Journey abandoned on the advice of the BBC! Too much flooding and torrential rain forecast for today...
Hello again, Dianne & Everyone,
re. It’s looking to me like the author has written within a chronological framework (and I can well understand why) rather than a thematic framework.
Thank you very much for another thought-provoking posting. While we analyse what you have offered us, an observation the author has used a thematic framework,
Looking forward to hearing from others on our list too - just as Dianne (Thank You!) has said in her previous posting,
I'll ease out of conversation to make space - and give me time to think Dianne's ideas in depth,
More from me on Thursday,
Warm regards - Sarah
On Tuesday, February 11, 2014 9:28 AM, Dianne Allen <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
For what it is worth, Sarah, I consider the literature review in my Masters thesis was to be found in Chapter 2, 3, 4 and the Conclusion chapter.
I explained part of why this was so in my introduction chapter and I had additional notes if I was taken up on it!
If there is a part of writing for academic publication where I am likely to founder, it is in the so-called ‘literature review’ bit.
It took me at least
three years to decide which of the literature was relevant to my work … and how to organise it to contribute rather than distract me.
It took me three chapters of explanation of what that literature meant to me, and how it contributed to my thinking about what my thesis turned out to be (rather than what it supposedly started out to be), and those three chapters of drafting were eventually cut from the thesis, and only presented in summary form, with a footnote, in Chapter 2.
Later, when I have been working with international students with their thesis writing, I liken the ‘literature review’ process to the
data collection and analysis and findings and discussion reporting. You gather literature as much as possible and as relevant as possible. Then you try to organise it so that it makes sense to you, and then you can show how it contributes to / is relevant to your conclusion.
In the end I found I could write the beginning material of my thesis, only after I had drafted the findings …
Yes, for a thesis, and for this aspect of our self-directed learning, we need to show that we know the field, and as well as can be expected; and we can see, from that knowing, where our primary investigation is to go to
contribute to more knowledge to the field, and that we can and do say that. That literature review will be part of our research proposal process, and not necessarily the what, and especially not necessarily the how of what we present in our final report.
Part of the role of the thesis study is to learn, and to do that, under our own steam. That will take us to somewhere that no-one else has been before and there is no set way of reporting that. Part of the convention is to show, conventionally enough, that if we were examined as per course work, on the topic of our thesis, then we can also show someone else, very familiar with the field, that we know what the field has to teach us, and therefore what we do not need to learn by gathering primary data. And further,
as far as the literature to which we have attended is concerned, we can show where we are going that no-one else has reported being yet.
Of course, a week or two after submission we might well find the book (or journal article) that does much of what we were doing (for me, it was Howard Gardner’s ‘Changing Minds’ book, published about 2006, which means it may well have been in development while I was doing my study).
But back to Sarah’s question/s: How many potential publications can you see emerging in the first two chapters of the dissertation we are considering? How
many potential publications do you see in the first few chapters of your own dissertation or thesis?
I wonder if there is a story within the story … It’s looking to me like the author has written within a chronological framework (and I can well understand why) rather than a thematic framework. It is not unusual to see action research reported chronologically, and in part because that is how it is done, and it is the tracking of the action, followed by the observation and the reflection/evaluation that provides inputs for the next round of action/observation/reflection-evaluation/design of new action that makes most sense to the researcher-as-writer, and indeed may well be attractive to the reader. There is certainly a ‘history’ of chronological narratives. Some
exploration of why chronology works best in this instance of reporting research could be undertaken.
Dianne Allen
Kiama
Access to Thesis:
From: MENTORING-COACHING [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sarah Fletcher
Sent: Monday, 10 February 2014 9:05 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: February E-seminar; Writing for Publication
Sent: Monday, 10 February 2014 9:05 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: February E-seminar; Writing for Publication
Good morning, Dianne, and thank you very much for feedback and sharing your thoughts on your own experience. I am particularly drawn to where you focus on 'practice relevant research' and when we are collating points covered in our article for our concluding section I believe it is important to look at the implications for both further research and for practice. The centrality of relevance should determine how we construct our papers so that feedback from reviewers is not a soul deadening 'So what?' but something
akin to 'I value how you have explained the relevance of your research on local, national and international levels'. Another point you raise, Dianne. Thank you for doing so - reading to determine how articles already published have been written (e.g. in narrative or in 3rd person?) as we decide upon a target journal i.e. a journal we are planning to submit a manuscript to.
In my experience as an editor, it is all too obvious and a sure way of getting a manuscript rejected to write an a paper and send it off to a number of journals for review. Far better to find a journal you value and write for that.
.... and now - time for Chapter Two! (I am slightly abridging the original version and leaving out details of the images included)
Chapter Two; On becoming a mentor;
The beginning; I meet with my mentees
Case study of one
mentee
Mentoring revisited
Envisioning goals; Looking at my own approach to mentoring; planning and fitting into a wider framework
As I read this wonderfully rich dissertation I am reminded that different styles of construction are expected from MA students internationally; whereas my own dissertation at the IoE in London University was constructed as a
doctoral thesis might be (with Chapter Two being a literature survey) this is not universally so. IJMCE does tend to expect a mini thesis format for submissions i.e. Introduction then a recent and relevant literature survey (with critical engagement with current writings). There is no greater give away that a dissertation or thesis was written several years previously than when the author forgets to (or does not bother to) engage with current educational research. As an editor, I read submissions three times; first is a skim read and a glance at the references section to check it is relevant/up to date; second a very thorough read and note taking, third; Have I missed anything?
How many potential publications can you see emerging in the first two chapters of
the dissertation we are considering? How many potential publications do you see in the first few chapters of your own dissertation or thesis?
Warm regards, Everyone,
Sarah
Hello Sarah.
Thanks for this way of exposing us to thinking about what has been written, and about the
possibilities of recasting it, in parcels for possible publication: of a number of articles for different journals, of perhaps a series of articles for one particular journal, or maybe a manual for others wanting to walk in these footsteps to explore their own practice issues via self-study, and including the narrative aspect.
The idea of using someone else’s writing to examine these things, to then be able make the jump to looking, in a more effectively critical way at one’s own writing, complements some of my own experience:
1. Of realising that when I read, I have been captured by content, and ignore the writing/written process
2. Of with helping others with their academic writing and ‘practice relevant research’
It also intersects with a recent peer review of a possible journal article for the Journal of
Research Practice, looking at a similarly creative way of preparing students for a possible academic career (with research genre examination [autoethnography], with journal focus examination, and with progressive drafting and peer feedback [both giving it and receiving it] and responding to peer reviewing, for a final assignment and for possible publication).
I’ll be interested to see what others make of this.
Dianne
From: MENTORING-COACHING [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sarah Fletcher
Sent: Monday, 10 February 2014 2:23 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: February E-seminar; Writing for Publication
Sent: Monday, 10 February 2014 2:23 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: February E-seminar; Writing for Publication
Hello, Everyone,
I have decided to
choose a really 'meaty' MA dissertation (well, I think it is!) to explore regarding possible progression to publication. It was written by a colleague and friend in Canada and I was privileged to present with her at a self-study conference organised by a special interest group for the American Educational Research Association. I am going to post up one chapter overview at a time (there are seven chapters) and as you read through the subsections you might like to jot down potential publications emerging. Maybe you would prefer to wait until the whole contents list has been put up here; it's up to you. What I'm hoping you'll see is that one dissertation doesn't equal just one potential publication. When I wrote my MA dissertation on underachievement among modern foreign language students in school it never occurred to me it might have potential for even one publication!
Table of Contents;
Chapter One; Just where do you think you're going? The Inquiry begins...
Conceptualising the situation; background information
Self Study; The professional dream
Data collection
Multi modal representation
Visual images and poetry
Narrative Inquiry
Relevance of this thesis
I feel excited again just setting out the first chapter
here! Taking a potential publication as having a structure akin to a piece of research presented for an MA or PHD (Introduction/background; literature review; methodology; findings; discussion and conclusion) do you see the makings of a potential submission here? If you do, which sections need amplifying> If you don't, why not? What is missing/what are looking for later in the dissertation?
If you see a potential for publication - whether or not there might be sufficient in the first chapter supplied as an overview here - do you have a target journal in mind? You may find it helpful to read through at least one issue in detail to determine if the
focus of the research, methodology involved and country of origin 'fit' in with the style of the papers previously published by a target journal. Does IJMCE accept self-study articles, for example?
Chapter Two tomorrow,
Warm regards,
Sarah
Good Evening, Everyone,
I have added the details from IJEBCM plus author details for BERJ (British Educational Research Journal) to our overview. You can now see how details differ. Does it matter if you observe individual differences? Yes - it does! Faced with piles of submissions those that do not adhere to author guidelines won't go out for review and may very well
be rejected immediately on the grounds that the author has not bothered to read the guidelines supplied. Editors read all of the papers and do not generally have time to send a paper that does not observe guidance offered back to the author - although IJEBCM mentions that this might happen. Generally, it will depend on how the journal is viewed by researchers - if it is a highly sought after target journal like BERJ, for example, which comes as part of BERA's subscription to its members, unless the article is spot on in other respects it will be rejected.
In a few days time I am going to circulate a Contents list of the chapters in a PhD thesis and ask
you how many potential publications you see there. I will also ask you to consider which journal or journals you might submit to. This is not a competition (!) and you do not have to respond to the list. It's a thought-provoking exercise, especially for those of us who complete a thesis or dissertation and believe that only one publication could result from it,
Warm regards,
Sarah
Hello Janet - Thank You!
... and just as we are all getting to grips with the guidelines for authors for two world class journals, it's time to add a third! This one is based in the business school at Oxford Brooks University and it is available online only. Although it might be seen as a target for papers about Business mentoring and coaching, it is well respected for publishing papers about Education too. I find it a highly professional publication but I'm biased (on their EAB!)
Warm regards, Everyone
PS Author Guidelines for IJEBCM are attached
Thanks Sarah. Will get back to you once I’ve had time to digest. Happy (belated) New Year – or perhaps happy Chinese New Year would be more appropriate today!! Best wishes.
Dr. Janet Oti (PhD), Senior Lecturer
Course Leader: PGCE PCE FT + MA PCET
School of Education/Ysgol Addysg
University of South Wales
Caerleon Campus/Campws Caerllion
Caerleon Campus/Campws Caerllion
Lodge Road/ Heol y Porthdy
Caerleon/Caerllion
Newport/Casnewydd
NP18 3QT
tel 01633 432122
From: MENTORING-COACHING [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sarah Fletcher
Sent: 02 February 2014 22:01
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: February E-seminar; Writing for Publication
Sent: 02 February 2014 22:01
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: February E-seminar; Writing for Publication
Hello again, Everyone,
I have been busy! In case anyone believes that all journals require the same format etc. etc. please take a careful look at the comparative study (attached) for two potentially similar journals you might target with a submission. Allowing everyone time to read and digest (major)
differences between IJMCE & Mentoring and Tutoring; Partnership in Learning, I'll be back in touch in a few days. If you have time, do look at (online) Author Guidelines for both.
Warm regards,
Sarah
Good Evening from Bath, Everyone,
This month I am running an e-seminar on transforming an MA dissertation and a PhD into publications. The focus is obviously on research into mentoring and/or coaching given the purposes of this Mentoring-Coaching JISCmail list. However, hopefully, some of what we cover will be of generic value and thus suitable for other areas of study. As the founder editor for the International Journal for Mentoring and Coaching in Education, IJMCE is obviously the target journal I will refer to most but, as a reviewer for several other academic journals I will be referring to others. One of the delights of working as editor for IJMCE was the plethora of superb support materials online for would be authors, novice and experienced. As
a starting point therefore, I commend these resources to you. They are accessible at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/products/journals/author_guidelines.htm?id=ijmce Please refer to the right hand menu.
Warm regards - further details soon -
Sarah
Dr Sarah Fletcher,
Independent Research Mentor-Coach