Thanks very much for providing such a useful, usable and comprehensive list of resources, Ken.
Writing as someone who has:
a. had his scholarship published in several journals over the past 20+ years,
b. who has ALSO had his scholarship REJECTED from several more journals during the same span of time, AND
c. who has learned a great deal from having his work be effectively assessed by editors and reviewers who have provided (in my opinion) invaluable commentary during both the processes of article acceptance AND article REJECTION, AND
d. who is now producing and co-editing the new journal “Dialectic” on behalf of the AIGA DEC (American Institute of Graphic Arts Design Educators’ Community),
I can well attest to the value inherent in this list of resources, and encourage would-be journal authors to use it to good effect. I would also add the following, and I believe this is an absolutely crucial thing for aspiring journal authors to do:
ACTIVELY and CONSISTENTLY read the content of at least the journals you aspire to publish your work within.
I know some on this list might read this and think, “that should go without saying/writing, shouldn’t it?” Now that I’ve had the chance to produce and edit, and well as publish, in the realm of academic journals, I will contend the opposite. This very much needs to be said/written, especially in a forum like this list. Based on the wide variety of material my colleagues and I from Dialectic have had to critically read and edit over the past couple of years—and I realize that this is a limited sampling--I’ve gotten a pretty clear sense that many prospective authors DO NOT appear to be familiar with “that which has been published before” re: their subject matter or related material in reputable, well-respected journals in and around their disciplines.
The more “wannabe scholarship” my colleagues and I read that 1) doesn’t attempt to situate itself in the context of extant literature/related scholarly writing, 2) that doesn’t acknowledge the work of past scholars and researchers, and 3) that is devoid of well-structured argumentation, the more I hear Sharon Poggenpohl’s lament “Too many designers and design educators just don’t read enough good scholarship.” (She offered this in an address to an AIGA DEC conference held at North Carolina State University in the fall of 2010 during a panel discussion that dealt with the need to teach more design educators in the U.S. to teach design research. Many in attendance were upset/offended by this…)
I would also contend that more aspiring educators, researchers and practitioners (I realize that these often now necessarily blend…) need to be immersed in learning experiences during their master’s and doctoral levels of study that actually teach them how to engage in the process of writing and at least attempting to publish viable scholarship. My knowledge of the dearth of course offerings devoted to this in the U.S. and Canada at the graduate and undergraduate levels is fairly extensive, much less so re: programs in the rest of the world.
All for now/thanks again,
Michael g
+ + + + + + + + +
Michael R. Gibson
Professor, Communication Design
Graduate Programs Coordinator, Design Research and Interaction Design
The University of North Texas
College of Visual Arts and Design
[log in to unmask]
Producer, Dialectic: a scholarly journal of thought leadership, education and practice in the discipline of visual communication design published by the AIGA DEC (Design Educators Community) and Michigan Publishing
On 5/2/17, 3:12 AM, "PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design on behalf of Ken Friedman" <[log in to unmask] on behalf of [log in to unmask]> wrote:
Dear All,
Yesterday, a colleague asked for my thoughts on useful information for people who want to do well in writing journal articles.
Thinking about this, I thought it might be helpful to share the information and sources more widely. Follow the links to the free-for-download resources. For the books, I provide links to Amazon. If the prices seem high, you can order them used or ask your library to order copies. IMHO, every doctoral supervisor ought to have these books within easy reach.
A few years back, Eric Arnould wrote a helpful article on “Getting a Manuscript to Publication Standard” that was reprinted in the first issue of Design Research Quarterly:
https://www.academia.edu/32760936
You’ll find my thoughts in the PowerPoint deck for the Research Writing Workshop. This includes information on how to write well, and it includes a discussion of issues to consider in writing a journal article:
https://www.academia.edu/2953871
Two books are especially useful when it comes to writing well in English.
IMHO, Strunk & White’s Elements of Style remains the classic on writing narrative prose. Chapters I, II, and V discuss usage, form, and style. Chapters III and IV discuss minor points. While chapters III and IV are rule-driven, the book as a whole is driven by style and clarity. You can read it in an hour.
https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Fourth-William-Strunk/dp/020530902X
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elements-Style-William-Strunk-Jr/dp/020530902X
People sometimes describe Strunk & White as a fussy rule-book of writing — based, in part, on chapters III and IV. That’s a mistake. The book focuses on effective prose style for clear communication. Strunk & White takes only an hour or so to read, so it is easy to use. (I cover the main points in the Research Writing Workshop slides.) I read this book once a year, and I learn something new and useful each time I read it.
The real pain of writing comes in writing. Dorothy Parker once wrote, “If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second-greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of ‘The Elements of Style.’ The first-greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.”
Those who want to focus on academic, scholarly, and scientific writing do well to read Helen Sword’s (2012)
https://www.amazon.com/Stylish-Academic-Writing-Helen-Sword/dp/0674064488
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stylish-Academic-Writing-Helen-Sword/dp/0674064488
One thing that writers rarely consider is how editors and reviewers look at articles. Two books offer an excellent overview of these issues. One is Baruch, Konrad, Aguinis, & Starbuck's (2008) Opening the Black Box of Editorship:
https://www.amazon.com/Opening-Black-Box-Editorship-Baruch/dp/0230013600
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Opening-Black-Editorship-Yehuda-Baruch/0230013600
Cummings & Frost's (1995) Publishing in the Organizational Sciences discusses many of the challenges that author’s face — and it gives a view from reviewers as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Publishing-Organizational-Sciences-Foundations-Science/dp/0803971451
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Publishing-Organizational-Sciences-Foundations-Science/0803971451
Frost & Taylor (1996) discuss another aspect of writing in Rhythms of Academic Life. While some of the material in this book seems outdated in the era of the managerial university, it remains a serious and interesting work:
https://www.amazon.com/Rhythms-Academic-Life-Foundations-Organizational-ebook/dp/B017NXIQC0
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rhythms-Academic-Life-Foundations-Organizational/dp/0803972636
Sternberg’s (2000) Guide to Publishing in Psychology Journals is one of the best overall guides to every aspect and phase of the overall publishing process:
https://www.amazon.com/Publishing-Psychology-Journals-Robert-Sternberg/dp/052159460X
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Publishing-Psychology-Journals-Robert-Sternberg/dp/052159460X
Good referencing is one of the key issues in effective scholarly and scientific writing. Dorothy Harris used to have a slogan: “Be true to your sources and your sources will be true to you.” Good references are more than a finicky way to avoid plagiarism. Solid citations provide the evidence on which most articles rely. They are therefore a key tool for reviewers. More important, careful referencing helps authors to write better articles.
In addition to the chapter in Robert Sternberg’s guide, I suggest three useful guides on reference and citation. Friedman (2017) and Himmelfarb (1991) are short and informative. Grafton (2003) is long, historical, and extremely entertaining
https://www.academia.edu/32742678
http://msa.maryland.gov/ecp/10/214/html/0003.html
https://www.amazon.com/Footnote-Curious-History-Anthony-Grafton/dp/0674307607
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Footnote-Curious-Prof-Anthony-Grafton-x/dp/0571196012
Fowler & Aaron's (2016) Little, Brown Handbook is an essential reference book. Be warned: this book contains too many details to read, and no one can actually read it. Its value lies in the answers it provides to nearly every question you might have about academic, scholarly, or scientific writing. I suggest reading the Preface, the Table of Contents, and the three-page guide at the back. Then, when you have a specific question, use the book for advice.
https://www.amazon.com/Little-Brown-Handbook-13th/dp/0321988272
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Handbook-Update-Ramsey-2016-08-01/dp/B01MU4KWS5
I’ll round this off with two books. Clifford Geertz’s (1998) Works and Lives is a book about anthropological writing — how writers create a voice and a persona, and how their works influence their domain. Geertz himself is a lucid and entertaining writer, the creator of the approach to social science known as “thick description.” This book is entertaining, lucid, and useful:
https://www.amazon.com/Works-Lives-Anthropologist-as-Author/dp/0745607594
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Works-Lives-Anthropologist-Clifford-1998-09-04/dp/B01FEPWUX0
Gordon Wood's (2008) Purpose of the Past offers a collection of Wood’s book reviews of books on American history by a great historian and historiographer. Reading this book offers a view of how writers address the problems within a field, and how they address the field and drive it forward in doing so. Wood himself is an elegant writer. After a long day of editing and reviewing articles, I sometimes like to read Gordon Wood to relax.
https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Past-Reflections-Uses-History/dp/0143115049
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Purpose-Past-Reflections-Uses-History/dp/0143115049
With the academic year coming to an end in many places, it is time for many of us to read, to reflect, and possible even to write. I hope that you find these suggestions informative and helpful.
Yours,
Ken
Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS | Editor-in-Chief | 设计 She Ji. The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation | Published by Tongji University in Cooperation with Elsevier | URL: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/she-ji-the-journal-of-design-economics-and-innovation/
Chair Professor of Design Innovation Studies | College of Design and Innovation | Tongji University | Shanghai, China ||| University Distinguished Professor | Centre for Design Innovation | Swinburne University of Technology | Melbourne, Australia
Email [log in to unmask] | Academia http://swinburne.academia.edu/KenFriedman | D&I http://tjdi.tongji.edu.cn
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