Book Review: A Scholar's Guide to Getting Published in English

It's time for a book review again - it actually has been too long since I wrote my last book review on PhD Talk. I haven't been reading books related to getting a PhD or PhD research anymore, since I figured I don't need to advice as I already have the degree. I'm sure though that I could always learn something from reading a book for my daily research practice. But in the mean time, I'm just reading mostly books that come for free with the newspaper - guilty pleasure!

A few months ago I was contacted with the question if I wanted to review a book called "A Scholar's Guide to Getting Published in English", and I agreed. Here's the synopsis of the book:

In many locations round the globe, scholars are coming under increasing pressure to publish in English in addition to their other languages. However research has shown that proficiency in English is not always the key to success in English-medium publishing. So rather than focus on the linguistic and rhetorical strategies involved in writing for publication, this guide aims to help scholars explore the larger social practices, politics, networks and resources involved in academic publishing and to encourage scholars to consider how they wish to take part in these practices - as well as to engage in current debates about them. Based on 10 years of research in academic writing and publishing practices, this guide will be invaluable both to individuals looking for information and support in publishing, and to those working to support others' publishing activities.

Based on the title of the book, I thought the main focus would be on writing academic English, with hints to style and grammar. There are a large number of books on this topic, and I hoped that there would be something new about this book.

What I didn't expect from "A Scholar's Guide to Getting Published in English" is that the book mainly navigates scholarly identity across languages, and I found it a very thought-provoking read:

Who do I write for when I write an article in Dutch? How different is this audience from the audience I'd write a paper for in English? - My audiences are different in both cases, and the way I bring my results is different too (more practical, applied to local market or more general, with more emphasis on the science)

Not only does the book touch upon this topic, but it also goes beyond the surface by presenting the results of 10 years of research on this topic. Every chapter contains a testimony from a non-native researcher and questions to reflect on for the reader. As such, the book goes into a dialogue with the reader. Additionally, there are plenty of (bibliographic and other) sources in the book.

The chapters of the book cover all aspects of publishing as a researcher: from navigating institutional requirements with regard to publishing (across languages, often), to selecting a journal, participating in international research networks, presenting your work and serving as an editor or reviewer of scholarly publications. The topics are as broad as our publishing work extends.

I could highlight some elements from the book here, but it wouldn't serve the dialogue style of the book right, nor would it fit the sequence of the book, which follows the publication process (from identifying your institution's requirements, to publishing, to reviewing).
If you are an academic, and you did not grow up speaking English, and function as an academic in a country of which the language is not English, you should read this book. I'm sure it will help you focus on the parameter of language in your writing.

Influence of Width on Shear Capacity of Reinforced Concrete Members

In the latest issue of the ACI Structural Journal, we have published a paper that describes a series of experiments we carried out on slab strips.

The abstract of the paper is:

Code provisions for one-way shear assume a linear relation between the shear capacity of a reinforced concrete member and its width. For wide members subjected to a concentrated load, an effective width in shear should be introduced. To study the effective width and the influence of the member width on shear capacity, a series of experiments was carried out on continuous one-way elements of different widths. The size of the loading plate, the moment distribution at the support, and the shear span-depth ratio were varied and studied as a function of the member width. The effective width can be determined by using a 45-degree oad-spreading method from the far side of the loading plate to the face of the support. This proposed effective width is easy to implement, yet gives good results in combination with code provisions.

Writers' Lab: One Day, It Will Be Done

Today, we're returning to the Writer's Lab. Tamara Girardi shares with us how she managed to finish her dissertation, with a baby in her arms. Tamara holds a PhD in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her dissertation, It Can Be Acquired and Learned: Building a Writer-Centered Pedagogical Approach to Creative Writing focuses on the field of creative writing studies. She studied creative writing at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and writes young adult fiction. She's a member of the English faculty for Virtual Learning at Harrisburg Area Community College and primarily works from home with her colleagues: a computer-programming husband, a three-year old son, and an 18-month old daughter. Follow her on Twitter @TamaraGirardi.

The thought of writing a dissertation spikes my heart rate, which is saying something since I've already written, defended, and earned a degree for one. The task - choosing a focus, developing the idea, reading the literature that never ends, formulating quality research questions, theorizing appropriate methods for addressing the questions, executing the study, and finally determining what is worth saying about the results - is, needless to say, daunting.

Additionally, when I was finishing my doctoral coursework in the Composition and TESOL Program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, my husband and I decided we should start a family. After all, my coursework would be well behind me by the time the baby was born. Nine months was a long time to prepare. And that was true, but then there was the dissertation. Our son was born in September. In November, I began reading for my literature review. With my infant in his bouncy chair, I piled books all around us and read, earmarked, annotated them. To ensure he was stimulated, I often read aloud. He often fell asleep. I don't blame him. I would have fallen asleep too if I could have.

Around this time, I shared a progress update with my dissertation advisor. Although I didn't reveal my apprehensions directly, he must have noticed certain cues. Or perhaps he has advised enough students to anticipate apprehension as a general rule. His advice was not ground-breaking, but it was perfect. He said, "Just sit down and do a bit every day, and one day, it will be done." Of course, I thought! Theoretically, and theory was part of my every thought, one day it would have to end. I needn't think of that last day or every day. Just one day. Today.

The advice is similar to Anne Lamott's ever popular text on writing, Bird by Bird. She tells the story of her brother who procrastinated a research essay on birds one year. She recalls her father sitting down with him at the kitchen table the night before the essay was due telling him, "Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird."

As is often the case with simple advice, the recommendation is certainly wise. Investing time every day in the dissertation kept my mind focused on the topic and the unique challenges that developed throughout my study. Even when I wasn't reading or writing, I was simmering the ideas from my last reading or writing session. Daily connections propelled my work forward. Sometimes, I read or wrote for only an hour a day, but over time, I came to believe that an hour per day was more effective for my thought processes than seven hours every Saturday or Sunday. I notice a similar experience with my fiction writing. If I write for even 15 minutes daily I'm able to follow my own story and innovate with unique setting, character, and plot details. If I write weekly or monthly, I spend much of my time reading my previous work to remind myself of my decisions from the last writing session.

Although I'm advocating for daily connections to doctoral candidates' dissertations, I realize schedules vary. That said, I believe in this approach. If you can read one chapter or one article, if you can write a few pages or brainstorm ideas, you are connected to your work. Writing process theorist and Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Donald Murray believed that rehearsal, or the time writers spend thinking about writing, is a valuable part of the writing process. In a way, that's what the daily connection to writing suggests. Being connected to your focus, idea, literature review, research questions, research methods, and study results could spark new ideas as your mind "rehearses." In addition to the fact that if you invest a little time each day, one day, the dissertation will be done, daily progress could enrich your research project in ways you never imagined.

So when your heart rate spikes and the task seems daunting, disempower the overwhelming pile of books and the blank word processing page and follow some good advice: do a bit every day, and one day, it will be done.

Writers' Lab: Experiences from the Writing Process

In the Writers' Lab today, I'm hosting Dr. William Deyamport III, who shares with us his experiences of writing a dissertation. Here's how Will introduces himself:

I am a district instructional technologist, connected educator, and digital learning consultant. I work with teachers in discovering how they can use a multitude of technologies, such as Google Apps, Compass Learning, ActivInspire, etc., to create an array of interactive and collaborative classroom learning experiences, with a focus on digital learning and connecting students to a global community.

I have an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Management from Capella University. In addition, I am a frequent conference presenter, blogger, and have guest lectured, via Google Hangouts and Skype, on the uses of Twitter for developing a personal learning network.


Once I decided to pursue a doctorate, I knew that I was going to choose an Ed.D. Aside from the focus on solving real-world problems, I was drawn to the culminating project that many Ed.D. programs have. That said, I wasn’t thrilled when I discovered that Capella University’s Doctor of Education program required a dissertation and not a field project.

In this post, I am going to share what I learned about my writing process, and offer a few tips to others who may be in the midst of writing their dissertation.

Find Your Writing Cozy

I wrote at a desk in the livingroom that I had had for years. It wasn’t sexy, nor was my space set up to mimic a spa or a zen-like retreat. I didn’t care about any of that. But you have to understand that I am the kind of dude who, until recently, used to wash his hair and his face with a bar of Dial soap.
Writing at a desk in the livingroom worked for me. I had access to the TV, and I was close to the kitchen if I needed a snack.

What you want is to find your spot where you can be your most productive. That may be at a Starbucks or at the beach, your bedroom, or at the library. Wherever you feel most comfortable and relaxed, and where you can concentrate on writing is your cozy.
The most important thing about writing your dissertation is writing your dissertation.

Clock in: You gotta Make Time

My number one rule in writing a dissertation is to treat it like a job. That means clocking in everyday and putting in the time. I would write seven to eight hours a day. The only times I wouldn’t write, with the exception of the times I took a break from writing (bad mistake), was when I was waiting for feedback from my advisor. Otherwise, I wrote like I was earning a living.

You can’t treat your dissertation like it’s a hobby or something you will get to when you have time. You have to make the time. Set aside two hours a day. Don’t give yourself any excuses not to write. Even if it’s only five pages, you have to make a habit of writing something everyday.
Think of this way, if you never get it on the page, you will never walk across the stage!

Keep a Notepad Handy

I am all about going digital. I earned my graduate degrees online. Most of the movies I watch are streamed online. I have subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime. That said, I always have paper on my desk to joint down thoughts, ideas, or to outline something.
Use handwritten notes, or notes via Evernote or Google Keep on your smartphone or Tablet, to organize your train of thought.

Strike When the Iron is Hot

Duh!... Write when the mood hits you. If inspiration, hits you at 3am, if you can, get up and start writing. There were plenty of days in which I would wake up, and my dissertation would be gnawing at me. I just couldn’t sleep. So I got up and wrote until I put in my eight hours for the day.
Don’t waste the spark. When something in you pulls you to write, then you have to write. You simply can’t allow that energy and creativity to go away. Seize it and take the opportunity to write as much as you can.

I know that I am talking about inspiration. Please don’t use not being inspired as an excuse to not write. Put in the time to write daily. Remember to set aside a predetermined amount of time to write.

Edit Later

Don’t worry about editing while you are writing. You have plenty of time to edit. Focus on writing. What you don’t want is to get stuck over “the perfect sentence” or “the perfect explanation”. Once you have completed a section or a chapter, you can always go back and make any necessary edits. And as everyone who has ever written a dissertation can attest to, you will have plenty of edits to make based upon your Chair’s feedback.

I had an interesting time writing my dissertation. For me, I wrote so many hours and made so many edits that I really needed my dissertation out of my life! In the end, I am very pleased with what I accomplished. Good journey on your writing.

Writers' Lab: Write, write, and write some more.

Today I have the pleasure of inviting Chris Keyworth to the Writers' Lab. Chris is a final year PhD student in Health Psychology based at the Centre for Dermatology Research, University of Manchester, UK. Chris’s PhD is examining health risk communication and lifestyle behaviour change in people with psoriasis. Twitter: @ChrisK_UofM

One of the best pieces of advice I was given before starting my PhD was to spend the majority of my three years writing. Not thinking, not planning to write (although yes these are key elements to writing and doing a PhD generally), not writing endless to-do lists or downloading those journal articles to your IPad that you will ‘read on the train’, but writing – words on paper. The PhD journey ultimately ends with one thing – the thesis. Without it, there is no PhD. Coming to the end of my PhD, whilst there is still long way to go and a lot of writing to be done, having a basis for my thesis has really helped me.

‘It will be alright on the night’

Cramming all of your writing into the final stages of your PhD is something that I would not endorse. ‘The 3 month thesis’ that we hear about, for me, is nonsense. Writing should evolve over the course of your PhD. Even though drafting, redrafting, and redrafting your redraft is often a pain-staking process; this really does strengthen your writing skills. I sometimes look back at my masters and think ‘did I really write that?’ Being able to write effectively and communicate with a scientific audience (and otherwise) is a fundamental skill for academics. An iterative writing process can only serve to strengthen these skills.

The idea of writing an entire thesis in the final few weeks or months of your PhD fills me with dread. Understandably, lab-based students generally (but not always) spend their first three years of a four year PhD in the lab – and use their final 6 months to a year writing up their findings. This is all well and good, but nothing can prepare you for the undue stress and pressure you will feel at the prospect of cramming your writing into the final stage of your PhD. I am fortunate enough to have received good advice about writing early on in my PhD.

 ‘Is it me or is it cold in here?’

To use an old cliché, starting is the hardest part. I hate that cliché, but yet it rings true. Students (and perhaps academics in general) are all too familiar with that common routine we go through before deciding to type those words on that empty page of our word processor. Make cup of coffee, check emails, get side-tracked by an interesting journal article, make another cup of coffee. Procrastination is a fatal trap that PhD students in particular fall into. Beware of procrastination early on in your PhD when the common thought pattern is ‘it’s fine, I have three years to write this’. We procrastinate, we do anything we can to avoid writing. We convince ourselves the conditions are not suitable to write. ‘It’s too dark in this room’, ‘it’s too light’, ‘it’s too cold’, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow instead.’

Find something that works for you

When it comes to writing, I do like my own space and it is important to find something that works for you. The office, at home, or in the local coffee shop. In my case, the library out of term-time is a great place to work. All the students have gone home, all the books are usually in, and the great peace and quiet, perfect! But it is important to find somewhere where you work best.

The ‘2 hour rule’

Knowing when to write, and how long for, is pivotal. Try blocking out specific time slots in your diary so you have it written down, this seems to be effective for me. Think of it as a written contract with yourself. Research suggests that if something is written down, and even signed (but you don’t
need to go that far!), it is more likely to be followed through. Think of the ‘2 hour golden rule’ which is just about enough for most of us. Give it a go – just write – for 2 hours. You’ll be surprised how productive you could be in a relatively short time-frame.

Break it down into small manageable goals

Writing does not have to be overwhelming. To borrow a term from the health psychology literature, think SMART goals; be specific (number of words), make it measurable (track your progress via the word count), achievable (you know you can write 200 words), realistic, and timely (give yourself plenty of time before an impending deadline). It is not feasible to write 5,000 a day. But think about 200 words every day for 3 years – there is your thesis.

Think about when you are most productive – is there a certain day of the week or time of day when you are most productive. I am definitely a morning person, which is when I tend to focus my writing on. Strangely I often get a ‘second wind’ on Friday afternoons which powers me into a relaxing weekend. The point is you will discover your own writing habits, and make the most of the time that works best for you.

Let your writing guide your reading

It is all too easy to become immersed (and potentially lost!) in the literature, particularly in the early phases of your PhD, but also when it comes to writing generally. My advice would be to let your writing guide your reading. As you write, you know the areas you need to read more about. This not only allows you to develop that all important word count for your thesis, but more crucially, it helps uncover gaps in the literature, and therefore formulate your research questions.

Most importantly – enjoy!

Another piece of advice I can give is to quite simply enjoy writing. It can be very rewarding seeing your name up in lights in that internationally-renowned journal. I am far from being a writing guru, but I merely pass on some words of encouragement that writing need not be the devil’s work.

PhD Talk for AcademicTransfer: How I manage my papers in progress

This post is part of the series PhD Talk for AcademicTransfer: posts written for the Dutch academic career network AcademicTransfer, your go-to resource for all research positions in the Netherlands.

These posts are sponsored by AcademicTransfer, and tailored to those of you interested in pursuing a research position in the Netherlands.

If these posts raise your interest in working as a researcher in the Netherlands, even better - and feel free to fire away any questions you might have on this topic!

At the beginning of your research career, you might make be making a big deal out of working on a research paper (and that's normal and alright, it's a skill that you are acquiring and it will take some practice before you have the writing in your fingers). Once you gain more experience, and once you move onto the next stages of career, you might be transitioning into a next stage of writing, the stage of Having Many Papers Going On At Once.

Having many papers going on at once can be messy. You'll need to find a way to keep track of the deadlines, see if you need to go and bug the editor to get your reviews back if after many months they still don't give a sign of life, and keep track of the replies of your coauthors. Or you might have pasted a figure into your paper, and then afterwards when you need to upload a high-quality version of it, forget where on Earth you have left that drawing.

In this post, I'll be discussing the different aspects of managing papers that are in progress. There's some planning involved, some regular document tracking, and some list-making. The system that I'm using is integrated with my time management system, and might not be completely suitable for you. More than anything, this post is meant to give you some ideas, rather than to present a water-tight system that you should copy. Now, with that warning as a side, let me present you the system I'm currently using:

1. Planning your papers

I use a Google Document in which I keep an overview of the papers in progress and the papers I have in mind to write. I use a spreadsheet in Google Docs for this, which is a rather low-tech approach for planning, but let me explain why I prefer Google Docs for this purpose:

• Shareable: This Google Doc is shared with the people who are most often my co-authors. I don't need to send an updated file whenever I make a change - they can simply see the latest version whenever they want to check our progress. And on the rare occasion when I do need a print or time-snapshot of this table, I can easily print the table (as a PDF or physical print), and use it for something like my annual evaluation.
• Accessible: Whenever I have an idea of a paper I should write, or if I'm traveling and I forgot how far along I am with a given paper, I can simply access this document in the cloud, and check the table. This feature is especially helpful since I'm working at institutions that are divided over 2 continents.
• Overview of dates and people: My Google Docs table is very simple, and consists of the following columns: "Paper", which has an abbreviated name for the paper, typically related to the journal I'm aiming at, "Topic", which -well- contains the topic of the paper, "Journal/Venue" contains the journal or conference in which I'm planning to publish this work, "First Draft" has the goal-deadline for my first draft, "Revisions" has my goal-deadline for getting the revisions from my co-authors, "Co-author X/Y/Z" has an x if said co-author already sent me his comments, "submitting" has my goal-deadline for first submission. Then, for the second round of reviews, I use the following columns next to the previously discussed ones: "Draft Review", "Revision", "Co-author X/Y/Z" and "Resubmit". Finally, I have a column that I use for notes-to-myself.
• Comments: Using a simple spreadsheet-based document allows me to write some comments in a separate column. What goes in there? For example, if a paper is rejected, I make a comment of where else I could publish it and when I can think of reworking it. Or, I write in there that I need to ask other people if they want to be co-author for the paper.
• Color-coding: I'm using a simple color-coding in the sheet (by filling the background of the cells in the first column): light blue for papers that are completely done, green for papers that are on hold or in review, orange for papers in progress, and red for papers I haven't started yet.

2. Reminders and future plans

Besides the Google Document with the planning table, I also put self-imposed and hard deadlines in my to-do list app. I use Todoist, and I have a separate project titled "Writing papers". In there, I have not only the deadlines (which show up as reminders on the Todoist website, the app on my phone and tablet and whatnot), but I also have reminders for starting dates (when I plan to start working on a paper), and vague ideas for papers that have no deadline but that I review from time to time - although at the moment I'm still completely swamped with finishing up the papers that result from my dissertation. Once a "start-writing" reminder shows up in my Todoist (or better: in the 7 days ahead view that I always use), I will add it to my weekly planning in Google Calendar. I'm using a weekly template to make sure I find the time to teach, prepare class, read papers, write papers and do research. Oh, and -to my distress- read and reply email. The weekly template is generic, but on a weekly and monthly basis, I fill out which paper precisely I'll be working on during my writing time, and which piece of research precisely I'll be working on during my research hours. On a daily basis then, I write down my 3 most important tasks in my paper-based planner, because I tend to get distracted when I need to keep checking my schedule on Google Calendar online.

3. Organizing documents

Another related element here is keeping track of all mails from the editors related to a given paper, and the figures - to avoid not finding the high-resolution version of a given figure once you need to upload them for submission. I create a folder per paper (all together organized in a document with my written stuff). Within this folder I save the paper and its different versions (I use "Paper Title YYYYMMDD.doc" as a name for the documents). In a subfolder "figs", I save the figures - lately I've been just using fig 1.eps, fig 2.eps etc for naming the figures. I also keep a subfolder "review process" for replies to reviewers and any email related to the review process. Another folder, "calcs" typically contains the calculations backing up the data in the paper for easy reference. Since I have an Inbox Zero, I also save all emails regarding the paper in the main folder of the paper, such as the email giving me the name of the submission, and the confirmation of the submission.

This method, in a nutshell, helps me to keep an overview of the papers that I have in process. It's easy, in the cloud, and suits the purpose. In my opinion, complex time management system with a lot of zinging and dinging features are not what we need - instead, a simple system that just contains the basic information is sufficient.

Writers' Lab: Writing practices of a postdoc in the sciences

Today in the Writers' Lab I have the pleasure of inviting William Alexander, who shares with us his writing habits. William Alexander was born and educated in Missouri. Currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his interests center on synthetic biology, homebrewing, and child rearing.

Scientific writing is a difficult skill to master. As a young scientist in the early stages of my career, I’ve devoted a considerable amount of time to putting letters to paper (digitally, of course), and during that time I’ve developed a writing routine that has enhanced not only the quantity of text I can output in a day but also the quality of said text. In this post, I’d like to share with you what I do when I’m writing so that those of you reading this who are just beginning their first journal article write-up or dissertation chapter will receive some tips to make the experience less of a grind.

Preparation
Before I even touch a keyboard, I focus my thoughts to the task at hand. Writing is a form of communication, and communicating requires that you take your potential audience into account. Who will be reading this document? What is the intended purpose of this document? Getting into the head of your readers will assist your writing to target their level of knowledge or their demographic. Once you know who you’re trying to reach, you now must tell them something. What information are you conveying? Is this document data-heavy (like a journal paper) or theory-heavy (like a grant application)? I have found that doing an outline of the document is immensely useful in directing both the flow of your writing and organizing the information you wish to convey.

Location
I absolutely, positively cannot write in the lab. I couldn’t do it as an undergraduate, I couldn’t do it as a grad student, and I can’t do it now as a postdoc. Labs are full of distractions that wreck concentration and flow, like beeping timers, loud conversations, meetings, experiments, and so on. If you’re like me and you get distracted by these things, then get out and go somewhere else! Some people prefer coffee shops, bars, or parks, but I prefer writing in my home office. The coffee is better, I’m isolated from the world, and, most importantly, it’s comfortable; I think that being comfortable when writing is incredibly important, especially when the crunch is on and you need to get a document produced ASAP.

Timing
This sounds silly, but I have incredible difficulty writing after 7 pm or so. I can maybe do some light editing or figure drawing, but my text quality and quantity drops noticeably in the evening. The best time for me to write is in the morning after breakfast, so when I have a heavy writing load I will take that time to write like a maniac, then eat lunch and go in to lab for the afternoon and evening. While your ideal time will probably differ from mine, figuring out when the best time of day for you to write is important because it will increase your productivity and morale. Figuring this out is easy: do the experiment for yourself!

Breaks
You need to take breaks when you write. Full stop. Period. You’re a person, and people need breaks when they work. Writing can and will be a laborious task, and if you’re tired or overworked your text will suffer. I try to write for no more than two hours at a time. Once two hours passes (or I get fed up with whatever I’m working on), I go do something for a half hour or so. This break could consist of taking a walk, watching a TV episode on Netflix, making and eating a meal, or any number of things. Well-rested people are productive people, and this rule applies to a scientist writing a paper as much as it applies to more physically demanding labor. Also, be sure to not sacrifice sleep; staying up all night writing a paper has always led to me reading over garbage the next day. I’m a thirtysomething, and my body and mind can’t cope with the lack of restful sleep.

To summarize: my writing routine consists of planning, writing mostly in the morning at home, taking breaks when necessary, and not wrecking myself by staying up all night. I hope this insight into my process helps you, or at least provides some ideas to try for yourself. Happy writing!