Publishing your research findings

Kappa Delta Pi Record, Spring 2001 by Webber, Charles

Is the notion of publishing in the academic domain daunting to you? These practical tips and advice include editorial processes, writing structure, and reasons to establish a publishing record.

Research, long considered the domain of university professors, has been largely removed from the practice of teachers and principals. However, that notion has changed drastically in light of the large numbers of teachers who pursue advanced degrees while continuing to have schoolbased careers. As well, our understanding of acceptable research now includes teacher-initiated, school-based action research conducted as a normal part of school decision making and professional development. Therefore, the sharing of research findings has taken on new significance for educational practitioners.

Graduate students in education interested in pursuing research careers must recognize the importance of establishing a publication record as early as possible. Certainly, successful completion of the graduate degree is most important, but beginning to publish is a strong second priority. Therefore, both practitioners and students should consider the following issues when reporting their research in peer-reviewed journals. Peerreviewed or "refereed" journals publish only those articles that have been accepted after systematic review by specialists in the field. Articles published in such journals are highly valued by committees responsible for evaluating the work of faculty members or applicants for faculty positions. This article focuses on writing for refereed journals, which for far too long have been considered a mysterious domain by researchers outside of university settings. Of course, nonrefereed or professional publications-which publish articles selected by editors without a review process-make valuable contributions to education and also should be considered by graduate students and school-- based researchers as potential publishers. Although this article focuses on publishing research findings, graduate students and teachers also should consider publishing manuscripts that offer theoretical and analytical perspectives. Students should, of course, consult with their academic advisors as they prepare manuscripts for publication to determine the structure and content most suitable for their specific areas of research.

Research-Journal Match

When preparing to publish, the first step is to search for the most appropriate journal for research reports. journals vary in qualitative or quantitative focus, preference for empirical or theoretical works, readership, length of manuscripts accepted for publication, degree of formality, wait time between acceptance of a manuscript and publication, and reputation for quality. In addition, students should pay particular attention to journal attributes such as the clarity of instructions to contributors, type of review process employed by editors, and editorial board composition. Importantly, students should look to see if a recent change in journal editors has altered the type of manuscripts published in a journal. Academic writers often find they do well to submit their manuscripts to the journals they most frequently read.

Preparing the Manuscript

The format for journal manuscripts varies widely and, although the following general suggestions fit with the preferences of many journal editors, researchers working in various education disciplines will use other equally acceptable formats for reporting research findings. Be sure to consult the style manual preferred by the editors of specific journals, for example, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or the Chicago Manual of Style.

First and foremost, your manuscript must look as professional as possible. Pay close attention to journal guidelines regarding the preferred style format, spelling style, type font, and margin requirements. Also, most academic journals ask that manuscripts include abstracts of a specific length, and some will not publish manuscripts that exceed the preferred number of words. The title selected for the article should match the details of the abstract and, consequently, the entire article.

The body of the manuscript should begin with an introduction that articulates clearly what the focus and content of the report will be. The introduction acts as an advance organizer for readers. Then, the article must provide a contextual background and a literature review that presents sufficient knowledge to allow for a critical read of the remainder of the manuscripit. Next, consider including a section that describes the conceptual framework guiding your study-the theoretical and empirical justification for the assumptions, parameters, and focus of the research. Next, offer readers a description of the research methodologies used in the study. The methodology section should be concise yet provide enough information to allow others to determine the credibility of your work. It is important to include in the methodology section details such as a demographic profile of participants in the study. Follow the methodology component of the manuscript with a detailed description of the study findings. The structure of the findings section may vary from a clinical presentation of raw facts to a discussion of the contradictions and assumptions implicit in the findings to a weaving together of findings, other reports in the literature, and personal interpretations.