writing for publication, understanding and conducting quantitative educational research, and undertaking qualitative research in clinical education . If you want to become a peer reviewer, send an e‐mail with your CV to the editorial office, where you will find the staff extremely helpful and knowledgeable.…”